Perhaps a little lost in all of the departures from Tennessee this year was the addition of veteran receiver JaVonta Payton, who comes over from Mississippi State. Payton finally lands in Knoxville after being recruited three different times by three different staffs.
Butch Jones first offered Payton back in 2016, then Jeremy Pruitt offered him out of JUCO in 2019. Josh Heupel finally closed the deal this spring, adding Payton to the roster as a transfer.
“Just watching him, strength and condition, he’s fast, he’s explosive, he’s got a natural set of hands.” Heupel said during SEC media days.