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Evaluating Tennessee football’s 2020 recruiting class at dead period: Vols Receivers

By Caleb Calhoun

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 Michael Chang/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images /

Tennessee football has one receiver committed for its 2020 class. Here’s a look at where the Volunteers stand overall at that position.

Ever since the Clemson Tigers began publicly claiming to take the title of Wide Receiver U from Tennessee football, they have backed it up with two national championships in three years. However, the Vols are committing to that position as one of their biggest strengths heading into the 2019 season.

But what about the future there? After all, for as loaded as UT is at receiver, Jeremy Pruitt is obviously going to want to restock that position. And right now, the Vols have a senior at tight end with a junior backup along with two seniors who figure to start at wideout, a junior who figures to start in the slot and two more seniors in the rotation.

Simply put, seven of Tennessee football’s top eight producers at receiver will be gone after 2020. Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway, the Vols’ top two receivers this year, will be gone after this year. That also holds true for Dominick Wood-Anderson at tight end and Brandon Johnson and Tyler Byrd at receiver.

Meanwhile, Josh Palmer, the top receive in the spring, is a junior, and backup tight end Austin Pope is also a junior. That leaves only Jordan Murphy as a guy who is not a junior or senior and has shown any real potential to be a major contributor.

So where does Pruitt stand beyond that 2020? This is obviously where recruiting comes into play, and we’re going to analyze that here. First, looking at the roster, the Vols have Jacques Jones, Cedric Tillman and two new 2019 commitments in Jerrod Means and Ramel Keyton at receiver. Jones and Keyton are four-stars, Means is a three-star and Tillman is a two-star.

Transfer Deangelo Gibbs could also play receiver and may sit out this year. Gibbs, a junior, and Jones, a sophomore, are the only two people we named who aren’t freshmen this year. At tight end, James Brown retired earlier this year. But the Vols still have Jackson Lowe, Jacob Warren and Sean Brown, all of whom will be freshmen this year.

As a result, Pruitt has bodies at receiver and tight end for the future. But who else could he land for next year? Let’s take a look at that here with our evaluation of Tennessee football’s 2020 recruiting class at wide receiver and tight end.

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