Tag: Tee Martin

Tee Martin ‘excited’ about how Ramel Keyton, Josh Palmer are playing

Tee Martin ‘excited’ about how Ramel Keyton, Josh Palmer are playing.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee’s wide receivers unit lost its top two players from last season in Marquez Callaway and Jauan Jennings.

The Vols, however, return play-makers within the wide receivers unit.

Sophomore Ramel Keyton and senior Josh Palmer have brought excitement to their position coach Tee Martin. During the Vols’ third week of fall training camp, Martin met with media to discuss the wide receiver duo as they prepare for the upcoming season that kicks off Sept. 26 at South Carolina.

“I’m so excited about how they’re playing,” Martin said of Keyton and Palmer on a Zoom call with reporters. “The retention from last year, you know you don’t have a spring and you really have an abbreviated and modified training camp, so there’s a lot of teaching that you would normally have as a receivers coach in training camp that we’re not able to do because they’re in school and you’re on the 20-hour rule, so the time is cut a little bit. You’re having to lean on their experience, and ultimately their intelligence.”

KNOXVILLE, TN – AUGUST 21, 2020 – Wide receiver Josh Palmer #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers during 2020 Fall Camp practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

Martin mentioned the duo are “two of the most intelligent receivers that I’ve ever coached.”

“Both of them are having to be moved around,” Martin continued. “One thing about operating under COVID is week-to-week you can have a different lineup at any position. If someone is out because of tracing, because they may be positive, and injuries. So, the approach I took as a receiver coach was to teach every receiver every position, because you may line up a week playing a different position because of whatever reason.

“Ramel has shown the ability to do that. Josh has shown the ability to do that. Both of them are surehanded guys, both of them are great route runners, both of them play above the rim – those so called 50-50 balls that you put in the air. If you noticed last season, Josh made great catches down the stretch for us on those 50-50 catches where he played above the rim, outjumped a guy and pulled the ball in. Ramel, you saw him kind of emerge towards the bowl game, big catch in the red zone, jumping in the air and playing above the rim. Both of those guys can jump, they can run, they’re smart, and you’ll see them being used in a lot of different ways this season.”

KNOXVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 01, 2020 – Wide receiver Ramel Keyton #80 of the Tennessee Volunteers during 2020 Fall Camp practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Caleb Jones/Tennessee Athletics

Fall training camp: Tee Martin details freshman Dee Beckwith

Fall training camp: Tee Martin details freshman Dee Beckwith

KNOXVILLE — Tee Martin enters his second season as Tennessee’s wide receivers coach.

The Vols’ wide receiver unit is one that brings in a lot of new and talented players. Freshman Dee Beckwith is one of the newcomers and is likely to see the field early during the 2020 season.

KNOXVILLE, TN – AUGUST 19, 2020 – Wide receiver Dee Beckwith #21 of the Tennessee Volunteers during 2020 Fall Camp practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Caleb Jones/Tennessee Athletics

Martin met with media Wednesday and discussed the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Beckwith.

“Dee bounces back and forth between the wide receiver room and the tight end room,” Martin said on a Zoom call. “He’s kind of a hybrid receiver/tight end-type of body. He hasn’t been around for a few days, but when he was there, he was progressing quickly.”

Martin mentioned that Beckwith is “fast, big and physical” and understands “the nuances of the game and the feel from when he’s outside versus when he’s inside.”

“When he’s in the core, possibly putting his hands down, we haven’t decided yet if we’re going to actually progress him that far at that position yet, but he has the skillset,” Martin continued to discuss Beckwith. “He has the want to. He’s a young man that’s always around asking questions, always trying to watch extra film and improve himself. That’s what you want from a young guy. He just needs a lot of reps.”

Tennessee will kick off the 2020 season Sept. 26 at South Carolina. The game is slated to start at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by SEC Network.

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Kaden Martin gets two-sport offer from Razorbacks

Kaden Martin gets two-sport offer from Razorbacks.

KNOXVILLE — The baseball offers from the Southeastern Conference just keep rolling in for Knoxville Catholic High School sophomore Kaden Martin.

Martin, the son of former Tennessee quarterback and current Volunteers’ assistant head coach and passing game coordinator Tee Martin, received an offer from Arkansas.

Kaden, who has baseball offers from the Diamond Vols and Missouri, also received an offer to play football for the Razorbacks.

He is a multiple sport athlete for KCHS, also playing quarterback for the Fighting Irish, who went 7-4 in 2019.

The younger Martin, who enrolled at Knoxville Catholic last winter after spending the first semester of his freshman year in Southern California, was the District 4-AAA Rookie of the year in one of the most competitive high school baseball leagues in the Volunteer State.

He announced the offer Friday on Twitter.

Tennessee makes the cut for 3-star wide receiver

Tennessee makes the cut for 3-star wide receiver.

Tennessee is one of 11 schools on 2021 wide receiver Malachi Bennett’s list, joining schools from several different conferences in the Alabama product’s recruitment.

Tennessee and Texas A&M are the only SEC schools in Bennett’s graphic, joining members of the Big Ten, ACC, Conference USA and the MAC.

Bennett is the No. 71 receiver in the country on the 247Sports Composite, at 6-foot-2, 180-pounds, and is being recruited heavily by Tennessee wide receivers coach Tee Martin.

From Fairfield, Ala., Bennett is a former teammate of a recent Tennessee signee in offensive lineman Reginald Perry. He is the nephew of Earl Bennett, a former Vanderbilt star wide receiver that went on to a successful career in the NFL.

Tennessee offers Kaden Martin, son of Tee Martin

Tennessee offers Kaden Martin, son of Tee Martin.

KNOXVILLE — After Tennessee baseball extended a scholarship offer to Knoxville Catholic star quarterback and pitcher Kaden Martin, Jeremy Pruitt has joined Tony Vitello’s program in trying to bring Martin to Knoxville.

It is no secret that Martin is the son of Tennessee wide receivers coach and former national championship-winning quarterback Tee Martin. Attracting plenty of attention for both sports, Martin already held offers from Alabama, Ole Miss, USC, Kentucky and others before Tennessee got on the board.

As part of the 2022 recruiting class, Martin is still young in his development, but he burst onto the football scene as a dual-threat quarterback for local powerhouse Knoxville Catholic.

It is unclear whether Martin prefers baseball over football or vice versa, or if he wants to play both.

Tennessee baseball offers 2022 QB prospect Kaden Martin

Tennessee baseball offers Kaden Martin.

While Knoxville Catholic sophomore Kaden Martin is widely regarded as an exciting prospect as a dual-threat quarterback, his skills on the diamond are drawing attention as well.

Tennessee baseball has extended an offer to the local product, as he announced on his Twitter page on Wednesday.

Martin is the son of Tennessee wide receivers coach and former national championship-winning quarterback Tee Martin.

As a left-handed pitcher and outfielder standing at 6-foot-1 and 205-pounds, Martin will likely have his choice to play collegiate football or baseball at a high level, or possible even elect to sign for an MLB team by the end of his high school career.

Martin already holds offers from schools such as Alabama, Kentucky and USC to play football. When put on a national stage in early October, Martin did not disappoint, scoring five total touchdowns as he led Knoxville Catholic to a win over Brentwood Academy in a game broadcasted on ESPN.

While Tony Vitello and Tennessee baseball have officially put themselves in the running for Martin’s services, the rising junior still does not hold an offer from Tennessee football.

With his father on staff, it will be interesting to see if the Vols extend an offer to the talented dual-threat quarterback and decide to pursue along with the baseball program, allowing him to play both.

Tennessee adds graduate transfer wide receiver from USC

Tennessee adds graduate transfer wide receiver from USC.

KNOXVILLE — Only one week removed from a Gator Bowl victory over Indiana, it has already been a productive offseason for Tennessee football.

The Vols added another piece to their team on Thursday, as former USC wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. announced on his Twitter account that he will transfer to Tennessee to play out his final season of eligibility.

A native of Saraland, Ala., Jones was recruited heavily by Butch Jones and his staff to Tennessee, but elected to go to the west coast and play for USC. Current Tennessee wide receivers coach Tee Martin recruited Jones to Los Angeles as part of the 2016 recruiting class when Martin was on Clay Helton’s offensive staff.

As a three-star prospect on the 247 Sports Composite, Jones was rated the No. 79 wide receiver in his class, and held offers from schools such as Georgia, Michigan, Oklahoma and Florida.

Jones had a limited role in USC’s offense, catching just 36 passes for 347 yards and one touchdown through three seasons, as well as an eight-yard touchdown run against Arizona State. The Trojans often utilized his speed, however, particularly in the kick return game. He nearly reached 2,000 kick return yards with a 24-yard average and one kick return for a touchdown.

Jones comes to Tennessee in a week where the Vols welcome early enrollees on campus, bringing in offensive lineman Cade Mays as a transfer from Georgia and announce that offensive lineman Trey Smith will return for his senior season.

The new Volunteer also joins former Nebraska wideout Miles Jones as Tennessee transfers. Both players enter a wide receiver room that loses its top two players to the NFL Draft in Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway.

Jimari Butler decommits from Tennessee

Jimari Butler decommits from Tennessee.

Jimari Butler has decommitted from Tennessee.

The 2020 defensive end prospect committed to the Vols on Nov. 8. Butler thanked UT assistant coach Tee Martin for the opportunity to play for the Vols.

Butler is a 6-foot-5, 210-pound strong-side defensive end from Murphy High School in Mobile, Ala.

The 2020 defensive end prospect was initially offered by the Vols on Sept. 24 and visited Tennessee on Oct. 5.

2020 recruiting class signing dates

The 2019 Early Signing Period will take place Dec. 18-20 and National Signing Day will be held on Feb. 5.

The Vols’ 2020 commitment tracker can be followed below.

University of Tennessee’s 2020 football recruiting class tracker