Perhaps Tennessee’s biggest pickup in the transfer portal, Dont’e Thornton is set to make a big impact in 2023. He finished his 2022 season strong with Oregon before moving on to Knoxville, where he’ll have a chance to fill the shoes of Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman.
Thornton’s 6-4 frame and downfield ability is exciting to think about, considering Josh Heupel’s scheme and Joe Milton’s cannon of an arm. We got a little taste of that ability during his time at Oregon, and I’m guessing we’re going to get a whole lot more this season.
New offensive coordinator Joey Halzle spoke a little bit about Thornton on Wednesday.