Vols WR honored after stellar performance against South Alabama

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — What does a 96-yard kick return touchdown, 47 punt return yards and 246 all-purpose yards get you? Well, if you’re Tennessee wide receiver, Velus Jones Jr. you’d be named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week.

The 246 all-purpose yards were a career-high for the Vols receiver that helped Tennessee become bowl eligible after defeating South Alabama 60-14. His kickoff return for a touchdown was the first since 2017 and the second of his career (the first was back in his USC days).

The fun doesn’t stop there, Jones leads all active FBS players in career kickoff return yardage total with 2,851; he’s also the current SEC leader in both kickoff return average and punt return average for the 2021 season. He’s also one of two FBS players with over 500 yards in kickoff returns and over 200 yards in punt returns.

The Vols will look to finish the season off strong against Vanderbilt after scoring 60 points for the second time this season against South Alabama. Kickoff is set for 3:45 p.m. on Nov. 27.