Spring Profile: Tommy Winton
Tennessee has had an interesting history with local football talent in recent years. More than just in-state players, the Vols have missed on multiple elite prospects from the Knoxville area, and even within the Knoxville city limits. In the 2020 cycle, Tennessee had a stronger showing at home, landing a pair of four-star players in Cooper Mays and Tyler Baron from Knoxville Catholic, as well as Tee Hodge from just down the road in Maryville. Tennessee also saw Bryn Tucker, another highly rated lineman from Knoxville Catholic sign with Clemson. It has specifically been the Tigers that have hurt the Vols above anyone else, pulling talent from inside the city limits to play in Death Valley on multiple occasions in recent years. Tennessee hopes that 2020 is the beginning of that trend swinging back in favor of the Vols, and Tennessee will have a few chances in 2021 and 2022 to see if they can keep their local talent at home. Few players in the 2022 cycle will be more highly prized locally than Knoxville Catholic Athlete Tommy Winton.
Winton is a do everything offensive weapon for Knox Catholic. They move him all over the field as a running back, wide receiver, and returner. Winton described himself as a receiver that had a more compact frame, similar to a running back. Rather than limiting his ability, it allows him to do more. He compared himself to former Knox Catholic star and current Clemson receiver Amari Rodgers, which is fair comparison. Like Rodgers, Winton has the hands and runs sharp enough routes to be a valuable asset as a pure receiver, however, once the ball is in his hands, tackling him is much more like negotiating a running back in the open field. Winton is adept at breaking tackles through his impressive lower body strength and compact, thick build. Winton further has the knack of positioning his body to attack half a defender. In other words, he rarely allows a defender to get a square hit on him, moving so he can attempt to break through the glancing blow he creates. Winton himself notes his quickness and balance as things that separate him from other receivers, and rightfully so.
Another aspect that makes Winton special in whatever capacity he has the ball in is his speed. Winton is a natural playmaker that can turn a broken tackle into a massive gain thanks to his exceptional acceleration and impressive speed. Combined with good hands and an aptitude for breaking tackles, Winton presents defenses with a serious offensive threat to account for whenever he is on the field. Honing his craft, learning to get the most out of his speed and quickness, brought Winton to pursue 7 on 7 football in the offseason. Winton said that he wants to develop his routes through the 7 on 7 game, sharpen them up, improve his quickness, and make his cuts quicker. Those improved routes, with his build and skills, should make for a dangerous receiver and a devastating pass catcher out of the backfield. Winton should have every opportunity to excel and show exactly what he can do with all his talent as he is working with fellow 2022 prospect, Knox Catholic quarterback Kaden Martin.
Winton is already on the radar of multiple programs, planning visits to Virginia Tech, Georgia, a camp at Clemson, Notre Dame, and Tennessee, among others. At this point, all of these visits are unofficial, but it is worth noting that Winton has already visited Tennessee several times, a campus that he says he can walk to, and has already made the drive to South Bend to see Notre Dame. Winton is intelligent and an exceptionally well-spoken young man. He will have his choice of programs to attend no matter their athletic or academic expectations. His hard work on the field, in the weight room, and in the classroom have opened a multitude of opportunities for him. He is taking his recruitment very seriously, even now, and pushing to be better now for this fall and for football seasons to come.
Winton is an important prospect for the Vols in 2022, but while being local certainly means Tennessee has some advantages in his recruitment, Winton is close with Kaden Martin, son of Vols’ receiver coach Tee Martin, and is a frequent house guest. Still, being local can bring challenges. Many recruits want a change of scenery from where they grew up and staying home doesn’t offer that. There can also be the problem of not seeming as important to the local staff, with the feeling that a local prospect is likely a fan, someone they can come in on late, or a player that they can see at any time, causing coaches to not take steps they would to make contact with a prospect out of state for example. Jeremy Pruitt and his staff seemed to find the formula with the local players in 2020, and if they can refine in further by the 2022 cycle, Tommy Winton would serve to be a valuable addition to the Orange at White.