IMPACT ANALYSIS: Edge Rusher Hezekiah Harris Flips to Tennessee Volunteers

The Tennessee football program continues to keep flipping their way to a premier class after stealing edge rusher Hezekiah Harris from the recruiting class of conference opponent Auburn on Monday.

Josh Heupel and his coaching staff have now earned a total of 25 commitments in the 2026 recruiting cycle to this point and should have cemented the recognition of a consensus top-ten class by signing day with the latest pickup.

STRENGTHS

Harris has very good length at over 6-foot-5 with long arms and he knows how to utilize his length to pursue the quarterback and disrupt passing lanes.

His length allows for him to disengage from blockers quickly when he needs to make a play on the ball, especially with a swim move that has been highly effective at the high school level

His athleticism is evident once he identifies the play he needs to make quickly and pursues the player in the backfield with the ball. Once he adds significantly more bulk to his frame, he could be able to moved on either end of the formation and disrupt plays with his size and motor.

IMPROVEMENTS

He is certainly the type of edge rusher/defensive lineman that this staff has prioritized with his length and ability to get upfield, but he will have to add a significant amount of weight to play in the SEC, not as much of a negative as simply something that has yet to happen.

He is athletic but could see his initial explosiveness as a stand-up edge rusher continue to improve once he gets with an SEC-level strength staff at Tennessee, suggesting potentially his long-term future could be with his hand in the dirt.

As is the case with any traitsy young pass rusher, he is still a raw prospect who can add more to his pass rush arsenal, but he has shown flashes of every baseline tool needed to package together and will be something that Chop Harbin and Rodney Garner teach him on Rocky Top.

Hezekiah Harris, Josh Heupel, Chop Harbin, Levorn Harbin, Coach Chop — Head coach Josh Heupel and edge rushers coach Chop Harbin with Harris | Hezekiah Harris Instagram

BOTTOM LINE

Hezekiah Harris is a long and athletic defensive end prospect with a high motor who knows how to disrupt plays in every single way, from pressuring the quarterback, pursuing down a ball carrier, or deflecting a pass at the line of scrimmage.

He should benefit from getting to sit behind some veterans in his first year to pack on strong weight that would take his game to an even higher level once he moves on to playing in the SEC.

All the tools are there for the new Tennessee commit to be successful in college and gives the Volunteers another weapon along the defensive line for the future.

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