HOUSTON — Brycen Tremayne came away with the play of the day for the Panthers.

No, this isn't déjà vu.

Yes, he did it twice in the same week.

The receiver walked off the field Saturday following the Panthers' preseason game against the Texans with the only play of 20-plus yards.

On a second-and-18 from his own 38-yard line, quarterback Jack Plummer dropped back and sent a ball on a rope over the middle of the field. The 6-4 Tremayne was there, having easily worked off his initial guy and found a soft spot in the defense.

"It was just a little, like a little post breaking route," explained Tremayne following the game. "I saw the middle of the field was open, so I kept it pretty thin, and Jack threw a great ball right on my chest."

With such a long distance to the chains, the Texans were playing around the marker. So there was a defender waiting for anyone who came that way. Tremayne saw Texans safety Russ Yeast there and knew a hit was coming, so he tucked the ball and just focused on getting the first down.

"I saw that hit come too, so I just protected the ball a little bit, but yeah, Jack threw a great ball to me."

This is the second time Tremayne has had the play of the day; the first was in the joint practice against the Texans on Thursday. During that session, he pulled in a 41-yard go ball from Bryce Young to help "win" the two-minute drill versus the Texans' starting defense.

The Panthers' receiving corps is incredibly deep, featuring first-round picks, entrenched veterans, and young stars that continue to shine. This week, Tremayne proved he can be one of those guys as well, using Jalen Coker's time at the hotel sick on Thursday to step in with the starters. And three catches on four targets for 46 yards on Saturday to stand out on a day when little else on the offense did.

But this is nothing new for the former undrafted free agent out of Stanford. He's worked his way up from the bottom his entire career. The difference now is that he has the benefit of maturity and experience.

"I mean, I was, I walked on at Stanford, and so I automatically started at the bottom when I got to Stanford," Tremayne recalled. "And there were a few injuries, and then I worked my way into special teams and the offense, so I think maybe I put a little bit more pressure on myself when I first got into the league."

He was signed as a rookie UDFA in 2023 by the Washington Commodores and spent two years there on the practice squad. That entire time, he used the same mindset that he had at Stanford—worry about every detail to get on the field.

But two years of thinking that way in a sport that is constantly churning wasn't helpful, Tremayne admitted. It was exhausting and draining. So when he arrived in Charlotte this spring and was sidelined by a lingering injury from last season, he didn't worry. He focused on what he could do once back on the field.

"When I was sidelined with the injury, I knew that I would start from the bottom again," Tremayne shared. "But I try not to put too much pressure on myself like 'I got to do this, this, and this.' Because I feel like I did that in the past couple of years, and it's just, it's not really that good mentally, just thinking about every little thing.

"So I just kind of try to be relaxed and make the plays that come my way, and I don't really, I don't try to think too much about like, which guys are in front of me, you know, am I going to make the team, because I feel like it's not helping them to like think like that.

"You put so much pressure on yourself, and I feel like now it's just like go out there and make the plays and whatever happens happens, you know, it's a deep room, so if I make it, I'll make it. If I don't, then you know, try again."

Tremayne has also found a niche on special teams through camp and the preseason. He'll get one more week of practice and a game against the Steelers to show these coaches what he can add to this offense. Dave Canales revealed on Saturday that the starters wouldn't play against the Steelers, providing more opportunities for players like Tremayne.

And if this week was any indication, he'll make the most of each ball that comes his way.

"I mean, we have so many great receivers in this room, a few veteran guys and a lot of young guys," said Tremayne. "So just, you know, when the play comes my way, I try to make the most of it, make the most of every opportunity that I get."