Tennessee’s receiver room took another hit in the opener against Furman, and now the Vols are handing a bigger piece of the slot work to freshman Tyreek King.
Joakim Dodson, who had climbed into the backup spot behind Braylon Staley after a strong offseason, is done for the year with a right leg injury. That makes him the fourth Tennessee player to suffer a season-ending injury with only one game on the 2026 schedule.
Dodson had put himself in position for a meaningful role after nearly becoming the Music City Bowl hero last December, when he broke free for a fourth-quarter kickoff-return touchdown in Nashville. This offseason, he carried that momentum into camp and settled in as Staley’s top cover in the slot before the injury ended his season.
Now the job falls to King, a freshman Tennessee has been high on since his arrival. The 5-foot-11, 178-pound former four-star recruit committed to the Vols during his junior season at Knoxville Catholic High School in October 2024, then didn’t actually join the program until the end of May. He was one of the few players in the 2026 recruiting class who did not enroll in January.
Even with that delayed arrival, King has already made an impression once he got to campus. Tennessee will need that to translate quickly, because Staley - the reigning SEC Freshman of the Year - is expected to be a centerpiece of the offense, and the Vols now need a reliable backup in place behind one of their most important players.
In Other News...
Tennessee Must Deal With A Familiar Threat In Georgia Tech's Backfield
Georgia Techs season opener gave Tennessee another reminder that early nonconference games can still bring a familiar-looking challenge. Justice Haynes, who has already logged stops at Alabama and Michigan before landing in Atlanta for his senior season, made his first appearance for the Yellow Jackets last week and is now set to see Tennessee this weekend. For a Vols defense getting its first real look at Georgia Tech, the backfield will feature a runner with a well-traveled resume and the kind of experience that tends to show up quickly.
Josh Heupel didnt spend much time underselling what Haynes brings. He described him as dynamic and physical, with good vision, a combination that can make a back dangerous both between the tackles and once he gets a crease. That gives Tennessee another early test in a matchup where the Vols will need to be sharp against a runner who already has a feel for high-level football and is trying to make an immediate impact in his new home. [Read more 🡒]
Kelsey Pope Put Tennessee Receivers Through A Drill Fans Need To See
Tennessees wide receivers have spent part of the offseason working through a drill that looks more like a stunt than a standard practice rep. Under receivers coach Kelsey Pope, the group has been wearing eye patches while going through catching work, a twist designed to sharpen focus and force the kind of hand-eye coordination that normal drills can take for granted. The Vols have also mixed in tennis balls, adding another layer to a routine built around tougher, quicker reactions.
Kelsey Popes approach fits into a broader tradition of coaches finding unusual ways to challenge receivers, including the Dallas Cowboys use of beekeeper masks in similar training exercises. For Tennessee, the goal is simple enough even if the method looks odd: make routine catches feel less routine before the real pressure hits. Fans may not see the payoff until the fall, but the offseason work already has a way of standing out. [Read more 🡒]
Arion Carters Return Adds Intrigue To Tennessees First Road Test
Tennessee heads to Bobby Dodd Stadium on Sept. 12 for its first road test of the season against Georgia Tech, with the matchup set for ESPN as Josh Heupel continues sorting through the early-season details that come with a team still forming its identity. One of the most notable pieces of that picture is Arion Carter, whose presence around the program has carried added weight as the Volunteers prepare for a game that will say plenty about where they stand away from home.
Heupel recently addressed the way Tennessee handled leadership during Carters NCAA suspension, noting that Carter served as the teams sole captain while sidelined. The suspension came after an agent paid for a flight during the pre-draft process, and Carter now returns with another layer of motivation, planning to donate money to cancer-related charities based on his defensive performance this season. For Tennessee, it is a reminder that this opening stretch is about more than just travel and opponent prep, with Carters return adding a personal and competitive subplot to a meaningful September test. [Read more 🡒]