Vols Commit Dylan Brooks Ranked as Nation's No. 4 Edge Rusher

Sports Illustrated All-American continues ranking their top players at each position, and the latest rankings released were for the top 10 edge prospects in the 2021 class. Coveted Tennessee commitment, Dylan Brooks, made the list, and we take a look at why in this article.

The release from SI All-American states:

As we work towards the preseason SI99, ranking the top 99 college football prospects regardless of position, establishing a top 10 ahead of the 2020 season for each position group plays paramount. The offensive positions rankings have wrapped up and we kicked off defense in the trenches with the interior line prospects earlier this week. Pass rushers are next up.

The defensive edge prospects offer one of the more unique skill sets across any position among the 14 SIAA will rank for the 2021 class. These are the premiere pass rushers with length, bend and that innate ability to put pressure on the passer from the edge in a variety of ways.

The full ranking's list can be viewed here.

As for where Brook's is concerned, SI All-American has high praise for him and rated him as the nation's 4th best edge prospect in the 2021 class.

SI All-American's, Edwin Weathersby wrote:

Brooks is another player that is high on both our Edge board and overall board. He combines ideal length with solid activity with his mitts, including a chop and a powerful longarm stab. After he routinely reduces ground quickly on blockers, the long-framed Brooks shows enough ability to bend at entry points, before using a long stride to close and finish. With his length, Brooks can be a nightmare for passers trying to manipulate throwing lanes, as his arms and mitts present difficult obstacles. The future Vol also can be productive in the run game, showing solid scheme-read traits and mental processing, plus quick-shed ability versus tight ends and running backs. Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt is defensive-minded at heart and Brooks has the skill set to be a cornerstone defender on the edges in Knoxville.

Brooks has been committed to Tennessee since April, and he recently updated his recruitment with VR2 on SI.

At the time, he said on what his plans are for when the recruiting world opens up, "I am going to take some visits because I'll be bored, but I don't see that being a problem with Tennessee. I just want to get out and try to see some stuff."

Brooks lives in Roanoke, a town that presents to be an Alabama-town, but Auburn is just down the road. He said on hearing about the two schools from people in his home-town, "folks have told me that, but I don't really care. I just want to do what is best for me."

Brooks feels that the commitment to Tennessee was the right thing for him. He said on that decision, "I just like the opportunity they offered me, and Coach Pruitt being a defensive mastermind knowing how to setup things."

Relationships with Pruitt, Derrick Ansley, and Shelton Felton were key in that decision.

Another key factor in that decision was his relationship with current Tennessee players, including Tyler Baron and JJ Peterson.

Brooks said, "I got cool with Tyler around the time I committed, but I have been cool with JJ for a while. He was one of the big reasons why I came."

Brooks said on the recruiting frenzy that ensued after he committed, "it was fun. A bunch of us already knew we were fixing to do it, but we just didn't say anything. "

Brooks said, " I was silently committed for about two or three weeks before that."

He added, "Coach Pruitt was happy I was committed, but he wanted me to go public, so everybody could start jumping on board. Coach Felton was the happiest, though."

Brooks said on telling the staff, "I was on the phone with Coach Pruitt, and I was like Coach Felton, I am fixing to silently commit. We got on the phone with Coach Ansley, then we were all on Zoom, and I told all three of them. When I got my edit, I went public. I told JJ I was going to come, and then I posted it on April 26th, and it just blew up."

Brooks said on what led to him making a decision earlier than most expected, "it was just the people there and the opportunity they can give me."

Brooks has started to build a relationship with another elite prospect in Amarius Mims. He said on that, "I really haven't talked to him about that. I just have conversations, and I am cool with him. I don't really talk to anybody about recruiting."

Brooks is coming off an all-state junior season, but he has personal goals still left to achieve. He said on this, "I want to get ready for college because I don't think I am ready yet. I want to get bigger, improve my stamina, and be a leader for this team."

Brooks said on who he is off the field, "I am a laid-back dude. I am chill. I like laughing and having a good time."