‘I was surprised’ – The SEC is going to pay for one big mistake involving Tennessee Vols WR Braylon Staley
Tennessee Vols wide receiver Braylon Staley has all the motivation he needs entering his redshirt sophomore season.
Tennessee Vols wide receiver Braylon Staley was the SEC freshman of the year in 2025 after a standout redshirt freshman season that saw him catch 68 passes for 837 yards and six touchdowns.
Despite his incredible season in 2025, Staley was absent from pre-season SEC lists this summer.
The South Carolina native admitted on Tuesday at Tennessee’s media day that he was surprised, adding that it’s a chip on his shoulder going into what he expects to be a huge season.
“I was surprised, but I don’t really look at [that stuff] too much,” said Staley. “That’s a chip on my shoulder. I feel like I should be on preseason stuff, but it is what it is.”
Staley isn’t expecting a big season for himself just because he’s motivated by the snub. Instead, he’s mainly expecting a big season because he’s playing more free than he was a year ago.
“I got a lot of confidence,” said Staley. “I think last year, I was still a little tentative coming off my [true] freshman year — I barely played (as a true freshman). But this year is going to be one of them years.”
“I just wasn’t playing like myself — I wasn’t free,” added Staley. “I’m not saying the coaches didn’t free me — the coaches freed me. But as a player, I just didn’t feel like myself. But I feel like I’m more comfortable now just playing in the SEC and playing against the top-notch guys. I’m more comfortable just going out and competing.”
Staley played at an elite level last season — ESPN’s Greg McElroy said Staley is going to be a star after seeing him play against Oklahoma — so to hear that he didn’t feel like he was playing free and wasn’t himself should have Vols fans excited for what’s to come.
I haven’t been shy in my fandom of Staley over the last year. I think he has the chance to be a special player at the next level. He showed that he’s made of the right stuff last year against Mississippi State when he got off to a dreadful start and then made one of the biggest plays of the game in crunch time.
Staley has all the physical attributes to be a superstar, but it’s the mental toughness he showed against Mississippi State that makes me a true believer in the young wide receiver.
