Kelsey Pope – Syndication Server

Kelsey Pope discusses growth of Tennessee’s wide receivers

Kelsey Pope discusses the growth of Tennessee’s wide receivers this season.

Kelsey Pope is in his second season as Tennessee’s wide receivers coach after serving as an offensive analyst for the Vols in 2021.

Pope met with media entering Week 11 and discussed the growth of Tennessee’s wide receivers room this season.

“I think that’s been kind of the word of the year is just growth,” Pope said. “I think the relieving part about that word is we’ve yet to peak. I think as those guys continue to work, the best version of themselves we’ll continue to see.

“Got a bunch of guys in new spots, bunch of guys getting used to new roles. I think, ultimately, that detail, the intensity that it takes to prepare each week. I think just repetition, that over and over is why guys are becoming more comfortable and now you’ve been able to see them make more plays as of late. I think as they continue to work their playing, that’ll continue to come.”

Kelsey Pope details Vols’ wide receivers ahead of Missouri game

Tennessee wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope details the Vols’ receivers ahead of the Missouri game.

No. 12 Tennessee (7-2, 3-2 SEC) will play at No. 15 Missouri (7-2, 3-2 SEC) on Saturday in Week 11.

Rankings reflect the US LBM Coaches Poll.

Kickoff between the Vols and Tigers is slated for 3:30 p.m. EST at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri.

CBS will televise the Southeastern Conference East matchup. Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst) and Jenny Dell (sideline).

Tennessee football releases depth chart ahead of Missouri game

The Vols enter Week 11 ranked No. 58 nationally in passing offense.

Ahead of Saturday’s contest at Missouri for the Vols, Tennessee wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope met with media. Everything Pope said during his media availability is listed below.

Kelsey Pope discusses wide receivers Chas Nimrod, Kaleb Webb during fall camp

Kelsey Pope discusses wide receivers Chas Nimrod and Kaleb Webb during fall camp.

Tennessee will kick off its 2023 season on Sept. 2.

The Vols will play Virginia at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. Kickoff is slated for noon EDT and will be televised by ABC.

Following Tennessee’s seventh practice during fall training camp, wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope met with media. Pope discussed wide receivers Chas Nimrod and Kaleb Webb.

“Those two have been very impressive, both though in their own separate ways,” Pope said. “Kaleb is a bigger body, big catch radius, strong, powerful kid. Chas is more agile and very twitchy, but both of those guys have been exceptional.

“My job for those two, they haven’t seen this thing before on our level, so I have to get those guys consistent. Right now, you see flashes all over the place from both of them. Right now, it’s my job to get those guys more consistent so they are making plays consistently. You see it more on a first-second-third down basis, it is not just showing one series to the next.”

Nimrod enters his second season with the Vols. The redshirt freshman appeared in two games and did not record any statistics in 2022. He played in eight offensive snaps versus Vanderbilt and 18 against UT Martin.

Webb enters his second season at Tennessee. He played in three games (Ball State, UT Martin, Vanderbilt) and did not record any statistics last season.

Kelsey Pope details Ramel Keyton’s growth ahead of 2023 season

Tennessee assistant coach Kelsey Pope details how wide receiver Ramel Keyton has grown ahead of the 2023 season.

Tennessee practiced for the seventh time during fall training camp on Wednesday.

Wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope met with media following practice and discussed senior Ramel Keyton.

“Ramel, he has become a great person,” Pope said of Tennessee’s wide receiver. “He’s become a more mature kid. He’s become more accountable and he cares about football. He’s become a way better teammate.

“I think that’s translated to him being able to take advantage of some opportunities on the field. He does a great job down the field just to catch it for us. This offseason, he’s done a good job of homing in on technique and more of the intermediate underneath game. He’s done a great job for us and we look forward to him continuing to lead our group.”

The 6-foot-3, 197-pound Keyton has appeared in 42 games, including 11 starts, for the Vols. He recorded 51 receptions, 814 receiving yards, five receiving touchdowns and 10 rushing yards from 2019-22.

Keyton’s 18.1 yards per reception ranked second at Tennessee and fifth in the Southeastern Conference in 2022. He is the Vols’ receiving touchdown leader (5) returning from last season.

Dont’e Thornton Jr. working in different spots during fall camp

Tennessee wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. is working in different spots during fall camp.

Tennessee practiced for the seventh time during fall training camp on Wednesday.

Wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope met with media following practice and discussed Dont’e Thornton Jr.

The 6-foot-5, 214-pound wide receiver transferred to Tennessee from Oregon on Jan. 9.

“We are working him in different spots,” Pope said of Thornton Jr. “We are doing a good job of trying to use his skill set to put him in some different situations. Just his growth, the most was getting in here and learning what we do, learning how we operate on the field and in the building.

“There is a work ethic I think that has been brought on by the players. It is expected here now, so with him learning to play ball, with him getting in here and creating habits, he’s fit right in with these guys and has done a great job so far.”

Thornton appeared in 25 games at Oregon from 2021-22. He recorded 26 receptions, 541 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns, while totaling six rushing yards on two attempts.

Fall camp: Walker Merrill ‘plays harder than anyone on the field’

Fall camp: Wide receiver Walker Merrill ‘plays harder than anyone on the field’

Tennessee practiced for the ninth time Thursday during fall training camp at Haslam Field ahead of the 2022 season.

Following Thursday’s practice, first-year wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope met with media.

Pope discussed sophomore wide receiver Walker Merrill during fall training camp.

“Walker has had a really good camp,” Pope said. “Last spring, he had a knee injury that he had to work through, so he was just working back at camp. He has been really good. He plays harder than anyone on the field, so he is always going to give himself a chance to be successful.”

Merrill appeared in 10 games for Tennessee in 2021. He totaled five receptions for 52 yards last season.

Walker Merrill. Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

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Bru McCoy ‘has been a pleasant surprise’ for Vols during fall camp

Wide receiver Bru McCoy ‘has been a pleasant surprise’ for Tennessee during fall camp.

Tennessee practiced for the ninth time Thursday during fall training camp at Haslam Field ahead of the 2022 season.

Following Thursday’s practice, first-year wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope met with media.

Pope discussed redshirt junior wide receiver Bru McCoy during fall training camp. McCoy transferred from USC to Tennessee in May.

“Bru has been a pleasant surprise,” Pope said. “He’s been really good. For a guy who hasn’t played in a season, he obviously has had to build stamina back up, but when you talk about just a physical specimen, some things you can coach and some things you can’t. That guy has a lot of things that you just can’t coach.

“For him, it’s just honing in on the details and getting it polished up for him really to become a technician. He’s a big athlete. He’s physical, twitchy and he can run. For us, it’s just about being able to get his stamina up, get him back in shape and then polish up the little things with him.”

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound McCoy appeared in six games for USC in 2020. McCoy totaled 21 receptions, 236 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

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Kelsey Pope discusses fall camp following ninth practice

Kelsey Pope discusses fall camp following Tennessee’s ninth practice.

Tennessee practiced for the ninth time during fall training camp Thursday at Haslam Field ahead of the 2022 season.

The Vols will open its season against Ball State at Neyland Stadium Sept. 1. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. EDT and SEC Network will televise the season-opening matchup.

The meeting is the first between the two schools.

Tennessee will play in the second Johnny Majors Classic Sept. 10 at Pittsburgh, followed by hosting Akron Sept. 17 and Florida Sept. 24 during the season’s opening month.

Following the Vols’ ninth practice during fall training camp, wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope met with media. Pope’s media availability can be watched below.

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Kelsey Pope discusses Vols’ wide receivers who have stepped up during fall camp

Kelsey Pope discusses which Vols’ wide receivers who have stepped up during fall training camp.

Tennessee practiced for the ninth time Thursday during fall training camp at Haslam Field ahead of the 2022 season.

Tennessee will kick off its 2022 season Sept. 1 against Ball State at Neyland Stadium (7 p.m. EDT, SEC Network).

Roman Harper provides game-by-game predictions for Tennessee in 2022

Following Thursday’s practice, first-year wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope met with media.

Pope served as an offensive analyst for the Vols in 2021. He was promoted as Tennessee’s wide receivers coach in March, replacing Kodi Burns who departed for the New Orleans Saints.

Below are Pope’s analysis of wide receivers who have stepped up during fall training camp.

Spring practices: Kelsey Pope discusses overseeing Tennessee’s wide receivers

Spring football practices: Kelsey Pope discusses overseeing Tennessee’s wide receivers

Second-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel promoted Kelsey Pope on his staff ahead of spring practices.

Pope was promoted as wide receivers coach, replacing Kodi Burns who joined the New Orleans Saints’ staff.

Pope served as an offensive analyst at Tennessee in 2021. He played wide receiver collegiately at Samford from 2010-13.

“Smart, competitive, consistent, great communicator, great leader inside of the room and mentor to those young guys,” Heupel said of Pope following Tennessee’s first spring practice. “He has all of the tools to be a dynamic and elite coach. I hired him because there was no doubt that he was the right guy for the job.

“I believe in who he is and how he will help those guys grow. He has done a great job with those guys in the year that he has been here. We have great trust and confidence in him. He is going to be a great recruiter because he is relationship-driven and great communicator. He is going to work at it and those are the traits you need. We are excited and fortunate to have him apart of our staff.”

Following Tennessee’s ninth spring practice, Pope met with media and discussed overseeing the Vols’ wide receivers.