Tennessee will open its 2024 campaign against Chattanooga at Neyland Stadium on Aug. 31.

In anticipation of the season opener, VolReport is highlighting a former Vols player whose jersey number matches the amount of days until kickoff.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

With 12 days to go, Marcus Nash, who was an All-SEC wide receiver and one of the most prolific players in program history, is selected.

Nash played at Edmond Memorial High School in Oklahoma before inking with the Vols' heralded 1994 signing class that was later key in three top 10 finishes and a conference championship.

Nash's contributions were limited as a freshman. He caught five passes for 77 yards, but those numbers increased the following year as a sophomore in 1995. Nash had 43 receptions for more than 500 yards and scored four times, including six catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns in Tennessee's 41-14 rout of Alabama at Legion Field in Birmingham.

After accounting for nearly 700 yards in 1996, Nash had a historic season as a senior in 1997. He led the Vols in receiving with a career-high 1,170 yards and 13 touchdowns.

With Tennessee trailing Auburn in the fourth quarter of the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, Nash hauled in a Manning pass and then raced 77 yards down the sideline for the touchdown that decided a 30-29 victory.

Nash was selected by the Denver Broncos as the 30th overall pick in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He spent two seasons with the franchise and totaled four catches for 76 yards as a rookie during the Broncos' Super Bowl XXXIII winning season.

Nash ranks second in receiving yards and touchdowns in the Tennessee record books with 2,447 yards and 20 scores, respectively.

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