Tennessee's Dee Williams learning 'a whole new side of the football' with move to receiver

Kelsey Pope described the transition as seamless. Tennessee’s second-year wide receivers coach had no problem adding Dee Williams, the Vols’ return specialist and a former defensive back, to his position group in recent weeks.

After all, Pope spent the last two seasons working with the electrifying Williams on the punt return team.

“The connection was already there,” Pope said this week. “The only piece building with him was just the terminology … he’s done a great job of getting a spark and going in and working on and off the field. He’s becoming a wide out now.”

Josh Heupel offered the first glimpse of Williams on offense in the 59-3 win over UConn at Neyland Stadium Saturday afternoon, when he caught his first pass of the season for a gain of 11 yards. 

Dee Williams averaging 17.9 yards per punt return in 18 games with Vols

No. 14 Tennessee (7-2, 3-2 SEC) is looking to add the spark Williams brings to punt and kickoff return to its uptempo offense with No. 16 Missouri (7-2, 3-2) up next on the schedule. The two teams kick off at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time Saturday (TV: CBS) at a sold-out Faurot Field in Columbia.

Through the week, though, Williams is still learning to speak the language. 

“He’s having to learn really a whole new side of football,” Pope said of Williams, a former junior college defensive back. “He’s been learning defensive terminology, so he’s now on the offensive side, just building him from the ground up. Day 1 foundation. So Dee’s handled that task well. 

“He’s gotta continue to do that as the season goes on, but he’s been in the building, he’s learning, he’s asking questions, being fun. That’s all we can ask for. So it’s exciting to have him in the room as well.”

Williams has taken two punts back for touchdowns in his 18 games at Tennessee, including a game-changing 39-yard return for a score in the 20-13 win over Texas A&M three weeks ago.

He averaged 18.7 yards per return in nine games last season and has averaged 16.9 yards per attempt in nine games this season. 

“A guy with that type of talent,” Pope said, “what he can do with the ball in his hands is always good.”

No. 14 Tennessee at No. 16 Missouri, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS

Williams joined a Tennessee wide receiver group that seems to be building some momentum. 

Squirrel White and Ramel Keyton had touchdown catches of 83 and 60 yards, respectively, on Saturday against UConn. Redshirt freshman Chas Nimrod had a 39-yard touchdown two weeks ago at Kentucky, the first of his career, and White had a 39-yarder of his own on a top-tapping touchdown catch in the corner of the end zone two weeks ago at Alabama. 

Dont’e Thornton has five catches for 89 yards since moving to the outside receiver position two weeks ago, too. He had seven catches for 89 yards in his previous six games.

“I wish there was some, you know, special recipe that we put together,” Heupel said on Monday. “Just continued growth throughout the course of the season, guys understanding their jobs, continuing to grow in it.

“We’ve had moving pieces. Guys have played inside, played outside. At the end of the day, feel like they’re at their most comfortable that they’ve been in understanding our schemes, what they’re seeing on the other side. Being on the same page with Joe (Milton). It comes down to execution.”