ESPN definitely forgot one of the Tennessee Vols’ best football players even exists
One of the Tennessee Volunteers’ best players from the 2025 season was omitted from one of ESPN’s summertime top 10 lists, and it’s completely unexplainable why that was the case.
ESPN ranked the top 10 wide receivers in college football this week, and I’m pretty sure they forgot one of the Tennessee Vols’ best players even exists.
No Vols made their top 10. Junior wide receiver Mike Matthews, though, was listed as an “honorable mention.”
Tennessee redshirt sophomore Braylon Staley, on the other hand, was left completely out of the article.
Braylon Staley was among the best receivers in the SEC last season
I’m a big fan of Staley. I love the way he plays the game, his competitiveness, his mindset (the way he bounced back in the Mississippi State game last season was special), and his general demeanor. I also think he has elite body control.
And he produces. Staley finished No. 8 in the SEC in receiving yards last season (837) despite Chris Brazzell being the top receiving option in the Vols’ passing game (Brazzell finished No. 2 in the SEC with 1,017 receiving yards in 2025).
This kid is a stud. I think he has the right combination of physical attributes and mental strength to be one of the best receivers in the country this fall. I’m not saying he’s a threat to unseat Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith as the No. 1 guy in the country — that guy is a unicorn — but Staley has first-round potential. I believe in his abilities and who he is that much.
And if you think I’m being over the top in my praise for the South Carolina native, just look at his touchdown catch from the Oklahoma game last season.
That’s a big-time play in a big-time moment.
ESPN is sleeping on Staley right now, but I bet they won’t be by the time October rolls around.