With Preaseason Expectations Mounting, Ramel Keyton Remains Dependable

Expectations continue to build in Knoxville, Tennessee. We've now seen head coach Josh Heupel run an elite offensive scheme for two seasons and have success with two different starting quarterbacks. While his highs with previous starter Hendon Hooker were big and sustained, Joe Milton III may have even more expectations than Hooker did last season. Now that people know Tennessee's scheme can work at the SEC level, they expect Heupel to get production out of a 6-5, 245-pound talent.

There are a bunch of moving parts to who Milton will throw to this year. Wide receiver Bru McCoy had the second-most yards on the team last year and has played a lot of college football, so we can comfortably assume that he should produce if healthy. Second-year target Squirrel White had a strong true freshman season, capped off by a breakout Orange Bowl performance. He's got a ton of potential, and if we were looking back at the 2023 season eight months from now and say, "Wow, Squirrel White led that team in receiving yards," I wouldn't be surprised. Oregon transfer Dont'e Thornton is the biggest question mark in the room because he could be very productive, but he still needs to do that in an expanded role at the college level.

Most of the talk about Tennessee's wide receiver room ends there. However, one more major piece is dependable and talented - fifth-year senior Ramel Keyton. He didn't play much during his first three years in Knoxville, Tennessee, but the four-star Georgia native stayed the course and had a great 2022. He logged 31 catches for 562 yards and five scores, finishing as the team's No. 3 wideout in terms of production. Keyton established a strong rapport with Hooker, as Hendon knew he could trust Keyton's 6-3 frame downfield.