Oregon Transfer Dont'e Thornton Brings More Than a Physical Profile

Oregon transfer wide receiver Dont'e Thornton is impacting the Tennessee Volunteers already. The size and catch radius are remarkable, but what separates him is his speed.

The losses of Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman last season caused the Volunteers to look for more receiver depth. In January, the Vols may have gotten the transfer addition they needed in Donte Thornton out of Oregon. In his 2022 season in Eugene with the Ducks, he had 17 catches with an average of 21 yards gained per reception. Tennessee loves this kind of yardage volume out of wide receivers. 

As Thornton and Vols' quarterback Joe Milton III have begun to build chemistry during practices, it has been seen just how fast the Pac-12 transfer is. He has been clocked in to run at a speed of 24.3 mph. At 6'5", this can make for a very dangerous combination. The size and speed coming from this receiver can potentially make him borderline unguardable. His ability to get in space deep down the field with that speed will open it up for Tennessee's offense, almost like Hyatt did in 2022 in Knoxville. 

Thornton had a lot to say about why he transferred to Tennessee because of the offense, "The offense is receiver friendly because Coach [Josh] Heupel wants to throw the ball. You can see that if you are a receiver, it is the best place for you to be." The speed and size of Thornton also play right into the wheelhouse of Milton's arm strength and talent. He can easily get the ball downfield to Thornton and have him explode for yards on top of yards.

Thornton boasts the potential seen in the Vols receiver room with Bru McCoy, Ramel Keyton, and Squirrel White. His presence adds to Tennessee's ability to get the ball deep easily and quickly. Thornton has shown what he can do in practice, and it will be interesting to see what he can do in games this season. 

Tennessee Volunteers WR Dont'e Thornton playing for Oregon against Georgia in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 3, 2022. (Photo by Dale Zanine of USA Today Sports)

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