On National Signing Day on Wednesday, the Vols picked up a signature from four-star wide receiver Malachi Wideman. The dynamic athlete from Venice, Florida flipped his commitment from Florida State to Tennessee, choosing the Vols over the Seminoles, Oregon, and Ole Miss.
Not only did Tennessee get a four-star, top-150 prospect in football, but it looks like UT’s men’s basketball team also got a highly-rated prospect in Wideman.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pound athlete is the No. 116 overall prospect and No. 22 wide receiver in the 2020 class per the 247Sports Composite rankings. In basketball, 247Sports also has him as a four-star, rating him as the No. 126 overall recruit in the 2020 cycle in hoops.
Wideman has excelled both in football and basketball, and according to Evan Daniels of 247Sports, Wideman is expected to play both sports at Tennessee.
Sources: While Malachi Wideman committed to Tennessee for football, the Vols basketball staff was also involved in the recruiting process. The expectation is that he will play basketball at UT too. Ranked No. 126 in the country.
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) February 5, 2020
As a basketball player, Wideman has elite hops and is a talented scorer. He won the City of Palms Classic dunk contest back in December, and he averaged 15.3 points and 6.7 rebounds as a junior in high school. In the 2019 Nike Elite Youth Basketball League and the Peach Invitational, Wideman averaged 8.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.6 steals a game in 19.4 minutes a game in 13 games according to D1Circuit.com. In a recent victory over the Lemon Bay Manta Rays, Wideman totaled 21 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three blocks, and three steals.
Tennessee’s men’s basketball team has signed four players in the 2020 class, and one of them is already on campus and playing with the team. Four-star point guard Santiago Vescovi enrolled in January and joined the Vols mid-season. He’s started every game he’s played with Tennessee. UT has also signed five-star guard Jaden Springer, five-star guard Keon Johnson, and four-star small forward Corey Walker.
How the scholarship situation will work with Wideman and Tennessee’s men’s basketball team has yet to be officially announced.
Wideman’s basketball highlights are fun to watch, and he has elite athletic ability on the court. In fact, he even wowed LeBron James and Dwayne Wade with his dunking prowess.
— Malachi Wideman (@mightymal13) September 22, 2019
As a football player, Wideman caught 65 passes for 1,064 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior, returning a punt for a touchdown as well according to MaxPreps. Wideman was named to the inaugural Sports Illustrated All-American Team for high school football for this past season.
The Vols have signed 23 prospects in football in the 2020 cycle with the addition of Wideman and four-star athlete Dee Beckwith on National Signing Day. Wideman now gives the hoops team five additions in the 2020 cycle.
