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Tennessee football: Five prospects to watch on 2022 National Signing Day

By Caleb Calhoun

Oak Ridge's Kendall Jackson (1) dances to the music during warm ups before a football game between Powell and Oak Ridge at Powell High School in Powell, Tennessee on Thursday, October 24, 2019.Kns Powell Or 1024
Oak Ridge's Kendall Jackson (1) dances to the music during warm ups before a football game between Powell and Oak Ridge at Powell High School in Powell, Tennessee on Thursday, October 24, 2019.Kns Powell Or 1024 /
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Kendall Jackson of Oak Ridge is named one of Knox News’ Elite 8, a collection of the top college football prospects in the Knoxville area for the Class of 2021.UPDATED KNS Elite 8 2021
Kendall Jackson of Oak Ridge is named one of Knox News’ Elite 8, a collection of the top college football prospects in the Knoxville area for the Class of 2021.UPDATED KNS Elite 8 2021 /

4. Kendall Jackson

Running back; 5’11”-6’0″ 183-200 pounds

Returning to within the state borders, Tennessee football is already pretty loaded at running back. The Vols have Jabari Small, Jaylen Wright and Len’Neth Whitehead all returning, and they added Dylan Sampson and Justin Williams in this recruiting class. Last fall, a local running back who committed two years prior, Tee Hodge, transferred due to the depth.

That doesn’t mean Kendall Jackson wouldn’t be a good pickup, though. A three-star on Rivals and 247Sports, Jackson hails from Oak Ridge High School in Anderson County, Tenn., just outside of Knoxville. He revealed in early January on Twitter that the Vols are in his top three along with the Memphis Tigers and the Kentucky Wildcats.

Obviously, Jackson’s proximity would seem to make UT the favorite. However, the program prestige isn’t an advantage anymore, and the potential for playing time is actually a disadvantage, so landing him could be far more difficult than it would seem to be.

Josh Heupel and the Vols could use a bit more running back depth, though. Since Heupel likes to run a three-back set if possible, having six backs on the roster allows him to go two-deep here, and hey, Jackson could develop and become a playmaker in the future.

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