Why Tennessee football fans will see WR contest decided in Neyland Stadium

There’s a notion that Tennessee football's quarterback competition should extend into the 2026 season so fans can judge between George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon by how they play in games.

That's unlikely and certainly not coach Josh Heupel’s preference.

However, that scenario seems almost inevitable in the competition for the final starting spot at wide receiver.

“It’s wide open,” wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope said. “(It’s) between anybody in the (wide receiver) room, really. If they can breathe and they're in that room, that third spot’s open for them.”

To be clear, Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley are returning starters and among the SEC’s most productive receivers.

The third starting spot is up for grabs between sophomore Radarious Jackson, sophomore Travis Smith and five-star freshman TK Keys. The competition has been tight enough that it’ll almost certainly stretch into the season opener against Furman on Sept. 5 (3:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+/ESPN+) at Neyland Stadium and perhaps beyond.

Neyland Stadium will stage final WR competition

That’s where Tennessee fans come in. They’ll produce a home atmosphere that demands big plays from a passing offense that’s usually among the nation’s leaders.

Jackson, Smith and Keys will seize those opportunities or fall behind.

That’s why Pope believes fans could recognize the winner of the wide receiver competition at the same moment that he does. Fans will know it when they see it in Neyland Stadium.

“You go into Neyland a lot of times and guys look completely different from what they've done on the practice field because that’s an imposing place,” Pope said. “There’s going to be 100,000 more people in there when we get there (on gameday). Who’s not afraid of the moment?

“Some (players) go in, and they cut it loose. They make play after play, (and) they’re asking for more. That’s when you know guys are ready.”

Tennessee has one more intrasquad scrimmage in Neyland Stadium on Aug. 22, when one receiver could gain an edge. That scrimmage will be closed to media and fans.

But Pope’s uncertainty points to an extended competition — first in the Furman game, and then perhaps against Georgia Tech (Sept. 12), Kennesaw State (Sept. 19) and Texas (Sept. 26).

“I’m telling all these guys: We’ve got to play well under the lights,” Pope said. “We’re going to play a lot of teams in this league that are really good. So my focus to these guys is (that) in games where we have to be perfect, will you be able to?”

Here’s why it’s hard to pick a WR frontrunner

Why is the competition so close? Each receiver has obvious strengths that should put them in the mix, but their inconsistency opens the door to another contender.

Jackson, a 6-foot-2, 208-pounder, is a tenacious competitor who plays well through contact. He was limited by a minor injury through the first half of preseason practice, but he appears healthy now.

“(Jackson) is usually the hardest worker in the receiver room,” Pope said. “You don’t have to really get a fire lit under him.”

Smith has a similar frame at 6-3, 215 pounds. He has impressive athleticism that creates occasional catches that belong on a highlight reel. But he must play with more physicality to beat out Jackson.

“Travis has to be the most physical guy in my room,” Pope said. “Physically, he’s imposing. He looks like Goliath. But he’s got to work at (playing with physicality consistently) because it doesn’t come naturally to him. You’ve started to see him kind of turn that corner.”

Keys, a 6-2, 200-pounder, was the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports Composite. And he’s described in the way you’d expect from that elite ranking.

“The kid is gifted,” Pope said. “The highs you see, he just does stuff that you can’t coach. (But) some days it looks like the polar opposite.

“My message to him is, ‘No matter how talented you are, you have to be consistent.’ ”

Why game performance is an unknown in WR battle

How the wide receivers play early in the season matters so much because they have little, or no, meaningful game experience.

Jackson had nine catches for 90 yards as a freshman. He played 43 snaps in SEC games and 19 snaps in the Music City Bowl against Illinois.

Smith had three catches for 27 yards as a freshman. He played nine snaps in SEC games and 15 snaps in the Music City Bowl.

Both missed games in the 2025 season due to injuries.

Keys enrolled at UT in January. In the spring, he was limited by a knee injury suffered in high school. Early in preseason practice, he worked through a soft tissue matter unrelated to his knee.

At times, all three have looked like a starting wide receiver in the SEC. But it’ll likely take such a performance on gameday in Neyland Stadium to lock down that spot.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Tennessee football fans will see WR contest decided in Neyland Stadium