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Tennessee football: Five underrated signees in 2021 recruiting class

By Caleb Calhoun

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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Godby junior defensive back Deshawn Rucker returns an interception for a touchdown during a spring game against Leon at Florida A&M’s Bragg Memorial Stadium.A45c1098
Godby junior defensive back Deshawn Rucker returns an interception for a touchdown during a spring game against Leon at Florida A&M’s Bragg Memorial Stadium.A45c1098 /

Defensive back. De'Shawn Rucker. 4. 839. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Tallahassee, Fla.. player

Godby High School

He is a four-star on ESPN, to be fair, but De’Shawn Rucker still deserves more respect than he is getting. We know that Tennessee football has some real needs at defensive back with the early departure of Bryce Thompson, and although he is listed as a safety across the board, Rucker certainly has the potential to provide some of that help.

As a prospect from North Florida, Rucker’s profile fits that of the Sunshine State perfectly. Speed is the name of the game for him. Grant Ramey of GoVols247 reported back in December that he clocked in a 4.38 40-time and a 10.76 100-meter dash. Although he won’t play cornerback, he could also play star in addition to safety, giving him some versatility.

So what’s holding him back? Well, at 5’11” and weighing somewhere between 170 and 184 pounds, Rucker doesn’t appear to be built physically yet to play safety or star. He is relying on speed to get by, and that won’t be enough in a physical league like the SEC.

However, if he can get past that, he’s got so many other skills. A look at his highlights on Hudl show his ability with the ball in his hands and his ability to make a play on the ball as a defensive back, meaning lots of interceptions could be coming, and he could be an elite return specialist.

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