Dont'e Thornton was one of the most intriguing Volunteers last offseason. The Oregon transfer came to UT with a tantalizing combination of size (6'5", 214 pounds) and speed.
Unfortunately, it wasn't a fast start out of the gate for Thornton. In fact, it wasn't much of a start at all. Two catches for 12 yards against Virginia was all that Tennessee would get out of him until the Vols were trailing against Florida in Gainesville, when Thornton pulled in a 43-yard pass.
However, a move from the slot to the outside ultimately helped Thornton increase his production later on in the season. So why was the big-bodied Thornton - who's more physically suited to play on the outside - originally in the slot anyways? According to Josh Heupel on Thursday night, it was because of the particular personnel on last year's roster.
"Last year with where we were at, with guys that we had, we started him in the slot. He got work on the outside. He was so limited in spring ball and training camp. He got banged up, he missed a lot of practices. Missed opportunities to grow within what we're doing. We moved him outside in the middle part of last year and he was playing his best football. Got dinged up. It's a guy that has great trust in the coaching staff. Understands just how to operate and function within our offense and understands coverages in a better way. Just continuing to grow out there. Really like what he's done."
It's actually pretty logical. Tennessee didn't have a good slot option behind Squirrel White, and Thornton's speed is good enough to potentially be productive from that position. However, the season-ending ankle injury to Bru McCoy opened up an opportunity for Thornton, who would eventually start to seize it.
Against Kentucky, he had a season-best 63 yards on 3 catches, including a game-long 47-yard catch and run. Then, against Missouri, he hauled in his only touchdown catch of the year, a 46-yard go route that he pulled down in the end zone for the Vols' only score of the game. Unfortunately, he injured his ankle during the catch and would not return the rest of the year. A shame for a player who was just starting to come into his own.
But he'll have that chance to show that the move outside was the right one for him, and that what fans saw in the second half of the 2023 season is just a seed of what they can hope to see in 2024.
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