Tennessee football: Watch Vols 350-pound DL commit dunk, make 90-foot shot

Tennessee football 2019 defensive line recruit Elijah Simmons showed his basketball skills with two elite plays caught on video. The Volunteers are lucky.

He’s only a three-star recruit as a 6’2″ 350-pound defensive tackle for the 2019 Tennessee football recruiting class. But Jeremy Pruitt must have known what he was getting in Nashville prospect Elijah Simmons.

A true nose tackle, Simmons has unique athleticism for a guy his size. That makes him the perfect type of player to line up in the middle in Pruitt’s 3-4 scheme, and he put all of that on display with a new video Wednesday.

Simmons, who will arrive in the summer, demonstrated his skills on the basketball court with a video posted to Twitter Wednesday. He first did a dunk. After that, though, he showed off his finesse by making a 90-foot shot.

Okay, so maybe this doesn’t mean much. But in reality, it could. After all, Simmons showed he has rare athleticism for a guy his size. People who are 6’2″ can’t always dunk, and it becomes much harder to do so when you’re carrying that much weight.

After all, how great of a defensive tackle could he be in Pruitt’s 3-4 scheme with such raw talent? Simmons may end up being a steal amidst all these other notable defensive linemen, including the ones meant to play defensive tackle like Aubrey Solomon, Savion Williams and returning contributor Emmit Gooden.

On top of that, Simmons’s arm strength, fundamentals and finesse also all were on display by making that 90-foot shot. Even if it was total luck, it shows a level of skill that he’s able develop that is totally relevant for somebody playing any sport.

Simply put, Pruitt clearly got a steal in Simmons, and it’s beginning to show. Maybe he’ll make a more immediate impact than we know. Given these talents, keep an eye on what he’s able to do for Tennessee football when he arrives on campus.