Tennessee football: Alabama athlete commits to Vols for 2023

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before 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 outside of Neyland Stadium before 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 recruiting continues to make long-term moves. Athlete Tony Mitchell of Alabaster, Ala. committed to the Volunteers for 2023.

Jeremy Pruitt made a splash by picking up two commitments for the 2020 Tennessee football recruiting class on Friday. And with June underway, that class still remains the focus of the Vols going forward.

However, they got a long-term pickup Saturday afternoon from an athlete who primarily plays defensive back. Tony Mitchell, a 2023 prospect out of Alabaster, Ala., announced his commitment to the Vols.

Mitchell hasn’t even played a high school game yet. He will attend Thompson High School this Fall as a freshman. The current Alabama middle-schooler announced his commitment to Tennessee football on Twitter.

Right now, the Vols have no commitments for the 2021 or 2022 classes. So it is a bit crazy that they got a commitment from a guy who hasn’t even played a high school game yet. And it’s hard to measure just how skilled such a player will be.

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After all, Mitchell has no profile on Rivals yet. On 247Sports, he has no rating, not even a composite one. So it’s pretty hard to gauge exactly what he’s going to bring to the table when he’s an upper-classman.

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However, the fact that Mitchell already stands at 6’0″ 176 pounds is pretty impressive. He could reach a pretty impressive size that may turn him from a defensive back to a wide receiver for Tennessee football.

Needless to say, Jim Chaney and Derrick Ansley will be in quite the fight to keep him on their side of the ball, and there’s a chance he brings enough skill to play both sides. It will all be about what Pruitt wants.

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Right now, Mitchell plays both wide receiver and cornerback. But he has played running back and linebacker at smaller levels in the past. Given his size, there’s a chance he will be a fit for those four spots and even safety in the future. So this is an exciting early pickup for the Vols.