It took until the final week of the year, but Tennessee football got its first in-season commitment under Josh Heupel. The Vols added a 2022 Georgia edge rusher, their first commitment since way back on Aug. 5, when they added wide receiver Charles Nimrod.
Joshua Josephs, a four-star on 247Sports and a three-star on Rivals and ESPN, announced his commitment to UT. Coming out of North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Ga., Josephs is listed as a weakside defensive end on Rivals, an edge rusher specifically on 247sports and an outside linebacker on ESPN.
Standing at 6’3″ and weighing between 205 and 215 pounds, Josephs is the first defensive player to commit to Tennessee football since Kalib Perry back on July 31, and he’s the 15th commitment overall. He announced his decision with a video Monday on Twitter.
With Tyler Baron, Roman Harrison and Byron Young all set to be back next year, edge rusher is not as pressing for the Vols as defensive tackle specifically. However, Tim Banks will take as many players like that as he can get, and Josephs certainly brings a ton of talent.
Elijah Herring and Venson Sneed were the Vols’ first two commitments for 2022, but they hadn’t picked up any edge rushers since. As a result, Josephs is a welcome addition, one the Vols needed after the recent news of five-star defensive tackle Walter Nolen choosing the Texas A&M Aggies.
In Josephs, UT is getting a guy who could end up playing outside linebacker but, if he puts on some muscle, could become a defensive end who plays on the line. Either way, he brings a lot to the table. Here is a look at his highlight reel.
As you can see, Josephs plays better off the line of scrimmage right now. However, his instincts are amazing. He is always able to guess what the quarterback will do on RPO plays and also has.a knack for taking the right angles to run him down while anticipating where he will go.
Up until Josephs, Tennessee football hadn’t had any commitments since the news of them not self-imposing a bowl ban came out. This could be a sign of more momentum to come. If not, the Vols should be happy with a guy like Josephs heading to Rocky Top.