Braylon Staley’s physicality, route running detailed during 2025 football season
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Tennessee redshirt freshman wide receiver Braylon Staley has recorded 57 receptions for 761 yards and six touchdowns through 10 games in 2025.
The 6-foot, 190-pound wide receiver totaled three receptions and 21 yards in four games as a freshman in 2024.
Ahead of No. 20 Tennessee (7-3, 3-3 SEC) playing at Florida (3-7, 2-5 SEC) on Saturday, wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope discussed how Staley is better now compared to September.
"I think route running for one,” Pope said. “He's much better. He understands angles. He does a great job of sitting in windows over the middle of the field. He does a great job of fluctuating his speed, knowing when to play the top speeds and being able to manipulate defenders that way.
“I say the biggest leap that he's taken is just physicality. When he got here, he was obviously a football player in high school, but he ran track, and physicality didn't come natural. You guys know, just like I know in this league, man, you have to be physical at every position. You see him on some of the stuff where he's blocking. Against Oklahoma, he's pinning a guy on the sideline on the ground, and Mike (Matthews) is sprinting for 20, 30 yards because of it. I think that physicality helps him also win routes when you get man coverage and things like that. He's taken a leap there, and I think that it's helped his confidence a lot. He's playing at a high level right now."
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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Wide receiver Braylon Staley’s physicality, route running detailed
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