It is finally game week, and the Vols have a game against the Furman Paladins to look forward to. In fact, the Vols will be playing the Paladins inside Neyland Stadium to kickstart their season.
As always, pressers take place in the buildup. One of the players to speak at the presser was Braylon Staley, a wide receiver that everyone is watching closely this season.
Here is everything he had to say.
Staley wasn't the only person to speak at the podium. In fact, Josh Heupel started the presser, and he had some great things to say about Staley and his wide receiver counterpart, Mike Matthews.
Tennessee wide receiver Braylon Staley (14) speaks to the media during Tennessee football's media day on Aug. 4, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
"Well they're smart, tough, competitive. They've really grown in their approach in how they handle every day from year one, how they take care of their bodies. You see it out on the practice field, coaching guys up, subtle details. Could be fundamental technique, could be recognizing schemes. You see it, them talking to their peers. Some of the young guys that, hey, these are mistakes that I made when I was young, here's how I've grown and here's how it's impacted me, and those are two guys that do it at a really high level," Heupel said.
Funny enough, there are some similarities to some of the things that wide receiver coach Kelsey Pope was saying. Pope even went into detail about what Staley has gotten better at.
Tennessee wide receiver Braylon Staley (14) celebrating in the first quarter of the Music City Bowl against Illinois in the NCAA football game on Dec. 30, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
"For Braylon, his superpower was he's got to be able to separate at every level. He's got to be the best separator in the conference, in the country. That's got to be constant, no matter who you play. And then you add on to that things that he had to get better at, which is playing with more physicality in the run game. When guys are pressing him, I'm able to play with physicality in the pass game. And also start making those 50/50 catches, deep balls, jump ball situations, getting used to those. And so what you do is, you talk to them, you compile a detailed plan, and you have checkpoints that you can see and tell them periodically. Are we on the path? Are we making momentum? Are we making leeway to where we want to get to? And I think those guys, those are training you in the right direction," Pope said .
Regardless, Staley is going to be one of the better players on this team if he can stay healthy. That is a safe bet, considering he finished second last year in receiving yards among all players on the roster. Being in the slot, Staley is likely to be a safe option for young quarterback Faizon Brandon to throw the ball to.
Staley is going to be someone to watch when it comes to becoming a breakout star, even though he was one of the players who broke out last season. Knowing that there is another level that Staley can reach is quite intriguing and could be what helps Tennessee get back on track after what fans have described as an overall season for the team as a whole.
Send your questions, comments, and hot takes to our email tennesseeonsi@gmail.comfor the chance to be featured in an article!
Follow Our Social Media Accounts
Follow Vols on SI on X (Click
HERE
)
Follow Vols on SI on Facebook (Click
HERE
)
Follow Vols on SI on Instagram (Click
HERE
)
Subscribe to Vols on SI on YouTube (Click
HERE
)
Sign up for our newsletter to have articles sent straight to your email daily HERE .
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/tennessee as WATCH: Braylon Staley Previews Tennessee Football's Home Opener vs. Furman .
