KNOXVILLE — Tennessee capped off its 2020 recruiting class Feb. 5 on National Signing Day.
The Vols will take to the practice field March 9 to kickoff spring practices in preparation for the 2020 season.
Tennessee added two players on National Signing Day, including Dee Beckwith from Florence High School in Florence, Ala.
On National Signing Day, Beckwith’s high school head coach Will Hester discussed Tennessee’s latest signee and the type of player he is.
“I can see him being used a lot like Jauan Jennings or Taysom Hill with the New Orleans Saints, meaning some wide receiver, some at Wildcat quarterback and some jet sweep-type stuff,” Hester said of Beckwith.
Hester joined the show “Tennessee Two-A-Days” that is co-hosted by Rush Propst on Feb. 8 to further discuss Beckwith signing with Tennessee and the type of player he is.
“Having coached in Tennessee and coached against Jauan Jennings, Dee is a very similar player to Jauan,” Hester said of Beckwith. “He started out as a basketball player and was playing high-level AAU when we got to Florence two years ago.
“He is an unbelievable athlete and probably the most athletic kid that I have been around. What he brings to Tennessee, he is going to be in the receiver room with all of those other guys and do the things that it takes to be successful, whether they move him around anywhere. Coach (Jim) Chaney is talking about Taysom Hill type stuff, whether they hand it to him, throw it to him or be the Wildcat quarterback. Dee is a humble kid and really hated the recruiting process, hated having to talk on the phone, text messages and all of that kind of stuff. He really just wanted to sign and get it over with and move on. He just had to figure out which spot was best for him.”
Propst discussed the importance of having Wildcat and short-yardage packages and practicing it everyday in preparation for when it s needed during a game.
“Everyday there were two things that I did in practice,” Propst said. “I would have a short-yardage package with more of an athlete under center — sort of an unbalanced set with a wingback and a fullback — and then a wide receiver, a great wide receiver. Our short-yardage package, we were 99 percent effective in short-yardage and red zone attack. We spent ten minutes a day in that offense starting in the spring and then the Wildcat we would do the exact same thing.
“So 20 minutes a day, everyday, and it probably drops to ten minutes, both packages, on certain days, if your quarterback was that good, that we would spend on that offense.”
A situational-type player in Beckwith, who is set to arrive at Tennessee, is someone Pruitt understands the importance in having to win games.
Pruitt’s understanding of having situational-type players and also cross-training student-athletes at different positions, on offense and defense, dates back to his time as a high school coach.
“If you want to win football games, you have to think outside the box,” Hester said. “It goes back to his (Pruitt) high school experience and how to be a coach at Fort Payne or how to be a coach wherever, and you only have what you have – and create what you have. That is why he has done so well with a limited roster because he is not afraid to ask whoever to play whatever position and to do whatever that makes the team better.”
The Vols now have a deep wide receiver unit heading into Pruitt’s third season. Players such as Georgia transfer Deangelo Gibbs, who has cross-trained on offense and defense, is a student-athlete who can help his team, like Beckwith, in playing a position and role that will help Tennessee.
“He is a true coach,” Propst said of Pruitt cross-training players such as Gibbs on defense with a wide receiver unit full of depth. “Here is the difference with Jeremy. A lot of these guys are system guys and they are compartmentalized so bad. Jeremy has had to do different things in his career, coaching offense, defense – had to do this, had to do that and handle this situation, that situation.”
The entire interview with Hester and Propst can be listened to here or below.
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