WR – Malachi Wideman – Venice (Venice, FL) 6-4 / 195
Stars: 4 – 247Sports Composite / 4 – Rivals / 4 – ESPN
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Tennessee solidifies a really nice group of receivers in the 2020 class by adding Wideman, who has elite athleticism. Wideman should help Tennessee stretch the field on offense, and at 6-4, his height could come in handy in the red zone. That was an area of concern for the Vols in 2019.
Eric Cain’s Analysis: Though Wideman has been a Florida State commit for almost a calendar year, the Seminoles were an afterthought heading into National Singing Day. The Vols held off Ole Miss – who pushed hard late – as Lane Kiffin got the final visit. The Rebels also parted ways with a previous wide receiver commit. Oregon was also in the running. Despite Wideman’s radio silence for the past week, the playmaker decided to come to Knoxville.
Wideman is a big presence at 6-foot-5 but will need to add weight to his 190-pound frame. The Vols need help at receiver this season and there is no reason to believe Wideman can’t push for early playing time alongside Josh Palmer, DeAngelo Gibbs, Ramel Keyton and Brandon Johnson.
Quick Facts From UT Athletics
- Explosive wide receiver from Venice High School in Florida
- Was named to the Inaugural Sports Illustrated All-American Team in 2019
- Helped lead Venice to the 2019 Florida Class 7A State Semifinals
- As a senior, caught 65 passes for 1,064 yards and 13 touchdowns, more than doubling his career output
- Scored 28 touchdowns during his high school career
- Also played basketball and ran track in high school
- Won the 2019 City of the Palms Classic Dunk Contest
