LAS VEGAS — In a moment that sent ripples through both the NFL and college football circles, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll made a draft day comment to wide receiver Dont’e Thornton that reignited a long-standing criticism of Tennessee’s offensive system — one that could have lasting implications on the program’s reputation for developing pro-ready receivers.
Thornton, a former Oregon standout who transferred to Tennessee for his final two collegiate seasons, was taken in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Raiders. But while his athleticism and upside were never in doubt, NFL scouts and coaches consistently questioned one key aspect of his game: his ability to run pro-style routes — a foundational skill for any NFL wideout.
“That was mostly every team’s main talking point,” Thornton admitted during a post-draft media appearance. “With the offense that we run here at Tennessee, they were asking if I’m able to run those pro-style routes.”
Those concerns are not new. Tennessee’s offensive scheme — praised for its tempo and explosiveness in college — has often been criticized as overly simplistic and ill-suited for developing wideouts for the next level, particularly when it comes to route complexity and reading NFL-style defenses.
Carroll, a Super Bowl-winning coach known for his ability to develop talent, made no attempt to sugarcoat his assessment. According to Thornton, Carroll directly pointed to Thornton’s time at Oregon — not Tennessee — as the reason the Raiders felt confident selecting him.
“When I talked to Coach Pete Carroll, he said it himself — if you look at the Oregon film, there’s a lot of stuff you can see that people didn’t see with these last two years with me playing at Tennessee,” said Thornton on the OLV Raiders Network. “If you turn on my two years of Oregon film, you’ll see me running true routes.”
Thornton, for his part, has embraced the challenge and is determined to prove himself.
“I’m not going to say I’m the best route runner in the world — there’s definitely stuff I’ve got to work on,” he acknowledged. “But I just take it as a challenge.”
Still, Carroll’s comment underscores a broader issue for Tennessee. Until a Vols receiver emerges as a dominant, Pro Bowl-level talent in the NFL, skepticism around their system will persist.
For Tennessee, this is more than just a recruiting headache — it’s a reputational wound. And it won’t heal until one of their receivers breaks through in the league and silences the doubt with production, polish, and professionalism.