Tennessee football: What went wrong for Vols on National Signing Day 2019?

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images) /
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Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images /

3. No new wide receivers sign on National Signing Day.

Wide receiver was a big need for Tennessee football, but they didn’t have any legitimate major targets heading into National Signing Day. They were hoping to either get a chance in the dark with five-star wide receiver George Pickens flipping to them or signing a lesser prospect like Dywan Griffin or Alante Brown.

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Pickens did flip from the Auburn Tigers, but it was to the Georgia Bulldogs. Meanwhile, the Vols didn’t get Griffin or Brown or anybody else. As a result, they only have two wide receivers signed for their 2019 recruiting class.

One is four-star Ramel Keyton out of Marietta, Ga., who does bring potential at 6’2″ 180 pounds. The other one is three-star Jerrod Means, who committed back in December. Means stands at 6’2″ 200 pounds and comes from Lovejoy, Ga.

The problem is the Vols need a lot more help at the position. They have four returning wideouts in Jauan Jennings, Marquez Callaway, Brandon Johnson and Josh Palmer, and Palmer is the only one who isn’t a senior. Even in the slot, Tyler Byrd is a senior, leaving Jordan Murphy as the only slot guy.

Simply put, the Vols need a lot of help at wide receiver for 2020, and at this point, only four guys with real potential may be on the roster barring some surprise. That’s a problem, and Pruitt and Jim Chaney need more bodies there.

The addition of Tee Martin should help with recruiting that position specifically going forward, but with very limited help for 2020, the team is in trouble at that position. And Signing Day did nothing to help.