Tennnessee Football: What Each New Recruit Brings to the Vols

Sep 7, 2013; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers cheerleaders filp over their teams touchdown against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 52-20. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

2. Dillon Bates, Outside Linebacker

If any one player is expected to benefit from Chris Weatherd’s absence during the summer, it’s Dillon Bates. The 4-star linebacker from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL was already expected to compete for playing time his freshman season at UT, but Weatherd’s delay could cause him to play a larger role or even start.

Bates was rated the No. 95 recruit in the nation and the 15 best player in the state of Florida, and he is yet another legacy commit for the Vols. Bill Bates, Dillon’s father, played for Tennessee from 1979-82 as a safety.

At 6-4, 230 lbs, Dillon Bates already has a strong build and has the frame to add on a few more pounds and keep his amazing athleticism. He finished his senior season with 81 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, and 2 interceptions.

Linebacker is the position that may provide some of the fiercest competition in the fall and throughout the entire season. A.J. Johnson and Curt Maggitt are expected to have two of the three spots nailed down. That leaves five possible contenders vying for one open spot. Returning sophomore Jalen Reeves-Maybin and newcomers Jakob Johnson, Gavin Bryant, and Neiko Creamer all plan to compete for that open spot along with Bates. And when Weatherd joins the team, he’ll add yet another body to the fight.

Bates may be extremely talented and a starting outside linebacker of the future for the Vols, but his freshman season may see him on special teams or providing depth. Reeves-Maybin has a year on campus under his belt, and both Johnson and Creamer were early enrollees and have had a semester to become acclimated with the defensive schemes for the Big Orange.

Dillon Bates certainly has incredible upside, but the numbers game may not play in his favor his first season with the Vols.

Prediction: Backup, special teams contributor