Tennessee football has seen its first offensive player selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Vols wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. was picked by the Raiders in the fourth round with the 108th pick.
He is the third player out of Tennessee picked so far.
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Thornton played his final two seasons with Tennessee. As a senior in 2024, he played in all 13 games while totaling 26 catches for 661 yards and six touchdowns. This included an 86-yard strike for a score.
In his first year with the Vols, he played in nine games before getting injured on a touchdown catch against Missouri that held him out for the remainder of the season.
On the year, he racked up 13 catches for 224 yards and a touchdown.
Thornton played both outside and in the slot in his first year with Tennessee but stuck to the outside as a starter in his final year.
Prior to joining the Vols, Thornton played at Oregon for a pair of seasons. There, played in 11 of the Ducks’ 12 games as a sophomore. He made three starts while catching 17 passes for 366 yards and a touchdown.
As a freshman with Oregon, Thornton played in all 14 games and made two starts. He notched nine receptions for 175 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
In the Valero Alamo Bowl in his freshman year, he produced four catches for 90 yards and a touchdown.
Thornton committed to the Ducks out of Baltimore, Maryland. Playing at Mount St. Joseph, he was a four-star and No. 62 recruit in the country.
He was ranked as the No. 3 player in the state and the No. 9 receiver.
