DeAnthony Arnett commits to Tennessee

ESPNU 150 wide receiver DeAnthony Arnett committed to Tennessee during a press conference on Wednesday evening from his high school in Saginaw, Michigan.

“I’ve had this decision for a while now,” Arnett admitted. “I’ve been tricking a lot of people.”

“Coach Dooley, he’s a great guy. He’s going to help me become a man.”

Arnett cited his relationship with Tennessee wide receiver coach Charlie Bagget as an important factor his decision.

“Coach Baggett, he coached up at Michigan State,” Arnett said. “He had all the great wide receivers: Andre Rison, Mark Ingram, Plaxico. He had them all — nine 1000-yard receivers. He coached my favorite receiver, Randy Moss.”

“I feel like I’ve got those same capabilities and he can develop me into becoming an NFL (receiver). Hopefully I’ll get drafted one day.”

The 6-0, 170-pound receiver picked the Vols over Michigan, Michigan State, California and Southern Cal, among others.

According to ESPN, Arnett is rated a 4-star receiver earning a Scouts Grade of 81. He is considered the No. 8 receiver in the country and the No. 55 player overall.

The talented receiver caught 41 passes for 875 yards (21.3 average) and scored 10 touchdowns during his junior season.

ESPN Scouts Inc. evaluation

Arnett is an absolute playmaker when the ball is in the air and he has to be because often times the ball is just thrown up in his general direction. This is a prospect with tremendous physical tools in terms of speed, quickness and the ability to be a homerun threat from anywhere on the field. He is as quick as he is fast. He shows the ability to get off the line with burst and quickness. Has exceptional separation on vertical routes. Consistently turns defensive backs around and shows the ability to explode into and out of his cuts. Has learned to set defensive backs up with speed and has the rare ability to break off deep routes on a dime. Has the ability to stop and start with no wasted motion and is a terror in space. He has excellent hands, shows the ability to snatch on the run and will catch anything thrown in his direction. Shows good body control, can adjust to poorly thrown balls and has a second gear when tracking down vertical throws. Has good leaping ability, will elevate for the ball and is at his best in one-on-one situations considering he is not a “big” receiver. Can create separation immediately in tight man to man matchups. Runs crisp routes, knows how to get open and is very fluid. Has terrific change of direction, is a threat after the catch, and is elusive in the open-field. He is a supreme playmaker in traffic and makes plays on balls in contested match-ups. Arnett is not very big, has a lean wiry frame, but he just possesses a lot of playmaking ability and when in space has the type of skills that coaches covet. Overall, Arnett could prove to be one of the best WR’s in this class and he has the upside to become a route runner that is on par with his tools. Excellent prospect.