By Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – University of Tennessee at Martin standout wide receiver Colton Dowell was selected in the seventh round with the 228th pick of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. Dowell becomes the first Skyhawk taken in the NFL Draft since 2013.
A 6-3, 215-pound wide receiver from Lebanon, Tenn., Dowell is a four-time All-Ohio Valley Conference honoree with a pair of first team honors (2020 and 2022) while also garnering two second team selections (2019, 2021). He also claimed several preseason All-American honors throughout his career while playing an integral role in notching back-to-back OVC regular season championships in 2021 and 2022.
Dowell left UT Martin with his name cemented in the program record books after setting the school’s all-time receiving yards benchmark with 2,796 yards while also ranking third in history with 19 touchdowns and 177 receptions. He also set a program record by tallying eclipsing 100 receiving yards in 12 contests.
During the 2022 campaign, Dowell tallied 67 receptions for 1,036 yards while hauling in six touchdown catches. His season marked just the fourth in school history in which a player eclipsed 1,000 receiving yard while averaging 15.5 yards per reception. He notched six 100-yard receiving games against Western Illinois, Missouri State, Murray State, No. 3 Tennessee, Houston Christian and Eastern Illinois. Additionally, he ranked amongst NCAA FCS leaders in receiving yards per game (ninth), receiving yards (13th) and receptions (19th).
Dowell joins a decorated list of UT Martin standouts to hear their name called on draft day, joining Joe Taffoni (1967), Gordon Lambert (1968), Julian Nunamaker (1969), Mike Crangle (1972), David Williams (1978), John Burch (1989), William Mackall (1989), Emanuel McNeil (1989), Jerome Rinehart (1989), Fred Thomas (1996) and Montori Hughes (2013).
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information