WATCH: Marquez Callaway makes wild 24-yard catch in preseason vs. Chargers
Former Tennessee Volunteer wide receiver Marquez Callaway made one of the more miraculous catches of the preseason on Friday night in the Saints matchup against the LA Chargers. First, Tre’Quan Smith made a full extension dive for a catch, then the ball bounced from his hands to a Chargers’ defenders’ hands, and into the hands of Marquez Callaway.
It was a wild sequence and it’s easier to understand by watching the video below.
It will definitely go down as one of the wildest catches of the year, that’s for certain.
Unfortunately for Callaway, officials after the play whistled the ball dead prematurely, thinking it hit the turf once it hit Tre’Quan Smith’s hands. Saints’ head coach Dennis Allen then decided to challenge the play and the replay showed that Smith’s hands prevented the football from touching the ground.
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The play was ruled a 24-yard catch for Callaway, but officials didn’t give him the touchdown back that he easily scored after the catch. Still, it’s an incredible grab and it shows excellent focus by the former Tennessee standout on the play. The Saints are absolutely loaded at wideout with Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, and Chris Olave, but you never know, maybe Callaway can work his way into the rotation for some snaps at some point in the season.
In the 2021 season, Callaway had his best season yet for the Saints and it wasn’t even close, hauling in 46 catches for 698 receiving yards and six touchdowns (averaging 15.2 yards per catch). In 2020, he hauled in 21 catches for 213 receiving yards for the Saints.
During his senior season with the Tennessee Volunteers, Callaway earned second team All-SEC honors as a punt returner. He was a three-year starter for the Vols at receiver and had his best season as a senior. He hauled in 30 catches for 635 receiving yards and six touchdowns.