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Tennessee football: Five bold predictions for Vols 2020 National Signing Day

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 29: The Tennessee Volunteers run onto the field before the start of their game against the South Carolina Gamecocks on October 29, 2005 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 29: The Tennessee Volunteers run onto the field before the start of their game against the South Carolina Gamecocks on October 29, 2005 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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5. Malachi Wideman will flip from Florida State to Vols.

This will be a splash for Tennessee football. The Vols have been targeting Malachi Wideman for a while. A four-star on Rivals, Wideman is a top 10 player at his position and the No. 12 ranked player in the state of Florida. He committed to Willie Taggart’s program in May of last year, but he didn’t sign with the Florida State Seminoles last December after Mike Norvell was hired.

Since then, Jeremy Pruitt and his staff have been targeting Wideman heavily. He visited Rocky Top in the middle of January, and all signs point to it going really well. Since then, national analysts have been trending toward the Vols for this elite receiver. And yes, he’s an elite receiver who would be a huge pickup for Pruitt and co. if he committed.

At 6’5″ 190 pounds, Wideman brings immediate size to a program looking for new wideouts after losing Marquez Callaway and Jauan Jennings. Josh Palmer is the only proven wideout returning with Ramel Keyton showing flashes. That could be a major selling point for Wideman, as he’ll have more than a fair shot to start for the Vols.

Also, the system could favor him. Sure, he committed to a spread when he committed to Taggart. Norvell will continue that spread. But Jim Chaney runs a pro-style and loves to use size on the outside at receiver. As a result, Wideman would thrive in what he likes to do. That could favor the Vols heavily, and it’s another reason we are predicting he will flip on Wednesday.

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