Incoming talent at receiver has Vols OC Jim Chaney thrilled – 247Sports

ARRINGTON, Tenn. Tennessee used two of the remaining available spots in its 2020 recruiting class after the Early Signing Period in December to add a couple of playmakers for the offense on National Signing Day earlier this week.

In Top247 wide receiver Malachi Wideman and four-star athlete Dee Beckwith, who played multiple positions on offense in high school, the Vols added a pair of playmakers who will bolster the options offensive coordinator Jim Chaney has at his disposal.

Chaney discussed both signees during Tennessee's Nashville-area National Signing Day Celebration on Thursday night.

I tell you, when you watch them play, their competitive spirit shows up, he said. You watch all the Hudl tape and all the highlights, and you can judge whether they can run or not. But when you watch them play live, you can see whats in their soul. You can see how they play. Weve been fortunate enough to see those kids perform live, and theyve got great competitive spirit about them.

Im excited about getting them in the mix. I think theyll compete early and well see what they can do. Im not sure, I know what one of thems going to play. Dee, who knows? Hes just a heck of a good athlete, and well figure that out as the time passes.

The departure of seniors Jauan Jennings, Marquez Callaway and Dominick Wood-Anderson three of the five Tennessee players invited to the NFL Scouting Combine means the Vols have to replace three of their top four pass-catchers from the 2019 season, so adding players in that department was a must for Tennessee in this recruiting cycle.

And the Vols delivered there, adding Top247 wide receivers Jalin Hyatt and Jimmy Calloway in December and picking up Wideman, the 6-foot-4 former Florida State commitment, and Beckwith, the 6-foot-5, 215-pounder who will start his career at receiver but could play multiple roles on offense.

Tennessee also added experience with graduate transfer Velus Jones Jr., the All-Pac-12 return specialist at Southern California who joined the Vols in January.

Hes a vertical-speed guy, Chaney said. (Wide receivers coach) Tee (Martin) has coached him before, so he knows quite a bit about him. Im not as familiar with him as he is. Ive watched his tape, he can run, he can stretch the field. Hes exceptional on special teams, which I think will help us immediately. Its fun to see what hes going to be able to do.

The Vols will have a couple of familiar faces at wide receiver in 2020 in Josh Palmer and Brandon Johnson, and Ramel Keyton and Cedric Tillman were part of the rotation as freshmen in 2019, but the incoming group of new players will add talent, speed and after-the-catch ability, as will Deangelo Gibbs, now eligible after sitting out the 2019 season following his transfer from Georgia.

Its interesting, the rooms going to change, the dynamics of it, Chaney said. We signed the Hyatt kid coming in, hes a 4.3 kid. Calloway from down in Atlanta, hes another fast guy, he can fly. The addition of Malachi, thats something. Deangelo Gibbs is with us, hes going to play on the offensive side if D.A. (defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley) would leave him alone.

Its been fun. So all the competition in the room youve got all those guys that have played a little bit, so its fun to see it with a lot of competition. Weve added speed in that room, which is going to help us a lot, so I look forward to seeing how that all shakes out.

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Incoming talent at receiver has Vols OC Jim Chaney thrilled - 247Sports