Evaluating Tennessee football’s 2020 recruiting class at dead period: Vols Linebackers
Final Take
With a six-man rotation already in the works past 2020, Tennessee football is in solid shape at the future at linebacker for now. They can run two inside linebackers, two outside linebackers and one backup for each. That’s a solid situation to already be in.
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However, no change would leave no room for error, so the Vols need to do whatever they can to improve upon that now. This obviously means adding a couple of more players on both fronts, and our focus here is outside linebacker. That’s because Quavaris Crouch, who we named as a potential other outside linebacker in our rotation, is more of an inside guy.
As a result, Jeremy Pruitt needs to secure a commitment from two more outside linebackers at the very least in this class. Doing that would have the Vols set up to already be able to run a necessary four-man rotation in 2020, and they can add more depth to that later. Adding another inside linebacker would be very helpful as well.
Overall, though, the major focus needs to be on stocking up at outside linebacker to give Pruitt that future versatility. He has some help likely coming in with future edge rusher prospects, which limits his needs to get official outside linebackers, as they could be labeled as defensive ends. But the Vols still ought to add to their rotation overall, as depth will be crucial here in the future.
Prediction
Tennessee football has two elite prospects coming to boost its ranking overall here. The Vols will not let four-star in-state inside linebacker Bryson Eason go to the Arkansas Razorbacks. He’ll commit to Rocky Top out of Memphis when it’s all said and done.
Meanwhile, despite the push the Alabama Crimson Tide are making, four-star outside linebacker Reggie Grimes out of the Nashville area is going to stay in the state and head to Knoxville. Three-star Kevon Haigler out of South Carolina will also commit.
dark. Next. Projecting the Vols' 2019 2-deep depth chart
When it’s over, the Vols will have two outside linebacker commitments, and inside linebacker commitment and an elite prospect at both. That gives them necessary bodies for depth and some top-notch talent for the future, and it will show exactly what Pruitt is building. The in-state talent is too great this year, and Grimes and Eason need to be a part of it for Rocky Top. They will be.