Rick Barnes has secured back to back historically great recruiting class for Tennessee basketball, and it looks like he could be in the process of doing so again in 2022. An elite wing in that class from central Florida is now seriously considering the Vols.
UT made the top three for Dillon Mitchell Monday. A product of Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla., which is in Lake County just outside of Orlando, Mitchell is a five-star on ESPN and a four-star on Rivals and 247Sports. He’s a top 40 player nationally across every service.
Standing between 6’7″ and 6’8″ and weighing between 180 and 200 pounds, Mitchell has the Florida State Seminoles and the Texas Longhorns, Barnes’ former school, also on his list along with Tennessee basketball. He announced the schools Monday on Twitter.
3️⃣!!! @TiptonEdits pic.twitter.com/pN7tQLYOXj
— Dillon Mitchell (@Dillonmit_23) September 27, 2021
Initially from Spring Hill, Fla., which is in Hernando County, just outside of Tampa, Mitchell is listed as a small forward across the board. Because he is a borderline five-star on 247Sports and Rivals, the 247Sports Composite ratings have him as a five-star.
The Vols have two commitments in 2022 right now, B.J. Edwards and Zakai Zeigler. Both are guards, though, so they could certainly use more size in that class, especially with John Fulkerson being a senior.
In addition to being in the top four for five-star combo guard Cason Wallace, the Vols could really upgrade their recruiting class over the next couple of months. Given what Barnes has been able to do the past two classes, it’s not a good bet to bet against him.
Currently, the Florida State Seminoles are the majority favorite on the Rivals Future Cast. However, Tennessee basketball is the plurality favorite on the Rivals Fan Future Cast, and the only 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction has him going to UT with a confidence interval of six. As a result, the Vols are very much in play, and his commitment would do wonders for the class.