Tennessee Football: Jerrod Means could be a breakout star in 2019

The Vols have been looking for a breakout star the past couple of seasons and Jerrod Means could be that guy for Tennessee in 2019.

Guys like Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway are two guys who have made a name for themselves, but 2019 will be their final season in Tennessee orange so the Vols are going to need someone else to step up and Jerrod Means could be that guy this year.

Means has what it takes skill-wise to be the next man up in the Tennessee receiving corps. When the coaching staff first tested Means before he signed he ran a 4.45 40 time at 6’2″, 215 lbs. The second time he was tested earlier this spring he ran a 4.37 40 at 6’2″, 212 lbs.

The first time the coaching staff timed him was last December; the second time was April. So that 0.08 jump came within about five months. That’s impressive progress and came after Coach David Johnson gave him some drills to improve his speed.

One NFL player I have heard him be compared to is Robert Meachem, and if you’re Means, or anyone really, that’s pretty good company to be in. Just in case you forgot Meachem is also a Tennessee product and was a first-round draft pick in 2007.

If Means can make that jump in five months from drills, he did at home imagine what he could be doing on the field with an entire summer working with the coaches and offense.

Just looking at those numbers alone and what Means could end up doing this fall is why I’m picking him to be the Vols offensive breakout star in 2019.

Of course, we’re going to see a lot of Jennings and Callaway, but if Means can come in and play slot or even rotate in and out on the outside, he could cement himself as the number one receiver in 2020 and the rest of his time at Tennessee.

His breakaway speed in high school is what got him on Tennessee’s radar initially, and it looks like he’s going to capitalize on that and not only get faster but become a better all-around receiver.

With Means being on campus for just a few months we don’t know a ton about him or very many of the incoming freshman, but this small bit of information on Means makes me think he’s going to be a special player at Tennessee.

The season is right around the corner, so if Means is the real deal, we will likely see a lot of him Week 1 against Georgia State.

If he isn’t there yet hopefully, he will come around later in the season. Jeremy Pruitt and his staff have seemed to get the most out of their players so far, so hopefully, they won’t let a speedster like Means sit around for four years and not utilize his talents.