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Tennessee football recruiting: 4-star 2019 junior college linebacker commits to Vols

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the inside of Neyland Stadium during a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the inside of Neyland Stadium during a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images) /
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Tennessee football’s hot recruiting streak continued on Sunday as the Volunteers secured a commitment from four-star junior college linebacker Lakia Henry.

Related Story: Top 15 recruiting prospects for Vols to pursue in 2019

What was all that about Jeremy Pruitt struggling on the recruiting trail? On Sunday, he secured Tennessee football’s fourth 2019 commitment for the month of May and third in a matter of eight days, including three four-stars this month and two the past eight days.

Junior College linebacker Lakia Henry committed to the Vols on Sunday afternoon, giving them their eighth commitment overall for 2019 and their fourth four-stars. He committed to the Vols over numerous other schools who showed interest, including the Alabama Crimson Tide.

A four-star on Rivals, Henry is ranked the No. 1 JuCo inside linebacker in the nation on 247sports. He comes from Dodge City Community College in Dodge City, Kan. However, he originally hails from Vidalia High School in Vidalia, Ga.

At 6’2″ 230 pounds, Henry brings a very good size to the position of linebacker. He should have the chance to play right away for Tennessee football. Considering his interest from elite defensive SEC programs like Alabama and the South Carolina Gamecocks, clearly he’s a valuable prospect. Here’s a look at his highlight reel in community college.

As you can see, Henry has incredible awareness. He’s great at reading where the offense is going, which makes him a good coverage linebacker. On top of that, he has lateral quickness and can run down the running backs, which makes him very physical. His speed may be a bit of a question, but everything is fine.

The versatility is what makes him a perfect fit for what Jeremy Pruitt and Kevin Sherrer clearly want at linebacker. They’ve been clear they want a guy who can play all four linebacker spots, and Henry is a guy who fits that mold.

Next: Top 10 out-of-state Vols for 2018

With this pickup, Tennessee football is starting to look really good for its 2019 recruiting class. The Vols entered the week ranked in the Top 20 in recruiting on Rivals. And this all comes right after criticism of their results on the recruiting trail just two weeks ago.

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