'Holy s--t, this dude could be something serious' - Former Vols WR Dont'e Thornton has already impressed one of the NFL's best players

Former Tennessee Vols wide receiver Dont'e Thornton has only been an NFL player for a month, but he's already managed to impress one of the best players in the league. 

Thornton, who started his career at Oregon before transferring to Tennessee, was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. 

The former Vol has already caught the eye of Raiders teammate Maxx Crosby, a four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher. 

"Dont'e Thornton, the dude we drafted from Tennessee, the big receiver," said Crosby while discussing rookies that have impressed him so far. "6-foot-4, another freak, I think he might be 6-foot-5. Runs a 4.30 (in the 40-yard dash). He reminds me of (NFL wide receiver) Martavis Bryant. He even looks like him. He's tall, skinny, wears No. 10. He's got got the grills in, he's got the dreads. The way he runs, the way he catches the ball. He just reminds me of Martavis. 

"It's crazy because a kid like that, he had success in college, but he hasn't hit his full potential yet. Seeing him on the field and realizing what he can be, from a player perspective, is like holy s--t, this dude could be something serious. But he's got a long way to go. And that's the beautiful part about it....a kid like that who's super humble, just young and trying to figure it out, with all the potential in the world, those are the type of guys that I try to get in their ear early and definitely try to help them out. Because everybody's path isn't the same. But a kid like him, you can see it. He really wants it. He needs a little bit of guidance. He's a stud, he's an absolute freak. You watch him on the field and you're like holy f---, he doesn't look like everybody else. So yeah, super excited about him...he's looked really good so far."