Tennessee football makes cut for area 2022 RB Kendall Jackson

Jabari Small, Jaylen Wright and Len’Neth Whitehead are coming back. Dylan Sampson and Justin Williams are committed for 2022. However, Tennessee football may not be done adding depth to the running back spot, and the Vols are now trending for an area prospect.

UT made the top three for Kendall Jackson. A three-star on Rivals and 247Sports with no rating on On3 or ESPN, Jackson comes out of Oak Ridge High School in Anderson County, Tenn., which is part of the Knoxville metropolitan area.

Joining Tennessee football on Jackson’s list are the Memphis Tigers and the Kentucky Wildcats. Standing between 5’11” and 6’0″ and weighing between 180 and 200 pounds, Jackson announced the schools Saturday morning on Twitter.

Although Josh Heupel has built a stable of running backs to set him up for the future, he is not wrong to try to build depth there. After all, the Vols did just lose Dee Beckwith to the transfer portal, and they lost Tee Hodge during the regular season.

Depending on how well he plays next year, Small could be an early departure for the NFL as well. Simply put, despite how deep UT is and despite Jackson’s lack of recruiting hype, he could find his way into the rotation within a few years.

Given Heupel’s recent success with running backs, the potential for playing in that offense has to be intriguing, even if you have to sit for a few years. Back in the 1990s and 2000s, UT running backs would often have to wait their turn before starting, but they always made headlines in a big way once they got their shot.

Currently, there are no favorites to land Jackson on any recruiting services. The Rivals Fan Future Cast had the Missouri Tigers as a majority favorite, but with them not making the cut, they aren’t a threat. Tennessee football is the most high-profile school and the closest school in proximity of the three offering. The only question is if they can offer him enough playing time.