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Tennessee football: 10 must-have 2022 in-state football prospects

By Dean Zulkofske

Walter Nolen listens to instruction from a coach Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, during a practice at St. Benedict at Auburndale High School in Cordova.091520 Walternolen 04 Msg
Walter Nolen listens to instruction from a coach Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, during a practice at St. Benedict at Auburndale High School in Cordova.091520 Walternolen 04 Msg /
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St. Benedict at Auburndale junior Walter Nolen, 16, on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, at the school in Cordova.091520 Walternolen 07 Msg
St. Benedict at Auburndale junior Walter Nolen, 16, on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, at the school in Cordova.091520 Walternolen 07 Msg /

1. Walter Nolen – Defensive Tackle

Hometown: Cordova, Tenn. (St. Benedict at Auburndale)

Back in the Memphis area, or just outside of the city, Walter Nolen is shaping up to be one of the top Tennessee football high school prospects since Trey Smith played at the University School of Jackson. He is an absolute must-have for Josh Heupel and the Vols.

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The 6’4″ 300-pound defensive lineman is the first five-star from the Tri-Star state since Cade Mays in the 2018 class. He’s widely regarded as the top defensive tackle in the nation and ranked as the No. 2 overall player in the 2022 class. His merits alone make him one of the top in-state players for the Vols to pursue.

However, UT also will have a need at defensive tackle in 2022. Darel Middleton and Aubrey Solomon may both be back this year, but they’ll be gone next year. Adding Nolen could help them immediately offset those losses.

Nolen’s head coach at St. Benedict at Auburndale in Memphis, Tenn. is Marlon Wall, a former UT linebacker from 2009-2013. Needless to say, Heupel must prioritize Nolen in his first recruiting class at UT and prevent him from leaving the state.

Two top 10 in-state players have already committed to the college of their choice. Four-star safety Taylor Groves and four-star athlete Cody Jones, both nationally ranked in the top 300, have verbally committed to the Michigan Wolverines.

Next. Five reasons Josh Heupel hire could work out for Vols. dark

While there’s still a plethora of in-state talent to choose from, a bountiful homegrown recruiting class will also throw Heupel and his first-year staff into the proverbial fire early. As Tennessee football spring practices near, keep an eye on these prospects in recruiting news.

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