For the last several years, the Tennessee Vols have faced questions leading up to the NFL draft about how the program's offense prepares players for the NFL. 

Josh Heupel's offense at Tennessee utilizes tempo and wide splits to create advantageous matchups for the team's top playmakers. Wide receivers often run "choice routes", which requires the receiver and the quarterback to be perfectly in sync. It's a unique offense that strays from some of the traditional norms that we see in pro football. 

It's the quarterbacks and the wide receivers that come from Heupel's offense that face the biggest questions from NFL teams. 

And that's something that reared its head again this week. 

Tennessee wide receiver Dont'e Thornton is hoping to be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

Thornton, who transferred from Oregon to Tennessee ahead of the 2023 season, worked out at UT's Pro Day earlier this week. After his on-field workout, Thornton met with reporters and he admitted that the question he's been asked the most by NFL teams centers around his ability to run pro style routes. 

"Just showing all the teams that I'm able to run pro style routes," said Thornton when asked what he wanted to accomplish at Tennessee's Pro Day. 

"That was mostly every team's main talking point was asking with the offense that we run here at Tennessee if I'm able to run those pro style routes," added Thornton when asked about feedback from NFL teams about his ability to run pro style routes. 

"I had to be very intentional, playing two seasons here at Tennessee, we don't have the same wide route tree that most pro style offenses have," continued Thornton. 

Heupel was asked about Thornton's potential to have success in an offense with a "wider route tree" and he didn't exactly agree with the notion that Tennessee's offense doesn't have a wide route tree. 

"I'm not sure I necessarily agree with all of what you just said," responded Heupel. "Some of the spacing (is different) for sure. But Dont'e's got elite speed, great understanding of space, settling in zones, running versus man (coverage), the ability to take the top of the coverage off. You look at him leading the country in yards per catch….you just look at what he did from year one to year two here. His best football is out in front of him." 

Ultimately, the only thing that's going to make these questions about Tennessee's offense stop is for a former Vols wide receiver to become a Pro Bowler in the NFL. Until that happens, these questions will likely continue to pop up every spring. 

It sounds like the Tennessee Vols already know who is going to win the offseason’s most important position battle

Very important battle for the Volunteers