Tennessee football addresses multiple needs with four preferred walk-ons
With all the talk surrounded what might happen regarding Tennessee football on National Signing Day, Josh Heupel is quietly building up the Vols’ depth with numerous preferred walk-ons. In a span of less than seven hours, Heupel and UT added four such players to the roster, and all address key depth needs for the program.
It started with in-state athlete Derek Taylor. Coming out of Greenbrier High School in Robertson County, Tenn., just north of Nashville, Taylor actually earned a three-star rating on 247Sports and stands at 6’4″ 190 pounds. He announced his commitment to the Vols Monday evening on Twitter.
COMMITTED #GBO🍊 #4J🦋 #E3🔺 @GreenbrierFB @_Elite3 @RileyElite3 @scott_altizer @CoachEkelerUT @CoachTimBanks @coachjoshheupel pic.twitter.com/cYryv29lue
— Derek Taylor (@DerekTaylor0) January 31, 2022
Given his size, it’s likely Taylor ends up playing receiver for Tennessee football. Heupel has proven himself to prefer receivers who can have that type of advantage on the outside, and Taylor has shown he has it. Here is a look at his highlight reel.
As you can see, Taylor is great on short-yardage fades, but he also showed he could be physical lining up at cornerback. Taking that into account, don’t overlook his potential to play either position if he works his way into the roster on Rocky Top. Cornerback depth is huge for the Vols this year, and they are still looking for a No. 2 wideout, so Taylor can fit on either side.
On the other side of the ball, the Vols continued to build their defensive line depth with a commitment from in-state lineman Joshua Helsdon. Standing around 6’4″ 290 and coming out of Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, Tenn., Helsdon announced that he chose the Vols on Twitter Monday night, nearly three hours after Taylor did.
So thankful for this opportunity!! 🧡@Vol_Football @coachg76 @scott_altizer @BradleyBearsFB@DFloyd02 pic.twitter.com/JQaIo80x3A
— Joshua Helsdon (@helsdon_joshua) February 1, 2022
Helsdon fits that versatile defensive lineman role with his size that Tim Banks and Rodney Garner typically like to run in their system. That makes him similar to Jayson Jenkins, who committed over the weekend. Here is a look at his highlight reel.
Power, getting off blocks and leverage are all advantages that Helsdon has, and with a need for more defensive line depth after the departures of Matthew Butler, Ja’Quain Blakely and Caleb Tremblay, he could play a huge role. Watch out for his potential.
Less than half an hour after Helsdon’s commitment, though, Tennessee football secured another pickup, once again an in-state athlete. Malik Ganaway out of Peabody High School in Trenton, Tenn., who stands at 6’2″ 185 pounds, announced his commitment to UT on Twitter.
1000% Committed!!! #GBO🍊 💯#Elite3🔺 pic.twitter.com/YIF77FMpFU
— 𝐹𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑁𝑜𝑛𝑒👐🏾 (@malikgan18) February 1, 2022
Despite being an athlete, it’s a safe bet that Ganaway will play defensive back, as that’s where his focus clearly is. Cornerback is his focus, and as we mentioned earlier, that’s a huge area where UT needs to build depth. Here is a look at his highlight reel.
Obviously, Ganaway loves to play aggressive, which is a good quality in the SEC, but you’ve got to have the speed to be able to recover. The Gibson County prospect have to prove he can do that at the next level, but his ability to stay with guys and play physical is a huge advantage.
Finally, at exactly midnight Eastern Time, a fourth commitment rolled in for Heupel. Once again, he added an athlete, but this time the prospect was from Alabama. Whit Johnson out of Cherokee County High School in Centre, Ala., who is listed as 6’0″ 175 pounds by Dan Harralson of VolsWire, announced his commitment to UT, also on Twitter.
Johnson plays wide receiver, cornerback, safety and running back. Given his size, he’ll likely be used as either a safety or a slot receiver to fill one of the voids Heupel has going forward. Although he isn’t listed on any service, he has potential. Here is a look at his highlight reel.
This reel shows speed to be an underrated asset for Johnson, and he does report on his Hudl profile to run a 4.52 40-yard dash. That’s something Heupel is looking for in his slot guy, so don’t be surprised if this prospect builds depth at receiver.
Next. Five things for Vols to address by Signing Day. dark
All of these guys play roles that have voids this year beyond just the two-deep depth chart. When you look at what happened this past year with the emergence of guys like Dayne Davis and even low-rated recruits like Cedric Tillman, Tennessee football will give such players opportunities in Heupel’s system. Watch out for them in the future.