Tennessee Football Closes National Signing Day with Top 10 Class

Tennessee and third-year coach Jeremy Pruitt are gaining more and more momentum as the offseason continues to unfold

The future for Tennessee football is getting brighter and brighter.

With the additions of 4-star receiver Malachi Wideman and 3-star athlete Dee Beckwith on National Signing Day, the Volunteers find themselves with a Top 10 recruiting class in the 2020 rankings, according to 247Sports.

Tennessee is one of seven SEC schools to finish with a Top 10 class in 2020, alongside Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, Auburn, and Florida.

The Volunteers are adding 13 four-star players for the 2020 season. Five of those 13 play on offense: Wideman, QB Harrison Bailey, OL Cooper Mays, WR Jalin Hyatt, and WR Jimmy Calloway.

The other eight play on the defensive side of the ball: DT Dominic Bailey, S Keshawn Lawrence, DT Omari Thomas, DE Tyler Baron, LB Len’neth Whitehead, DE Morven Joseph, LB Bryson Eason, and LB Martavius French.

Ten of Tennessee’s recruits this season were in-state players, something that head coach Jeremy Pruitt says bodes well for the future.

“When you can sign guys in your home state,” Pruitt said, “I think it helps with the next group.”

According to Pruitt, Wideman and Beckwith will both have the chance to be two-sport athletes at Tennessee. Wideman, who was a 2-star basketball recruit, has gained internet fame for his jaw-dropping dunks.

The 2020 recruiting class is the first time Tennessee has had a Top 10 class in football since 2015. With a basketball recruiting class currently ranked fifth in the country, Tennessee will have a chance to finish with a Top 10 recruiting class in both sports for the first time in program history.