Now we move to the positions of immediate need for Tennessee football. And our first guy on the list is an offensive lineman in Melvin McBride. A three-star on Rivals, McBride comes to Rocky Top from the other side of the state in Memphis.
And let’s be clear: the only reason he’s a middle of the pack guy is due to the fact that offensive line is a position of desperate need. Jeremy Pruitt has that unit wide open right now, and McBride is a guy who could force his way in there.
However, it’s going to be hard. As a member of the elite offensive line recruiting class in 2019, McBride is the only person who isn’t a four-star or higher on Rivals. On top of that, there are two more highly rated prospects at the position who were early enrollees, giving them a double advantage over him.
Combine that with the few offensive linemen likely to remain in the rotation and the other summer enrollees who are more highly rated than him, and it’s hard to see McBride finding a way into the rotation this year. One of those incoming summer enrollees at offensive line is the next guy on our list.