PHILADELPHIA —The Maxwell Football Club announced Tuesday that three Tennessee football freshmen have been added to the watch list for the 2025 Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, presented annually to the most outstanding freshman in college football. Offensive lineman Jesse Perry, cornerback Ty Redmond and wide receiver Braylon Staley were each recognized by the organization as midseason watch list additions.
The Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award has been presented annually since 2018 to the most outstanding freshman in college football. It is named in honor of Shaun Alexander, a former standout at the University of Alabama and the 2005 NFL MVP with the Seattle Seahawks. The award recognizes the nation’s top freshman for exceptional performance and significant impact on his team throughout the season.
Approaching the midway point of his redshirt freshman campaign, Perry has started all five games at right tackle in 2025. The Murfreesboro native has logged 319 offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), and has not allowed a sack this season. Entering Week 7, his 84.9 pass-blocking grade ranks third among SEC tackles and ninth among FBS tackles (minimum 100 pass-block snaps).
Redmond was thrust into a starting role as a true freshman at cornerback and has thrived, recording 17 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups and one interception during his debut season. The Alpharetta, Georgia, native leads all SEC freshmen and ranks tied for third in the conference with five passes defended, including his first career interception in the SEC opener against No. 6 Georgia.
Staley has emerged as a big-play threat in his first season as Tennessee’s primary slot receiver, totaling 25 catches for 322 yards and two touchdowns. In the SEC opener against No. 6 Georgia, he posted a career-best nine receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown. Earlier in the year, the redshirt freshman from Aiken, South Carolina, was named SEC Freshman of the Week following his performance in the season opener versus Syracuse, when he tallied four catches for 95 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
