JUCO DB Otis Jacobs Commits

Just like that, the Tennessee Volunteers added yet another commitment to an improving 2012 Recruiting Class with the addition late Friday night of Junior College Defensive Back, Otis Jacobs. Jacobs has 3 years to play 2 and is looking forward to being up on Rocky Top. With this addition, the Volunteers now currently have 23 verbal commitments for 2012, but this number could easily fluctuate depending on any late shifts (which tends to happen).

Jacobs attended Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, Mississippi this season and drew rave reviews from many college scouts, most notably  from then Texas A&M Head Coach Mike Sherman and was a verbal commitment to the Aggies. However, since Sherman’s exit at A&M, Jacobs was left with a big decision and with the loss of most of the Aggies staff, College Station began to look less and less appealing.

From here, Derek Dooley stepped into the picture and began to make a play for the Louisiana native. This was capped off with the in-home visit with Jacobs from Dooley,  Wilcox, and DB’s Coach Terry Joseph. A big concern for Jacobs’ mother was the distance factor as Louisiana is a long way from Knoxville.

What really sold Jacobs on the Vols was the ‘Vol For Life’ program implemented by Dooley. This sense of being prepared for life along with football really drew Otis in and the Academics and Facilities of the university didn’t hurt their chances at all.

Rated a 3-star recruit on Rivals, Jacobs could be a stud for the Volunteers in the defensive backfield. Otis stands 5’11” 187, prototypical size for a DB, and was clocked at multiple camps running a 4.31 40-yard-dash. This intangibles have many excited that this early enrolle will do damage sooner rather than later for the Big Orange. One comparison that has been made between Jacobs is Alabama DB Dequan Menzie. Many feel Jacobs has similar speed and intangibles. As well, Jacobs, like Menzie, plays a ton of bump and run coverage and, more often than not, holds his own in coverage. Jacobs has the ability to make a difference in a Volunteers secondary that often allowed the big player over the top and lacked high end speed at the corner position.

Look out for Jacobs in the future, this cat is going to do big things for the Big Orange.