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Tennessee football recruiting: Vols offer eighth-grade in-state quarterback

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 made a unique offer on Tuesday. The Volunteers reached out to eighth-grade quarterback Ty Simpson out of Martin, Tenn.

Right now, the focus on Tennessee football is for the 2019 recruiting class. But Jeremy Pruitt and co. are thinking down the road. After all, they secured a commitment from a long snapper for 2020 on Tuesday. And they also reached out to a 2022 prospect.

Yes, they reached out to an eighth-grader. The Vols offered a scholarship to quarterback Ty Simpson, who is set to attend Westview High School in Martin, Tenn. this Fall. Simpson announced the Vols’ offer Tuesday evening on Twitter.

The son of UT Martin football coach Jason Simpson, the Vols are the fourth school to offer Ty Simpson. He has already received offers from other big-name national programs, including the Michigan Wolverines, the Kentucky Wildcats and the Mississippi State Bulldogs, according to Luis Torres of the Jackson Sun.

It’s becoming more common to offer players at a young age, but for quarterback, that seems like it would be a bit weird. However, Simpson being a coach’s son probably generates more interest than usual from people. Speaking of that, Tennessee beat Jason Simpson and UT Martin 50-0 in Derek Dooley’s first game as head coach of the Vols eight years ago. That’s an interesting tidbit.

Pruitt knows that Tennessee football has to be as ahead of the curve as possible, especially with in-state prospects. So there’s nothing irrational about this offer when you take everything into account. If he begins to perform at a high level in high school, you can bet that more schools will offer.

Next: Top 15 prospects for Vols to pursue in 2019

This move also keeps the West Tennessee and Jackson area pipeline going for the Vols. They can’t let that go, especially when you have a coach of a college program out there. So once again, that’s another huge reason for Tennessee football to make this offer.

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