Pennsylvania OL Brubaker Talks Tennessee Offer, Recruitment Surge

Tennessee's staff is now finally taking full shape as the race to spring ball is on. The staff has wasted no time contacting prospects within NCAA guidelines. Tennessee recently extended an offer to 2022 Offensive Tackle Ryan Brubaker.

The athletic prospect checks in at 6-foot-6 and 280lbs. Brubaker attends Cocalico High School in Denver, PA.

Plenty of schools have taken notice of the 2022 target, such as Arizona State, Yale, Missouri, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Tennessee, to name a few.

VR2 on SI caught up with Brubaker to breakdown the Tennessee offer.

Tennessee's offensive line coach Glen Elarbee extended the offer to Brubaker earlier this week. 

During the conversation between Elarbee and Brubaker, it was made clear what stood out about the prospect. "Coach Elarbee mentioned my adaptability and how attractive that was. This past season I played snaps at all the line positions aside from center", Brubaker said. 

"Elarbee and Tennessee are looking to reboot the offense to fast tempo, and the ability to be versatile and think on my feet was attractive to him," Brubaker added. 

Honesty was another big takeaway from the conversation for the newly offered prospect.

Brubaker stated that Elarbee, "He was honest with me and explained that he knew just as much about Tennessee as I did but that he was grateful to be where he was and to have the opportunities Tennessee provides."

To further explain Brubaker's knowledge on the Vols, "I don't know a whole lot about Tennessee, but I am looking forward to learning more."

Tennessee became the fourth SEC offer for Brubaker (Ole Miss, Missouri, and South Carolina. That is sometimes a lot to take in as a recruitment process begins to really take off. Brubaker broke down how he is handling it and what it has meant to see this spike. "It's a nice compliment to all the hard work I have put in, but at the end of the day the hardest work is still ahead of me so there is no reason to slow down and sit on my laurels."

He added about being surprised by the Tennessee offer, "It did surprise me considering how hard it is to know you are in the crosshairs of a staff until they reach out.

As the process picks up and even more SEC schools come in to play, there is an appeal to play against some of the nation's best pass rushers in the SEC. "With that level of competition comes a greater level of coaching and competition, which is appealing for a competitive person like myself," Brubaker stated.

As Brubaker is in the last stretch of his junior year, could there be a decision anytime soon?

 The Pennsylvania standout said, "At this point, I have no timeline because it will all be predicated on when I've made my visits."

One thing Brubaker is certain of is how his recruitment will be decided. He said, "They need to offer solid academics and provide a degree that will carry me into a career once football is over. The culture of the team needs to be positive and welcoming. Some teams have a negative culture that I would never want to be apart of. I need to have a connection with the staff. I want to go to a place that truly wants and values me.” 

Below is a look at Brubaker's 2020 highlights:

_{Dale Dowden and Matt Ray contributed to this article}

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_{feature image via maxpreps}