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2027 EDGE Ba'Roc Willis Updates Recruitment, Talks Tennessee Football

2027 Moody (AL.) defender Ba'Roc Willis has a nice showing as his team locks up the opposing offense.
Dale Dowden|
2027 Moody (AL.) EDGE Ba'Roc Willis getting the play call. Oxford at Moody (Aug. 29, 2025).
2027 Moody (AL.) EDGE Ba'Roc Willis getting the play call. Oxford at Moody (Aug. 29, 2025). | Dale Dowden - Vols on SI

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Tennessee Volunteers

Last Friday, Vols on SI hit the road and traveled to Alabama for some Friday Night Lights.

2027 Moody (AL.) EDGE Ba'Roc Willis was instrumental in the defensive efforts as Moody would defeat Oxford 31-7. The win was well needed as the Blue Devils tasted defeat the week prior, so it was huge for the program to get back on track.

Shifting gears to the recruiting side of things, Willis definitely has a recruitment that has been unique. An early commitment, a decommitment, and a 'Top 10' release all taking place prior to the junior season.

The 'Top 10' was announced about two months ago, and interestingly, the list did not feature the once committed to, Alabama.

The Tennessee Vols did make the list, which isn't a shock as the two have shared a mutual interest for an extensive amount of time. The commitment to the Crimson Tide did not put a halt to any communication with the staff in Knoxville.

Willis explains why the Vols have stayed close.

"You know, just the relationship. I've had a relationship with those guys for the longest. They always treat me like family when I'm up there and I know what's real. I got a teammate (Sydney Walton) up there that tells me about it all of the time. It's just great, he tells me about the program. I talk to (Josh) Heupel a lot, and it's just great," Willis said.

Willis would go on to describe what it means to have someone that is on the team to essentially describe the things that the coaches are pitching during the recruitment process.

"It's great. Just knowing the real, and not just what the recruitment feeds, as you know. Just knowing the real of college football. It just gives you a better look at everything, you know, let's you know before you make your final decision, which is one of the most important decisions of your life," Willis said.

One thing Willis has learned through the process, is to look at things thoroughly from all angles before making a decision.

Having ties to programs can be very beneficial on weeding through what is real and what is not. It doesn't always have to be a former teammate, just knowing someone in any degree at a program gives the recruit the opportunity to compare what coaches say to what the student-athletes say.

What about Tennessee stands out beyond the relationships with the program? Every school has something that causes them to stand out with prospects, and for Willis, Tennessee just has a certain feel.

"It just feels like home, man. It's certain schools that you go to you feel like yeah, this could be home. It's still early (in the process), but those guys (Tennessee) every time I go up there it just feels like I'm still at home and everything."

The staff has to feel good about that knowing that a prospect can travel hours away, and due to the reception, feel as if they haven't even left the comfort of their house.

Willis does have plans to catch a game in Knoxville this fall but has not decided on which one to attend at the moment.

The hybrid defender does have his mind set on seeing a few things from a gameday visit.

"Just to see how the team operates. Every year they come out with a different style of team (in a good way), and they just operate on all cylinders, so I want to see how they come out and operate this year," Willis explained.

As Willis said, the process is still early, but Vols on SI wanted to know what the most important factor was in his recruitment, at this current time.

"Uh, I'd probably say relationships, building bonds," Willis simply put.

It will be interesting to see how this recruitment develops down the line, but it seems as if everything is where it needs to be between the two parties.

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Dale Dowden
DALE DOWDEN

Dale Dowden is a multimedia sports writer with nearly 10 years in the recruiting field. He began covering recruiting in the Tennessee Vols market in 2019. From 2020-2022, Dale was with the Tennessee site at SI, before taking the Lead Recruiting role for VolReport on Rivals from 2023-2025.

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