Trio of wide receivers gaining trust in Josh Heupel’s offense

Trio of wide receivers gaining trust in Josh Heupel’s offense.

Tennessee has practiced five times this spring.

Following the Vols’ fifth spring practice, first-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel met with media and discussed the wide receivers unit.

Heupel mentioned wide receivers Jimmy Calloway, Velus Jones Jr. and Cedric Tillman are gaining trust within the offense.

“I think we’re going to continue to develop and grow depth out there,” Heupel said. “Tillman’s done a fantastic job of just being really purposeful in his work habits out on the practice field and he’s playing faster as he’s getting more comfortable, day one to day five. Velus has done a tremendous job. He’s a really strong competitor, brings a great amount of leadership to that wide receiver group every day, in the meeting rooms and that’s transitioned out onto the practice field as well. Jimmy Calloway is having a good spring and good start here, a guy that’s learning how to play with the technique in what we’re asking him to do, getting better every day, but has the ability to extend the field and really make some plays down the field.

“I would never use the word satisfied or completely happy with everything that’s going on at any position when you’re five days into spring ball, but I like the purpose that those guys are practicing with. They’re starting to gain trust in what we’re doing and starting to play with a lot better technique, which will give them the ability to go win down the football field. They’ve created some big plays in the passing game.”

Below are Calloway, Jones Jr. and Tillman by the numbers during their careers at Tennessee.