Elic Ayomanor is still reconciling with where he gets his motivation from. It’s an internal conversation he has with himself that he doesn’t fully understand. All he knows is that it’s strong.

I met with the second year receiver this week at Titans training camp to walk through what’s changed in his game, his relationship with quarterback Cam Ward, and what a successful 2026 season looks like in his mind.

An offseason built on intensity, not the weight room

Ayomanor trained in Atlanta this offseason, and his results have been noticeable. He said the work was less about piling on weight in the gym and more about pushing through intense, explosive on-field reps day after day.

“We lift moderately, nothing too crazy, just try to maintain or build a little bit of strength throughout the offseason,” he said. “But we train on the field very long, and very hard, and very intense.”

When I mentioned the internet’s inquiry about his diet and workout regime, he bust out laughing. I didn’t have to say it, we both knew: I was talking about Elic Ayomogger.

His social-media fueled reputation for being the best looking “off the bus” receiver right now is something he’s aware of. He sees you, people.

Ayomanor trained alongside fellow Titans receiver KJ Osborn over the summer, and he said both put on roughly 7 pounds of muscle over a span of about a month and a half. His gains caught him off guard given how little traditional lifting was involved. He credited the sheer volume of explosive movement he was subjecting himself to for forcing his body to adapt.

Posture change making ‘leaps and bounds’ of difference

One of the more technical focal points of this offseason has been a posture adjustment. Ayomanor talked in the spring about wanting to get off his heels and play with a more aggressive, forward lean. That work has been visible on the practice field, where he’s been deliberately overemphasizing the technique at the line of scrimmage to build muscle memory.

“I feel like I’ve made leaps and bounds in that,” he said. “If you just cut the tape, boom. This time last year, cut the tape, boom. This time this year, totally different.”

He acknowledged the overemphasis is intentional because there will be natural regression once live game action kicks in. But the physical adjustment has resulted in a mental benefit too. Playing with an intentional forward lean forces an aggressive mindset, he said. There’s no room for passiveness when your body is already loaded and leaning into the play.

New coaching staff resonating with direct approach

Tennessee’s new coaching staff has made a strong early impression with the young receiver. He said the directness of their approach has resonated with him on a personal level, comparing it to how he was raised.

“They’re very direct, which is something that really resonates with me,” he said. “Like, that’s how I was raised. My mom would always just tell me, ‘This is how it is.’ And the coaches are very much like that, which I love.”

The new offensive system required a heavy learning curve for the entire roster, but he said the group is starting to hit its stride. He let out a wry smile when I asked how different the playbook feels. Very, was the message. But all good things, he insisted. As for whether his role will change in the new scheme, he kept it simple: that’s up to the coaches.

Growing chemistry with Cam Ward entering Year 2

Perhaps the most encouraging piece of the conversation centered on his developing chemistry with Ward. While many of the Titans skill players are still learning the unspoken language with their quarterback, he has the advantage of a year’s worth of reps to build on.

“You start to understand, oh, this is what Cam wants me to do right here,” he said. “He’ll come up to you and be like, that’s exactly what I wanted you to do right after the play. And it’s just like, there’s some things that just happen and you just know exactly what you need to do at that point.”

Even with a new offense installed this offseason, that familiarity with Ward puts him in what he called the “201 class” of understanding the quarterback’s tendencies and expectations.

He also spoke highly of veteran receiver Calvin Ridley, who called him a star at the podium a day earlier. He said Ridley has been a tremendous mentor, taking him under his wing and offering advice drawn from years of NFL experience. Ayomanor raved about how Ridley is a perfect guy to have as his vet, which seems to be a common theme amongst the young receivers on this team.

Defining success in 2026

I asked him what a successful season looks like for Elic Ayomanor in 2026. His answer had nothing to do with stat lines or accolades. He said he recently discussed it with his trainer and landed on this straightforward standard:

“If I could play every single snap that I played aggressively, without second-guessing anything, being fearless about everything, I would be completely satisfied,” he said.

Off the field, life in Nashville has suited him well. When I asked him what he does when he leaves the facility, his answer was simple: roam. He’s been hiking a lot lately, quite literally chasing waterfalls in Middle Tennessee. For a kid who grew up going to the indoor water slides at the Medicine Hat Lodge in his small Canadian hometown, the Tennessee landscape offers a different kind of outdoor adventure.

The Titans need their young pass catchers to take steps forward this season. Based on the work put in this offseason and the mentality on display in camp, Ayomanor looks like a player ready to deliver.