A way-too-early preview of Tennessee’s wide receivers in 2020.
KNOXVILLE — Wide receiver was a position of strength for Tennessee in 2020.
With two talented and experienced seniors in Marquez Callaway and Jauan Jennings, the Vols lost over 1,600 yards and 14 touchdowns of production from those two players alone.
Jennings was considered the heart and soul of Tennessee’s football team, as an unquestioned leader that evolved into one of the most exciting players to watch in the SEC with the ball in his hands.
Now, it’s a new era for Tennessee’s wideouts, and role players in 2019 will need to step up to become go-to options in 2020.
It begins with rising senior Josh Palmer, who is Tennessee’s lead returning receiver in 2020. Palmer showed flashes during his junior campaign, playing third-fiddle to Callaway and Jennings. The Canadian native reeled in 34 passes for 457 yards and 1 touchdown.
While no other receiver returns that has the numbers of Palmer, there is talented but unproven depth in wide receivers coach Tee Martin’s unit. Former four-star prospect Ramel Keyton only caught four passes in his freshman season, but two came in the Gator Bowl win over Indiana to total 60 yards. In fact, Tennessee was able to get a slight preview of what’s to come in the bowl game as Palmer and Keyton led the Vols in receiving. Palmer caught six passes for 68 yards.
Among some of the unknown quantities in Tennessee’s wide receivers room is a former defensive back in Deangelo Gibbs. Having never played wide receiver at the collegiate level, Gibbs initially went to Georgia as a highly-touted defensive back and transferred to Tennessee in the offseason before the 2019 campaign.
Gibbs had to sit out the season due to transfer ineligibility rules, but will be available as a wide receiver in 2020. Since taking over at Tennessee, Jeremy Pruitt has not been afraid to switch players from different positions, and it is clear he and his staff believe the 6-foot-1, 200-pound junior has the talent and ball skills to contribute to the Vols at wide receiver in 2020.
Even with the possible NFL talent Tennessee had in Callaway and Jennings in 2019, one thing this unit has missed is a player with pure, straight-line speed that can take the top off of SEC defenses.
Tennessee took a step to remedy that in early January, bringing in former USC wideout Velus Jones Jr. as a graduate transfer.
Jones was recruited by Tennessee out of high school, and played for Tee Martin when Martin was coaching wide receivers at USC. Although he did not consistently crack the wide receiver rotation in Southern Cal, Jones racked up nearly 2,000 kick return yards and will be certainly utilized in Knoxville as he plays out his final season of eligibility.
Speaking of speed, another player that excites Tennessee’s coaching staff is incoming four-star prospect Jalin Hyatt out of South Carolina. Hyatt helped his Dutch Fork High School team to a state championship in 2019, hauling in 66 passes for 1,361 yards and 26 touchdowns. Expect Hyatt to contribute for Tennessee in 2020, along with four-star Georgia prospect Jimmy Calloway, who joins Hyatt in the 2020 class as a versatile, athletic option.
Also returning for Tennessee in 2020 is Brandon Johnson, who redshirted his junior season for the Vols after only appearing in four games. Many forget Johnson led Tennessee in receiving during the Vols’ abysmal 2017 4-8 campaign under Butch Jones, catching 37 passes for 482 yards and one touchdown.
The Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native will return as an experienced key cog in the 2020 wide receiver rotation.
Finally, 6-foot-3, 211-pound wideout Cedric Tillman returns to Knoxville for his redshirt sophomore season and will compete for more reps after being buried under the depth chart in 2020.
Tennessee’s wide receivers will have a completely new look in Jeremy Pruitt’s third season. 2019 saw a top-heavy unit that had experienced, big bodies who could high-point the football and shed tacklers. In 2020, the Vols appear to have a deeper, albeit inexperienced rotation with more contributors and pure speed.
It will be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Jim Chaney tinkers with this new crop of players, but the primary question is not who will catch the most passes for Tennessee in 2020, but who will be throwing the ball?
As the Vols prepare for spring football, figuring out this team’s starting quarterback will have a direct impact on the success of the wide receiver position.
It will not be a question of talent for Tennessee’s wide receivers in 2020. This group will need to gain experience and find out a true number one option to replace the outgoing Callaway and Jennings.
