Tennessee football makes cut for in-state 2022 OL Jacob Hood
It’s no secret that Tennessee football needs to consistently shore up its offensive line and secure in-state talent. Josh Heupel stressed the latter in his introductory press conference. Well, he may be a step closer to doing that for his 2022 recruiting class, which still doesn’t have a commitment.
Jacob Hood, a product of Hillsboro High School in Nashville, Tenn., announced that the Vols had made his top six. A 2022 four-star on Rivals and three-star on 247Sports who is listed as an offenive tackle across all recruiting services, Hood is a huge lineman, standing between 6’7″ and 6’8′ and weighing somewhere between 342 and 350 pounds.
Joining Tennessee football on Hood’s list were the Georgia Bulldogs, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Mississippi State Bulldogs, LSU Tigers and Baylor Bears. He announced the schools Monday morning on Twitter.
The only player to commit to Heupel specifically in the Vols’ 2021 recruiting class was an offensive lineman in junior college transfer Jeremiah Crawford, so he clearly hasn’t ignored the importance of that position. Targeting Hood early could do wonders for his first full class.
After losing Wanya Morris and Jahmir Johnson to the transfer portal this past year and Trey Smith graduating, it’s clear the Vols need to rebuild their line up front. Cade Mays will be gone after next year, so things could get even worse. Simply put, adding a guy like Hood would be a big deal.
The highest rated offensive lineman of Rocky Top’s 2021 recruiting class, William Griffin-Parker, is also from Nashville, and that’s obviously a key pipeline for the program. Given his size, Hood could be a major pickup for the Vols as well.
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There are currently no predictions on the Rivals Future Cast or the 247Sports Crystal Ball to land Hood. The South Carolina Gamecocks and Baylor Bears were tied in the lead on the Rivals Fan Future Cast, but that’s not scientific. With USC now out of the running anyway, that’s irrelevant. As a result, Tennessee football is in as good of shape as anybody to land him.