Tennessee football in top three for four-star athlete CJ Washington

Cedric Washington, a 2022 athlete, had the Tennessee football Volunteers make his cut.

Despite a top five 2021 class and the need to add even more talent there, it’s never too early for Tennessee football to build depth for its 2022 class. Jeremy Pruitt may have gotten a step closer to doing that.

Athlete CJ Washington, a four-star on Rivals, announced his top three and had the Vols in his list. At 6’2″ 219 pounds, Washington’s primary position is running back, but he can also play defensive end. He is a top 40 player nationally, the top-ranked player at his position and the top-ranked player in the state of Georgia for 2022.

Coming out of Cedartown High School in Cedartown, Ga., Washington had the LSU Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs in his top three along with Tennessee football. He announced his list on Twitter Wednesday evening.

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It’s hard to say what Rocky Top’s roster will look like in 2022 given how far out that is, but they can always upgrade at defensive end, particularly if Washington turns his focus into being an edge rusher. Also, they are losing two seniors at running back this year, and while they have loaded up for the future, there is a chance that Eric Gray is gone by 2022.

Simply put, the Vols have absolutely nothing to lose by going hard for Washington. His talents and his rankings already prove that he is an elite prospect, and Pruitt would certainly find a place to use him if he committed to the Vols.

Currently, Rocky Top is still searching for its first commitment of 2022. Washington would be a great shot in the arm for the program if he decided to be that guy. It could spur a wave of momentum for future pickups.

However, Tennessee football will have an uphill battle to land this guy. Right now, the Georgia Bulldogs, are a 100 percent favorite to land him on the Rivals Future Cast and 247Sports Crystal Ball and a majority favorite to land him on the Rivals Fan Future Cast. He even acknowledged the UGA Dawgs are in the lead.

Still, the fact that UT is in contention with his in-state school and the defending national champion LSU Tigers shows that the Vols clearly have something authentic to offer. Pruitt’s connections may work some magic here, so keep an eye out for it.