Kaleb Beasley is needed at cornerback for Tennessee football. Why isn't he there?
Tennessee football has a hole on the depth chart at cornerback, and it seemed like Kaleb Beasley could fill it.
The former Lipscomb Academy standout was among the highest rated cornerback recruits in the 2024 class. He played cornerback as a freshman, along with serving as a mainstay on special teams.
Then All-America cornerback Jermod McCoy suffered a torn ACL in January, too late for the Vols to add a cornerback from the transfer portal.
So why is Beasley spending spring practice at safety rather than cornerback?
'We think we've got guys that are talented. We want them to have an opportunity to start,' defensive secondary coach Willie Martinez said. '(Beasley) is smart. He's talented. He's athletic. Let's move (Beasley) around to give him the opportunity to win a job. That's why we did it.'
It's either a strong endorsement of Beasley's ability to thrive at safety or savvy spin on his deficiencies at cornerback. It may be a combination of the two, and here's why.
McCoy underwent surgery on his injured knee, and he's rehabilitating in hopes of returning to the lineup early in the 2025 season. But no official timetable has been released.
For now, UT's starting cornerbacks are Rickey Gibson, who considered entering the portal, and Jalen McMurray, a 2024 backup.
The group is thin and inexperienced after that. Marcus Goree played only eight defensive snaps last season as a freshman. William Wright and Colin Brazzell, the younger brother of UT receiver Chris Brazzell, are walk-ons. Tre Poteat, Timothy Merritt and Ty Redmond are freshmen debuting in spring practice after enrolling early.
There seems to be an opening for Beasley, a 6-foot-1, 200-pounder, to compete for the third cornerback spot, at worst.
Last season, Beasley was a four-star recruit coming out of Lipscomb. He was ranked the No. 159 prospect overall and No. 21 cornerback in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports Composite.
Then he played 62 snaps on defense as a freshman, mostly at cornerback, and 220 snaps on special teams, second most on the team.
But after seeing Beasley practice at cornerback for a year, coaches may see incoming freshmen as a better fit there.Poteat was a four-star recruit, ranked the No. 39 cornerback in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports Composite. Merritt and Ty Redmond were three-star recruits.
Beasley missed most of spring practice in 2024 after suffering a fractured fibula, so coaches couldn't make a complete evaluation on his skills until preseason camp.
After Beasley played cornerback as a freshman, he was moved.
Granted, Martinez values versatility. He regularly moves defensive backs to multiple positions, only to return them to their most suitable spot. Martinez said Beasley's best position may still be uncertain.
'We're not locked into (Beasley) just playing the safety position,' Martinez said. 'He's capable of playing Star (what UT calls its nickelback), and we're going to move him there, too. But we're going to give him an opportunity first to learn this, the safety position, and then we'll move him (to nickelback).
'We want as many guys that can actually handle it, like him, to be able to. He can actually go and play corner if we wanted him to right now. He knows exactly what the position's like, but we think that he'd really be very, very productive inside (at safety or nickelback).'
LANCE HEARD Tennessee tackle channels criticism to reach his 5-star potential
The most charitable take is that Beasley is too good to be a backup cornerback, even if depth is needed at that position. That's how Martinez described the situation, pointing to Beasley's potential to earn a starting safety spot.
Andre Turrentine returns as a starting safety. Jakobe Thomas, a 2024 backup, is competing with Beasley, Edrees Farooq, John Slaughter and others for the other starting safety spot.
That seems like a crowded competition. But Beasley's talent and football IQ make him a legitimate contender there.
Plus, Turrentine is a fifth-year senior, so UT will need a plan to replace him in 2026.
Beasley's situation points to an accelerated process in the era of NIL and the transfer portal. Money is invested in top recruits, and players expect playing time sooner than later.
Coaches are looking for ways to fast-track talented recruits to the lineup, even if that involves an early position change. For the same reasons, fans and media pay closer attention to subtle movement on the depth chart.
To be clear, Beasley has not indicated any interest in the portal. He's one of UT's top in-state recruits in recent years, and coaches think he has a bright future with the Vols.
But the environment at his position group demands that coaches find the best fit for players and get them into the lineup as soon as possible.
Ten UT defensive backs transferred in the past two years. That included three cornerbacks signed out of high school to fill the same role that was projected for Beasley.
Jordan Matthews (Vanderbilt), Christian Harrison (Cincinnati) and Cristian Conyer (Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State) never reached their potential as UT cornerbacks, so they transferred to find a role elsewhere.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Kaleb Beasley isn't playing cornerback for Tennessee football. Here's why
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