KNOXVILLE - DeAngelo Gibbs transferred from Georgia to Tennessee with no set position in mind.
The Volunteers football coaches have used him accordingly.
Gibbs has spent time at both wide receiver and defensive back for the Vols, who are in their final week of spring practice leading up to Saturday's Orange and White game at Neyland Stadium. While it's still unsure whether the 6-foot-1, 209-pounder will receive a waiver to be eligible immediately after transferring, he has the ability to potentially make a difference on either side of the ball once he is available to Jeremy Pruitt's team.
Gibbs played both positions in high school, earning a ranking as the No. 10 overall athlete who thrived at both positions. He spent two seasons at Georgia, totaling 10 tackles before making the decision to move to Knoxville, where he'll have two seasons remaining upon eligibility.
He started the spring at receiver but spent the last few practices at the Star (nickel back) position.
"We have played him there, because it's what he's played before and is what he knows," Pruitt said prior to Tuesday's practice. "After you practice nine times, you put him over there so you have a chance to see what his skill set is. He's a big guy that is a good blitzer. He plays well against the run and has really soft hands.
"He picked off a pass the other day in a scrimmage. That is one of the things you need to have in the back end. When the offense makes a mistake, you have to make them pay, and he is a guy that can do that. There are lots of little things that need to be cleaned up, but that's because he missed the first nine days. We are going to leave him on the defensive side of the ball so he can get three more practices to give him six on the defensive side and be able to make a decision about where he needs to go from there."
Since the receiver group is the most experienced on the roster - with four seniors and all three starters, including junior Jordan Murphy - returning, it's very possible that Gibbs will end up on defense side.
Regardless, he's going to be able to make plays wherever he winds up.
"A lot of people have seen him as a DB, but I think he found out a lot about himself as a receiver," senior receiver Marquez Callaway said recently. "He's a natural athlete, and wherever you put him he's going to be a playmaker. I just want to see him on the field, so whether we use him as a receiver or a defensive back, right now we're toying with him to see which one he has a better knack for, and I think that's where we're going go with him."
Tennessee running back Carlin Fils-aime (27) runs with the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Missouri Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)Fils-Aime sidelined
Carlin Fils-Aime, who has spent time on both sides of the ball during his career, was ruled out for the rest of the spring Tuesday by Pruitt after having a procedure on his leg.
"He will be back and ready to go in July," Pruitt said. "It is unfortunate for him. He was having a really good spring, and with being a senior and in his last go-around, he was frustrated with it, but it is something that needed to be done, and he will be back better than ever."
The senior running back had 36 yards on seven carries in 2018 and has 309 rushing yards on 52 carries for his career. He also caught two passes last season, doubling his career total after moving to running back before the South Carolina game due to necessity.
Vols get commitment
Tennessee received a commitment over the weekend from Ebony Jackson, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound three-star running back from Marietta, Georgia.
Jackson chose the Vols over an offer from Ole Miss and interest from Georgia Tech.
He ran for state championships in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes in the GHSA track meet.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.