Tennessee football adds commitment from 2023 in-state OL Ayden Bussell

National Signing Day for the 2022 recruiting class is Wednesday, but Josh Heupel is already making big moves for the 2023 class. On Monday, Tennessee football secured an in-state commitment from that class on the offensive line.

Ayden Bussell, a three-star on 247Sports and Rivals out of Mount Juliet High School in Wilson County, Tenn., which is a suburb of Nashville, has become the Vols’ third commitment for 2023. He’s the first offensive lineman and in-state player in the class.

Listed as an offensive tackle across the board, Bussell stands between 6’4″ and 6’5″ and weighs in the range of 287 to 291 pounds. He announced his decision to commit to Tennessee football Monday afternoon with a video on Twitter.

After 2022, offensive line will be a serious position of need for the Vols. Jerome Carvin will definitely be gone, and Darnell Wright could be gone. There’s a chance that center Cooper Mays leaves as well if he has a strong season.

Simply put, UT is going to need help there in the future. They have some talent, and the 2022 class was key to that with four blockers up front committed, but you can never have enough depth on your offensive line. As a result, Bussell’s commitment is an underrated one.

At less than 300 pounds, he’ll likely need to put on some weight to be able to play tackle in the SEC, but he’s got a year to do that, and he is also the right height for it. Here is a look at his highlight reel from this past year.

As you can see, Bussell is quick off the snap and able to get in front of more agile defenders. He’s also uniquely versatile, demonstrating an ability to line up on the outside or the inside, which is a bonus in Heupel’s up-tempo system.

Run-blocking is clearly Bussell’s strength, and given how Tennessee football’s offense is set up by the run, that could be a huge help. They struggled this year on short-yardage running plays, so Bussell could also help offset a weakness going forward.