Tennessee Vols coach says redshirt freshman can be 'really special' at UT
The Tennessee Vols have a ridiculous amount of depth in their wide receiver room right now. Tennessee has four players that could have a Jalin Hyatt-like breakout season in 2023. Bru McCoy, Squirrel White, Ramel Keyton, and Dont'e Thornton could all have massive seasons for the Vols this fall. And beyond those four, there are several […]
The Tennessee Vols have a ridiculous amount of depth in their wide receiver room right now.
Tennessee has four players that could have a Jalin Hyatt-like breakout season in 2023. Bru McCoy, Squirrel White, Ramel Keyton, and Dont'e Thornton could all have massive seasons for the Vols this fall.
And beyond those four, there are several other players on the depth chart that could fill in at a moment's notice without a big drop-off in production.
One of the players that could step up if needed is redshirt freshman Chas Nimrod.
Nimrod, 6-foot-3/196 lbs from Bentonville, AR, is a former three-star recruit who was rated in 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 79 wide receiver in the 2022 recruiting class.
Despite not being a top-rated recruit, Nimrod has developed into a player that Vols wide receiver coach Kelsey Pope believes can be "really special".
Pope had plenty of great things to say about Nimrod on Monday while meeting with reporters after Tennessee's ninth spring practice.
"I think Chas has a shot to be really special," said Pope. "His versatility is the reason he has that shot. You can line him up on the outside and he's smart enough to play slot. He's nimble enough to get in the slot, make people miss, and work through traffic. He's got a big enough catch radius on the outside to hold a point and go get balls down the field."
"For him, he's grown mentally," added Pope. "He's starting to develop a mental-dominant trait, similar to the one Ced had where he just wants the ball in his hands. As a receiver, coming from high school to college, especially in a setting like this, that trait a lot of times has to be developed. That's because you are playing against guys that are more physically superior. He's got more confidence in himself, and that's shown on the field. We've been pleased with him this spring."
Nimrod, who also ran track in high school, hasn't appeared in a game yet for the Vols, but it sounds like he'll be ready when his number is called. I would expect to see him get some reps in "garbage time" when the season starts with the opportunity to earn a bigger role.
