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Evaluating Tennessee football’s 2023 class at dead period: DL

By Caleb Calhoun

Greenbrier's Nathan Robinson grabs a hold of the Jersey of Cheatham County QB Cooper Owen on Friday, October 9, 2020.Cheat Gbrier Fb7 Dpc 6375
Greenbrier's Nathan Robinson grabs a hold of the Jersey of Cheatham County QB Cooper Owen on Friday, October 9, 2020.Cheat Gbrier Fb7 Dpc 6375 /
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John Carroll Catholic’s defensive lineman Wilky Denaud (52) makes a tackle against Fort Pierce Central in a spring football game Thursday, May 19, 2022, in Fort Pierce. John Carroll Catholic won 34-7.Tcn Spring Football Notebook 2
John Carroll Catholic’s defensive lineman Wilky Denaud (52) makes a tackle against Fort Pierce Central in a spring football game Thursday, May 19, 2022, in Fort Pierce. John Carroll Catholic won 34-7.Tcn Spring Football Notebook 2 /

Top available targets at DL

Hunter Osborne 

  • Four-star
  • 6’2″-6’4″; 250-255 lbs
  • Trussville, Ala.; Hewitt-Trussville High School

Daevin Hobbs

  • Four-star (Rivals, 247Sports, On3); Three-star (ESPN)
  • 240-265 lbs
  • Concord, N.C.; Jay M Robinson High School

Kamran James

  • Four-star (247Sports, On3); Three-star (Rivals); Unrated (ESPN)
  • Orlando, Fla.; Olympia High School
  • 6’5″-6’7″; 265 lbs

Wilky Denaud

  • Four-star (Rivals, ESPN); Three-star (247Sports, On3)
  • 6’3″-6’4″; 230-245 lbs
  • Fort Pierce, Fla.; John Carroll High School

Tavion Gadson

  • Three-star (Rivals, 247Sports, On3); Unrated (ESPN)
  • 6’4″-6’5″; 265-280 lbs
  • Savannah, Ga.; Jenkins High School

Jameian Buxton

  • Three-star (Rivals, 247Sports, On3); Unrated (ESPN)
  • 6’0″-6’3″; 265-275 lbs
  • Houma, La.; Thibodaux High School

Joshua Horton

  • Three-star
  • 6’3″-6’5″; 270-290 lbs
  • Fairburn, Ga.; Langston Hughes High School

Adrian Griffin

  • Three-star (Rivals, 247Sports, On3); Unrated (ESPN)
  • 6’4″-6’5″; 260-300 lbs
  • Fairfield, Ala.; Fairfield High School

Will Whitson (Junior College)

  • Three-star (247Sports); Unrated (Rivals, ESPN, On3)
  • 6’4″-6’5″; 265-270 lbs
  • Cincinnati, Ohio; Winton Woods High School
  • Independence Community College; Independence, Kan.

Elijah Davis (Junior College)

  • Unrated
  • 6’4″ 300 lbs
  • Wagener, S.C.; Wagener-Salley High School
  • East Mississippi Community College (Scooba, Miss.)

By far Hunter Osborne is the top guy Tennessee football should target on this list. He’s the one four-year player without a school that is a strong favorite to land him yet. Every other one has a clear favorite, and none of them involve Rocky Top. That Osborne is the highest rated player on here only fuels the case for the Vols to target him most heavily.

It’s interesting that Josh Heupel is targeting two junior college transfers, and they fill different voids, as one is a pure defensive tackle and one fills the hybrid role. Elijah Davis is probably the best option among them, as Heupel needs more pure defensive tackles in this class.

As a result, Osborne and Davis need to be the heaviest areas of focus for Heupel and the Vols. Landing either one of them would be a huge benefit. Davis fills a future immediate need, something he could do as a JuCo transfer, and Osborne brings more talent in.

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