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Tennessee football recruiting: 4-star 2018 linebacker JJ Peterson commits to Vols

ByCaleb Calhoun|
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 01: The Volunteer mascot waves the flag in the edzone after a Tennessee touchdown as the Tennessee Volunteers defeated the Mississippi Rebels 27-10 at Neyland Stadium on October 1, 2005 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 01: The Volunteer mascot waves the flag in the edzone after a Tennessee touchdown as the Tennessee Volunteers defeated the Mississippi Rebels 27-10 at Neyland Stadium on October 1, 2005 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Tennessee football recruiting scored a big pickup at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Four-star linebacker JJ Peterson picked the Volunteers.

Two days before he has to coach the Alabama Crimson Tide’s defense in the national championship game, Jeremy Pruitt stole another recruit right out from under Nick Saban’s nose. And he continues to make huge splashes as Tennessee football’s new head coach.

Pruitt secured a commitment from four-star linebacker JJ Peterson Saturday. Peterson chose the Vols over the Tide.

A 6’2″ 206-pound linebacker out of Colquitt County High School in Moultrie, Ga., Peterson is the No. 3 ranked player at his position nationally. He announced his commitment to the Vols at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Peterson is a Top 100 player nationally and a Top 10 player in the state of Georgia. Pruitt got a major steal getting him away from the Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide.

Given Tennessee football’s issues at linebacker in recent years, he’s definitely a welcome addition. Peterson’s biggest strength is his athleticism. He was used on kickoff returns in high school, which shows his versatility.

With the commitment, Tennessee football’s recruiting ranking jumped from No. 22 to No. 14. They are now No. 5 in the SEC. All of a sudden, after falling outside of the Top 60 before the early signing period, Pruitt has engineered a remarkable turnaround.

The Vols still have four elite prospects for whom they are very much in play. So this ranking could continue to rise as well.

But what is clear no matter what is that Pruitt has been incredible with his work in Knoxville. Remember, he suffered a wave of decommitments after the Butch Jones and coaching search fiasco. Then, he had to drop a few players because of the fact that they didn’t fit his system.

That’s why the ranking dropped so low. But to do that and still get it back into the Top 15 with his guys while he still has to focus on his duties as Alabama’s defensive coordinator is amazing.

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