Tennessee football: Alabama athlete Roc Taylor commits to Vols for 2021

Jeremy Pruitt expanded Tennessee football’s footprint in Alabama Friday, as the Volunteers got a commitment from Roc Taylor of Oxford, Ala.

After a week of trending upward with different players, Tennessee football finally picked up another commitment Friday to add to its 2021 recruiting class. The Vols went back to Jeremy Pruitt’s home state of Alabama to get the commitment as well.

Athlete Roc Taylor committed to the Vols Friday afternoon. A three-star on Rivals who comes from Oxford High School in Oxford, Ala., Taylor is a unique case. He is listed as a tight end, but he is considered an athlete because at 6’4″ 207 pounds he could also end up being a wide receiver.

Either way, the Vols have him now. As a tight end, Taylor is the No. 20 ranked player at his position nationally and the No. 17 ranked player overall in the state of Alabama. He announced his commitment to Tennessee football on Twitter.

Given Taylor’s versatility, the Vols may have their first tight end in the class, but they have their fourth player who could be a receiver. Included in that group are four-star wide receiver Jordan Mosley, three-star wide receiver Walker Merrill and three-star athlete Elijah Howard.

Regardless of which position Taylor plays he will fill a need on Rocky Top. The Vols lost tight end Dominick Wood-Anderson this past year, and Austin Pope is a senior entering this year. Now, they did convert Jordan Allen over to tight end at the start of spring practice, and young guys like Sean Brown, Jackson Lowe and Jacob Warren are still there. Princeton Fant also plays tight end.

More from Vols Football

• How to Win a GUARANTEED $200 Bonus Betting Just $5 on the Vols vs. Florida!
• Tennessee Football at Florida: Five Keys to a Vols Victory
• Week 3 SEC Power Rankings: Did Tennessee Football’s Win Help At All?
• Week 3 AP Polls: Why Did Tennessee Football Drop in the Polls?
• Tennessee Football: Top Five Performers in 30-13 Win vs. Austin Peay

However, with Pope a senior, there is very little proven talent at the position beyond this year, so the more players Pruitt can get, the better off he will be. The same is true at the wide receiver position, if he plays there.

Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway are gone. It’s highly likely Tennessee football’s top two receivers are once again seniors in Josh Palmer and Brandon Johnson. Now, they have a future after that with guys like Ramel Keyton, and then they have added promising prospects, including three four-stars and a couple of athletes in this past class and what they already have for 2021.

At the same time, though, none of those guys are proven, so if Taylor moves there, he at least provides more depth. Either way, he will be a valuable player for the Vols. Here is a look at his highlight reel.

As you can see, Taylor has great hands, uses his height to make plays, is physical and not afraid to go over the middle and has enough speed and quickness to outrun secondaries. So he certainly looks the part of an SEC player.

In addition to being the 10th commitment in a class that is ranked in the top 15, Taylor is the third commitment from the state of Alabama. He joins Mosley, who is from Mobile, Ala., and three-star defensive back Jay Jones, who is from Demopolis, Ala.