Impact Report: Vols Land In-State Mauler With Versatility in Bussell

Tennessee has wasted no time getting to work on its 2023 recruiting class. The Vols hosted numerous top targets during Saturday's first visit of the year, and

Tennessee has wasted no time getting to work on its 2023 recruiting class. The Vols hosted numerous top targets during Saturday's first visit of the year, and they used that momentum to land the commitment of in-state offensive lineman Ayden Bussell. We take a look at Bussell in this impact report. 

Background

Bussell's recruitment has slowly continued to pick up steam since last spring. Vanderbilt led the way with the Mount Juliet prospects first SEC offer and numerous others followed. Bussell continued to grow into his 6'5" frame, all while showing how versatile he can be. Bussell now holds double-digit offers including Ole Miss, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Virginia Tech. 

Fit

When you look at Bussell's film, it screams versatility and athleticism. The first two plays make it obvious. He lines up at right tackle on play one and reach blocks the defensive end almost 20 yards down the field. The following play, he lines up at left guard and pulls and kicks the defensive end and finishes the block with force. Bussell is the ideal swing man for any offensive line. He has the athleticism to play right tackle, the physicality to play guard and the natural football IQ to play center. He will most likely see his early work come at tackle, but he can definitely be a player that finds his niche as a swing man, playing multiple roles. 

Impact Rating

This is a big win for Tennessee to keep Bussell in-state. Kentucky has built one of the more impressive offensive lines in the conference, and the mid-state mauler was a top priority for Mark Stoops's staff. He recently visited and the Wildcats seemed to have some confidence coming out of it, but credit Glen Elarbee and Alex Golesh for closing strong in this one. Bussell has a lot of versatility and will be able to play multiple positions in this high tempo offense. He should see his fist action at Right Tackle, and he has all of the tools to play there. Locking down a more than capable tackle body is important for any class, but for Tennessee to land a highly respected in-state tackle, who they have been able to evaluate multiple times is big this early in a recruiting cycle. Bussell will help bring more in-state players to Knoxville over time. 

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