All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football in top three for 2022 Kentucky LB Kalib Perry

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 05: A Tennessee Volunteers megaphone sits on the sideline during the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 05: A Tennessee Volunteers megaphone sits on the sideline during the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

With the NCAA recruiting dead period finally lifted, Tennessee football has been on a roll hosting athletes for visits. The Vols are now starting to make headway with plenty of them too, and they all would fill critical voids.

Kentucky outside linebacker Kalib Perry is among those players. According to Ben McKee of VolQuest, he has the Vols in his top three after visiting this past weekend. Joining UT are the Cincinnati Bearcats and Purdue Boilermakers.

Standing in the 6’3″ to 6’4″ range and weighing 215 pounds, Perry is a three-star 2022 prospect on both Rivals and 247Sports. He hails from Great Crossing High School in Georgetown, Ky., which is in Scott County and near Lexington.

If Tennessee football were to land Perry, he’d be their third edge rusher for 2022. Right now, defensive end Venson Sneed and outside linebacker Elijah Herring are both part of the class. Sneed was recently upgraded to a four-star on Rivals.

Still, the Vols could use all the help there they can get. Even with Tim Banks’ switch back to a 4-3 base with a heavy reliance on the nickel, edge rushers on the line and at one of the linebacker spots are still going to be key.

On the line in particular, Matthew Butler, LaTrell Bumphus and Ja’Quain Blakely will all be gone after this year, so Josh Heupel needs to rebuild that depth. Perry may be more of an outside linebacker, but guys playing the position now, like Tyler Baron and Roman Harrison, could move up on the line with the arrival of players like Perry.

Currently, the Kentucky Wildcats are the unanimous favorite to land him on the Rivals Future Cast. However, they aren’t in his top three right now, and there are no 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions. Purdue is the favorite on the Rivals Fan Future Cast, but it’s only by a plurality.

Next. Vols' 25 best single-game performances. dark

Simply put, Tennessee football should not stop targeting Perry. The Vols are as much in play for him as anybody, and he’d provide necessary depth at a position that will be key in the new scheme Heupel is set to run on that side of the ball.

Home/Vols Football