UT Sports Information
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee added to its already highly-regarded 2020 signing class on Wednesday afternoon with the additions of Dee Beckwith and Malachi Wideman on National Signing Day.
With Beckwith and Wideman now on board, the Vols have signed 23 total players in their 2020 class. UT also added a pair of transfers in Georgia offensive lineman Cade Mays and Southern Cal wide receiver/kick returner Velus Jones.
After Wednesday’s additions, Tennessee now has the 10th rated class in the nation according to the 247 Sports’ 2020 recruiting class rankings.
“I think recruiting has a little bit of momentum to it,” head coach Jeremy Pruitt said. “When you get guys that start committing to a certain school, guys want to be a part of that. Right now, we won six straight games and seven out of our last eight. That created some momentum on the field and some momentum in December.
“We have done a nice job closing in the early signing period. And the spots that we had to fill today I couldn’t be happier about the guys that we added to this group. I feel like the momentum we did create on the field, it had an effect on recruiting.”
Beckwith comes to the Vols from Florence, Alabama, where he played on both sides of the ball for Florence High School and also starred on the basketball and track and field teams.
“He’s a guy that we targeted really early,” Pruitt said. “He’s one of these guys that in high school football had the ball in his hands a lot. He played wildcat quarterback, running back, wide receiver, safety and some linebacker. He’s a guy that projects to play a number of positions, but when you watch him play, where he’s the most dynamic is when the ball is in his hands. That’s what we’re going to do with him when he gets here is we’re going to give him the opportunity to put the ball in his hands. But again, he’s just a fantastic athlete.”
As a senior, Beckwith garnered first-team All-State honors and was the No. 7 rated player on the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s (ASWA) Super 12 All-State Team after totaling 1,055 rushing yards, 589 passing yards and 526 receiving yards to go along with 27 total touchdowns. Beckwith helped the Falcons reach the second round of the 2019 Class 7A playoffs after leading the team to its first playoff victory in five years.
Wideman hails from Sarasota, Florida, where he was a star wide receiver at perennial powerhouse Venice High School. With the help of Wideman, Venice reached the 2019 Class 7A state semifinals.
“The guy is an unbelievable athlete,” Pruitt said. “I had the opportunity to watch him play a basketball game and you can just see the athleticism all over the basketball court. When you watch him on the football field, his catch radius, his instincts to play the position, his ability to high point the football, his toughness and the fact that he’s a very fluid athlete means that he has a very high ceiling and we’re really excited to have him as a part of our program.”
Wideman had a breakout senior season in 2019, catching 65 passes for 1,064 yards and 13 touchdowns, more than doubling his career output. He was named to the Inaugural Sports Illustrated All-American Team for his performance in 2019. Wideman is an elite athlete who also plays basketball and won the 2019 City of the Palms Classic Dunk Contest.