University of Tennessee wide receiver Braylon Staley admitted to being frustrated last season about not getting more playing time as a true freshman. He believed he could have made an impact for the Vols, but realized he needed to be patient and wait his turn.
The Vols decided to redshirt Staley, who appeared in the maximum four games allowed, seeing enough potential in him to expect his contributions to greatly increase this season. Staley’s window of opportunity opened even wider when fellow slot receivers Squirrel White transferred to Florida State and Chas Nimrod left for South Florida.
Staley has taken full advantage of the chance to be a factor in the UT offense, becoming one of quarterback Joey Aguilar’s favorite targets. The 6-foot, 190-pound redshirt freshman is coming off his best performance of the season, eclipsing 100 yards for the first time in his career with six catches for 109 yards in a win over Arkansas last week.
“Man, it’s been a blessing. Been working hard all offseason,” says Staley, who was earlier named SEC Freshman of the Week. “I grinded for this, I prayed for this moment and it’s here.”
Staley will be making his debut in one of UT’s biggest rivalry games this weekend as No. 11 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) plays No. 6 Alabama (5-1, 3-0) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa Saturday at 7:30 p.m. EDT (ABC).
Staley has 31 catches for 431 yards and two touchdowns this season. He is UT’s second-leading receiver, averaging 13.9 yards per catch and 71.8 yards per game.
“Braylon’s been huge for us. He was a guy that we felt all offseason when the question was, ‘How are you going to replace the production that left the building?’ He was a guy that we felt was a big part of that,” UT offensive coordinator Joey Halzle says. “We really liked him through last season. We really liked him through all of camp, all of spring ball, so we thought that was a guy that was going to step up.”
Learning the other side
Staley was a four-star recruit coming out of Strom Thurmond High in South Carolina. He excelled in football and track, winning three Class 4A state track titles – two in the triple jump and one in the 200-meter dash). Earlier this year, Staley, whose father Brian played football at Mississippi State, donated $6,000 to his high school program.
Staley enrolled at UT early to get a jump on transitioning to the college game. He’s spent a lot of time learning from wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope about how to play the position and prepare for what opposing teams will be doing.
“Coming in, I didn’t really know too much about defense. Honestly, I just run the route,” Staley says. “I think just getting back in the building, being able to watch film with my coach, and him teaching me just what defenses do. I think that helped me a lot, being able to identify.”
Staley has been able to showcase his personality more this season, even appearing in a Valvoline Instant Oil Change advertisement, where he “traded uniforms” to learn about Valvoline’s oil change process while asking and answering questions.
UT head coach Josh Heupel has been impressed with Staley’s maturation and the leadership he’s displayed through his work habits and understanding of the game. The Vols saw glimpses at the end of last season when Staley was called upon to play in the College Football Playoff game against Ohio State and made two catches.
“(We) had great trust in him because of what he did all of last year, and I say that just in how he continued to grow in practice,” Heupel says. “We get to the playoffs, and he’s playing a bunch of football. It’s one of the things that I’ve showed some of the young guys on our roster, is continuing to prepare and get ready for your opportunity and be ready to hit it in the mouth when you get it.”
Taking the bigger step
Staley has embraced the slot role and the utility of the position in Heupel’s offense.
“Man, very unique. They find different ways to get the ball to the slot receiver, different routes, crazy routes,” he says. “I had to learn a lot when I got here, and I think this offense is just amazing. I love it.”
After many years of being one-sided, the Third Saturday in October rivalry game between UT and Alabama has become much more competitive. Both programs are still in contention for the SEC title and a CFP berth this season.
Staley and fellow UT receivers Chris Brazzell II and Mike Matthews know they may be called upon to make big catches. It’s a responsibility Staley relishes, especially after the group’s depth was questioned entering the season.
“Man, it’s big. Seeing now, we’re doing our thing,” Staley says. “People doubted us. We listened to it, but we didn’t let it affect us. I think now we gotta take a bigger step and just be able to just finish strong, honestly.”