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Tennessee football recruiting: 350-pound 2019 DT Elijah Simmons 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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As SEC Media Days began, Tennessee football recruiting picked up 350-pound commitment. Nashville defensive tackle Elijah Simmons chose the Volunteers.

If Jeremy Pruitt is looking for size among nose tackles to run his 3-4 defense, he just got a lot of help. Tennessee football added a defensive tackle who weighs 350 pounds from the Nashville area to its 2019 recruiting class on Monday.

Elijah Simmons, who comes from Pearl-Cohn High School in Nashville, announced his commitment to the Vols in a video announcement on Twitter. He chose the Vols over the Memphis Tigers and Missouri Tigers.

A three-star on Rivals, Simmons is listed at 6’2″ 350 pounds. That’s an amazing size, and it’s perfect for a 3-4 system. He is ranked the No. 33 player overall at his position and the No. 20 player in the state of Tennessee.

Last season, according to MaxPreps, Simmons had 49 total tackles playing in the middle. He had three tackles for a loss the year before to go with 36 tackles overall, so the guy knows how to be productive. Here is a look at his highlight reel.

As you can see, the guy is amazing at getting a push, which is why he plays lots of offensive line. That will probably leave him open to play either side of the ball at the next level as well, which makes him a great pickup for Tennessee football.

Getting a push, after all, is the biggest thing to playing nose tackle in a 3-4 system. And with so many players leaving at that position after this year, the Vols could use immediate help in that area for 2019.

Simmons’s commitment gives Tennessee football 14 players for its 2019 class. Before he announced, the Vols were ranked No. 20 on Rivals nationally. However, they need a lot more help to compete in the SEC, which had seven teams ranked ahead of them.

Next: Top 15 prospects for Vols to pursue in 2019

Still, this commitment should give them a slight boost. And we know that Pruitt can haul in a bunch of guys. So there is plenty of time to beef up that class even more. A 350-pound defensive tackle is a great start toward that.

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