Tennessee football adds commitment from 2023 Memphis-area DB John Slaughter III

Josh Heupel and Tennessee football are continuing their pipeline into the Memphis area. This time, the Vols secured a defensive back for 2023 from just outside the city in Mississippi, as Heupel and the Vols continue to load this class up in the secondary.

John Slaughter III, listed as a three-star across the board, committed to the Vols over the weekend. A Southaven High School prospect in DeSoto County, Miss., Slaughter stands in the range of 6’2″ to 6’3″ and weighs in the range of 190 to 200 pounds.

With the addition of Slaughter, the Vols now have three defensive backs committed for 2023, and they now have 11 commitments overall from six different states. Slaughter announced his commitment to Tennessee football on social media.

Slaughter is not only the third defensive back committed to the Vols. He’s also the third safety specifically. Jack Luttrell, a three-star across the board, and Sylvester Smith, a four-star across all services except for On3, where he is a three-star are the other safeties.

Given the fact that Jaylen McCollough and Trevon Flowers are seniors this year, Tim Banks and Willie Martinez definitely need more help back there for the future. Flowers will be out of eligibility by 2023, and McCollough could potentially leave after this year as well.

Taking that into account, Slaughter is a great addition to UT. He brings more height to the table than the other two safeties, which could be a big deal as SEC receivers get taller and taller. Here is a look at his highlight reel.

As you can see, Slaughter has very good instincts for the ball and is athletic enough for it to pay off. Given the way the Vols play, forcing turnovers is their best chance at getting stops on defense, and Slaughter appears to be an interception machine.

Now, this type of aggression will be harder to get away with in SEC play, but Tennessee football’s veteran coaching staff in the secondary should be able to work with Slaughter on that. If he can channel his instincts properly, he could be lethal.