A Look at Tennessee's Top 4 Remaining DL Targets
Jeremy Pruitt and his staff put together one of the most impressive recruiting runs in recent memory earlier this spring, with the Vols landing commitments from a multitude of exceptionally talented players. While it remains to be seen whether or not Pruitt and company can hold on to those players all the way to National Signing Day, it certainly appears that the Vols have solid pledges from the overwhelming majority of their class. The Vols have every reason to feel confident that these players are going to be part of their signing class, and they are operating as such. With all the talented players that the Vols have committed, there are still some significant areas of need for Tennessee to address in the 2021 class.
This series aims to look at the position groups where Tennessee still has the greatest need in their 2021 class. It will examine why the areas are prioritized, as well as the current, uncommitted, top targets for the Vols in those groups. Today's piece will take a look at the defensive line.
When Jeremy Pruitt got to Knoxville, he found himself needing to rebuild a team from the ground up in many different facets. One of the most drastic changes that Pruitt made was to switch the Vols to a base 3-4 defense. This meant that the Vols needed to start looking for a different type of defensive linemen to make the scheme work. Pruitt added transfers, JUCO players, and traditional recruits to flip the appearance of his defensive line to one that fit his vision for the Vols very quickly. 2020 sees the Vols with talent, depth, and experience along the defensive front that makes it one of the more exciting units on the Volunteer roster. However, the Vols are slated to lose a lot of players from this group to graduation after the 2020 season. While Tennessee had a good defensive line class in the 2020 cycle, they are going to need to bring in a large defensive line class in 2021 just to replace numbers. The Vols currently have four defensive linemen committed in four-star KaTron Evans, three-star Trinity Bell, three-star Isaac Washington, and three-star Darrell Jackson.
Payton Page Defensive Tackle Dudley Greensboro, North Carolina
Page has been a priority target for the Vols for some time now. Page is a massive human being and is capable of clogging up the middle of the offensive line on his own thanks to his size and strength. Page is a bit raw from a technique standpoint, but he has SEC ready size and power. Page is playing a bit too heavy in the high school ranks, and it is hurting his conditioning and robbing him of some explosion. It has also led to the discussion that Page could be evaluated as a guard as well. Still, Page demands a double team in the middle of the defense on each and every play, and he still regularly blows plays up. Page's size plays to Tennessee's favor in this recruitment, as Page is a perfect fit for a nose tackle in Tennessee's 3-4 defense, while he doesn't fit as well in the four-man fronts of the other two finalists Clemson and North Carolina.
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins Defensive Tackle Gaffney Gaffney, South Carolina
Ingram-Dawkins is an exceptionally interesting target for Tennessee because of his size, frame, and athletic talents. Ingram-Dawkins is a player that the Vols could have come and then try to add weight to his frame to play inside when the Vols are in four-man fronts, or even play nose tackle in their three-man fronts. Pruitt has shown a tendency to really like his base defensive ends in the 290-300-pound range, which is where Ingram-Dawkins currently plays at. He has enough speed and burst at that size, as well as quickness, to slide in and play that position well for the Vols. Ingram-Dawkins brings the size and versatility that Pruitt loves to the front, and he is an asset against the run and pass, never needing to come off the field.
Tywone Malone Defensive Tackle Bergen Catholic Oradell, New Jersey
Malone is one of the most interesting players in the 2021 recruiting cycle. Not only is Malone one of the best defensive tackles, likely a defensive end for the Vols, in the nation, he is also a highly rated baseball prospect. Malone is a highly rated prospect as a first baseman, and much like Rick Barnes and Tennessee basketball helped Jeremy Pruitt land some 2020 recruits, it appears that Tony Vitello and Tennessee baseball will play a role in this recruitment for Pruitt. Malone also attends the same high school as current Vol quarterback Jarrett Guarantano. The Vols have several things working in their favor in this recruitment, but the way Pruitt and Jimmy Brumbaugh would use a 300 pounder as athletic as Malone also factors in. As a 3-4 end, with his length and conditioning, Malone would be an absolute force in Tennessee's scheme.
Jamond Gordon Defensive Tackle East Mississippi C.C. Meridian, Mississippi
Gordon is a particularly interesting prospect to watch. The JUCO defensive tackle would most likely play defensive end in Tennessee's 3-4 scheme, and was involved in a possible commitment to the Vols already. Gordon posted a commitment graphic to his Twitter, which he took down shortly after. Gordon has an outstanding film at East Mississippi, using his hands extremely well and showing excellent burst off the ball. He regularly drives opposing offensive linemen straight into the backfield and looks to be ready to make an immediate impact at the Power Five level. The Vols have recruited the JUCO ranks exceptionally well since Pruitt arrived, and the Vols have a former East Mississippi defensive lineman on their current roster in Darel Middleton. This is an interesting one for Vol fans to watch, as Gordon is a talented option from the JUCO ranks.