Jocquez Bruce, Athlete
The other member of the 2015 signing class who elected to blue shirt and count towards the 2016 instead is another athlete, Jocquez Bruce.
Joc Bruce, a three-star athlete and No. 28 overall player in Tennessee, hails from Knoxville, literally fifteen minutes from UT’s campus. He played running back primarily for South-Doyle in high school, where he led the Cherokees to their first undefeated regular season since 1984.
As a senior, Bruce ran the ball 187 times for 1,993 yards and 28 scores, hauling in 12 passes for 287 yards and 2 touchdowns as well. On defense, he registered 61 tackles and intercepted 2 passes, returning one for a score (per Prep Foce).
And, in case you forgot, he also made this devastating tackle that made it onto SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays:
Bruce has the versatility and just the right size to play either receiver, running back, or defensive back for the Vols. He measures in at 5-10, 170 lbs and has the kind of speed to be successful at the collegiate level no matter what position he plays.
Since Bruce won’t join the team officially until 2016, it’s hard to say where he will fit in then. Depending on running back depth and the state of the receivers or defensive backs, Bruce could conceivably play at any of those positions. He may not be highly rated, but Bruce has talent and can find a niche for himself somewhere.