Vol Club Confidential: Dont’e Thornton

Tennessee wide receiver Dont’e Thornton has had a strong start to the 2024 season. The Baltimore native joined Vol Club Confidential sponsored by Knoxville Smiles to discuss his time at Tennessee and more.

“I feel like this season has been going great for me,” Thornton said. “Even with the injury. It helped me learn the playbook and learn what I need to do to be a better athlete. Just be better on and off the field. The time I had off with the injury and getting back with the winter then in spring ball. Coming out of that I had a great fall. Everything was just stacking on top of everything making it better.”

The game for Thornton has evolved from his high school experience to Oregon and now on Rocky Top.

“I think the biggest difference is my mental game,” Thornton said. “Like when I first got to college it was learning the speed of the game and how things are supposed to go. Then coming here I knew the speed of the game but the speed of Tennessee’s offense was faster than anything I’ve been in. So just trying to learn that.”

Watch the full episode of Vol Club Confidential

Thornton had to overcome an ankle injury that shortened his season last fall. He spent long hours in the training room with fellow injured wideout Bru McCoy and the two got close as a result.

“That helped me and Bru’s relationship a lot,” Thornton said. “With us both having similar injuries and being in there in the same time span, it helped us grow closer. With me being moved outside and learning that side of the playbook, being there with Bru was another way to get to know each other. He helped me learn the offense a lot. I lean on Bru for everything and he does me too. If we are having a bad day at practice we shake our hands and say prayers together. Just encourage each other no matter if it’s game day or practice or anything. I’d say injuries helped us a lot.”

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