Tennessee football: 2022 Detroit OL Masai Reddick commits to Vols

All of a sudden, Josh Heupel is on a roll. He’s picking up top-notch transfers to offset all the losses Tennessee football suffered in the portal for 2021, and his recruiting class for 2022 is beginning to fill out. On Friday, he added another member to that class out of Michigan.

Offensive lineman Masai Reddick, a three-star on Rivals and 247Sports who is not yet rated on ESPN, became Rocky Top’s eighth commitment for next year. Coming out of Cass Tech High School in Detroit, Reddick is in the 6’3″ to 6’5″ range and is listed at 278 pounds on Rivals, 285 pounds on ESPN and 330 pounds on 247Sports.

If he is up to 330 pounds and between 6’4″ and 6’5″, as he is also listed on Twitter, then Tennessee football just got a massive pickup. Listed as a tackle on 247Sports and ESPN but a guard on Rivals, he could play different positions as well. His commitment to the Vols was reported by Ryan Callahan of GoVols247 and by Austin Price of VolQuest.

UT now has two commitments on the offensive line for 2022, as Reddick joins three-star Brian Grant. This is a big deal given the losses the Vols suffered in the transfer portal, particularly Wanya Morris leaving for the Oklahoma Sooners.

With Reddick and Grant in the system along with numerous other young players, Heupel is beginning to assure that he has enough linemen for a solid rotation after this year, when multiple linemen are expected to leave again. That’s crucial for his offense.

A guy like Reddick, who clearly can play outside or inside on the line, could be an even bigger pickup depending on his size. He certainly will allow the coaching staff a lot more flexibility. Here is a look at his highlight reel.

As you can see, Reddick already has an understanding of blocking schemes in a spread offense, and he’s got great lateral quickness to help on stretch running plays. That will make him really valuable in Heupel’s system, which relies on a great rushing attack to get the aerial assault going.

Of course, Reddick will be tested a lot more in SEC country than he has been in Michigan. However, he’s got a lot of solid abilities already, and he’ll provide much-needed depth to Tennessee football’s offensive line. Simply put, he’s a good pickup.