Tennessee football: Local lineman Trevor Duncan commits to Vols for 2023

It’s not everyday you find a lineman on the recruiting trail who can play both sides of the ball. However, Tennessee football added such a player from right in its own backyard for 2023, the second in-state player who could play defensive end.

Local athlete Trevor Duncan, who hails from Knoxville Catholic High School in Knox County, Tenn., has committed to the Vols. A three-star across the board, Duncan stands between 6’5″ and 6’6″ and weighs in the range of 265 to 280 pounds.

Demonstrating his versatility, 247Sports has him as an offensive tackle, Rivals has him as a strongside defensive end, On3 has him as an athlete, and ESPN has him as a defensive tackle. He announced his commitment to Tennessee football Friday on Twitter.

Nathan Robinson, a three-star across the board out of Greenbrier High School in Robertson County, Tenn., committed to the Vols earlier in the week. Standing in the range of 6’5″ to 6’6″ and weighing in the range of 243 to 268 pounds, he is a hybrid defensive end similar to Duncan.

However, Duncan brings more than just that to the table. If Josh Heupel needs him to for depth purposes, he could put on size and play on the offensive line. Hybrid defensive tackles are also a part of Tim Banks’ scheme, evidenced by guys like Caleb Tremblay and Ja’Quain Blakely.

A guy like Duncan adds that element and provides depth there as well. Simply put, there are lots of roles he could fill going forward, so his versatility alone makes him a valuable commitment to the program. Here is a look at his highlight reel.

As you can see, Duncan knows how to win one-on-one matchups with pass blockers, and he’s great at bouncing off blockers to stop running plays. Taking that into account, it looks like he’ll be a defensive player when he joins UT.

With Duncan’s decision, Tennessee football now has seven commitments for 2023 and four players from within the state. That’s a huge improvement already over last year, and spring practice hasn’t even finished yet. This is a great sign for Rocky Top going forward.