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Tennessee football recruiting: Vols in top 5 for 4-star JuCo 2019 OLB/DE

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 20: A general view of Neyland Stadium before the start of the Florida Gators versus Tennessee Volunteers on September 20, 2008 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 20: A general view of Neyland Stadium before the start of the Florida Gators versus Tennessee Volunteers on September 20, 2008 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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Tennessee football recruiting got more good news for 2019. The Volunteers are in the top five for four-star junior college edge rusher Samuel Williams.

After scoring two big commitments over the weekend, Tennessee football is in the running for another potentially big pickup. Junior college outside linebacker/defensive end Sam Williams now has the Vols in his top 5.

A four-star on Rivals, Williams listed the Vols in his top 5 on Twitter Monday night. The Vols are in there with the Auburn Tigers, the Ole Miss Rebels, the Oregon Ducks and the Florida Atlantic Owls. So Jeremy Pruitt and co. are competing with Lane Kiffin and three SEC programs.

Williams did not list any favorite for his system, but the Vols have to be happy that they are in this mix. There is significant reason to believe they can get this guy. After all, with the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs out of the way, Pruitt and Kevin Sherrer have a 3-4 system most likely to allow him to thrive as an edge rusher. They have a better resume defensively than any staff member from the other teams.

At 6’5″ 240 pounds, Williams is a rising sophomore at Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville, Miss. Hailing from Montgomery, Ala., he probably already is familiar with Pruitt and the 3-4 system that he would thrive in.

According to Ryan Callahan of GoVols247, he loved his visit to Tennessee football, and previous reports state that he claimed the Vols and the Maryland Terrapins were recruiting him the hardest. That should be a big advantage for Rocky Top, which obviously is more closely located to Williams’s roots.

Next: Tennessee football 2018 depth chart projection

Williams is listed as an outside linebacker on Rivals, but he’s simply the prototype edge rusher in Pruitt’s system. The guy runs a 4.57 40, which is extremely fast for his size, and he is ridiculously athletic. So he should be able to become a superstar. Tennessee football is in great shape to be in his top 5 and in the best position to land him.

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