Weekly Recruiting Recap (May 10th-16th)
Catch up on another active, strong week of recruiting in the great state of Tennessee here with the last #PRZTN Weekly Recruiting Recap!
Lead Story
– An under the radar commitment was made on Sunday when Baylor School (TN) D-lineman Bridger Knee pledged his services to Army. A Kentucky native who recently transferred to Baylor, Knee is an undersized but versatile and deceptive athlete that is growing into a versatile pass rusher that could play inside, out. Knee is a max effort, all out motor pass rusher that shows pursuit and good bend on the edge along with having the football knowledge to slide inside and cause damage.
The Black Knights coaching staff targeted Knee weeks ago when they extended an official offer and envision him as a future disruptor on their defense who will have a shot at early playing time once he arrives on campus. It would not be surprising to see Knee add more offers as the recruiting process rolls along as good defensive linemen are hard to find. His ability to rush the backfield and play with ultimate effort and attitude could be strong traits that attract other collegiate coaches.
Offer King of the Week
‘23 Henry Co. (OT/G) Luke Brown Luke Brown 6'6" | 305 lbs | OL Henry Co. | 2023 State TN (Offers: Louisville, Ole Miss, Virginia)
– It was a strong recruiting week for one of the top offensive linemen for the 2023 class. Brown continues to see his stock grow bigger week by week and it will only continue as more coaches view his film or even better, check him out at the upcoming summer college camps. The two ACC and lone SEC programs join several other Power Five schools in the race for Brown as he is being marked as top recruited prospect at a premium position. The Patriots stud lineman mans the tackle position and has the upside to stay there in the college game. It may take some time but it would not be surprising to see Northeast or West Coast schools get involved with Brown at some point in his recruitment.
Underclassmen Spotlight
– It was a strong week of recruiting last week for the 2023 class, so we could talk about several prospects here but the guys to mention are Mt. Juliet (LB) Ethan Crisp Ethan Crisp 6'3" | 205 lbs | LB Mt. Juliet | 2023 State TN and MBA (QB) Marcel Reed Marcel Reed 6'2" | 185 lbs | QB MBA | 2023 State TN . These two guys both added two offers (Crisp: UK, VaTech/Reed: Indiana, Florida) last week and both continue to see their recruiting stocks rise into a place where both Crisp and Reed could be considered two of the top overall in-state recruits within their class. Both guys will have a busy summer ahead as both are expected to attend several camps while also taking in multiple visits.
Etc …..
– One of the more underrated talents we have for the 2022 class is Milan (TN) LB Antwain Barham Antwain Barham 6'3" | 225 lbs | LB Milan | 2022 State TN , Jr and it looks like he is ready to start the process towards making a commitment. Last week, Barham, Jr set an official visit with Memphis (Date yet to be announced) and could be close to setting up other visits as well. Taking the steps towards official visits could mean the West Tennessee product might be close to finding his college home. Don’t be surprised if bigger schools get involved soon and throw a wrench into Barham’s process and decision making.
– It was a solid week of recruiting for Ensworth (TN) DB Charles Ingram V Charles Ingram V 5'11" | 180 lbs | DB Ensworth | 2022 State TN as he was extended official offers from both Army and Richmond while also having several schools sniffing around, showing interest in the Middle Tennessee product. Ingram is a talented guy who could play both ways (RB), so his versatility is strong and college coaches see the value in having a guy that could excel in a variety of ways. Ingram could become a camp star next month when college coaches are able to work with him in person and get a first hand look at his skill set, so watch out for the Tigers star prospect over the coming months.
– Now formerly of Beech high school in Hendersonville, offensive lineman Ryan Hacker Ryan Hacker 6'4" | 270 lbs | OL IMG Academy | 2022 TN took to Twitter last week to announce his intentions to transfer to IMG Academy (FL) for his senior year of football. This move for Hacker is something to help his recruiting status while also competing against other college caliber players in practice to improve his craft and overall development. This is an interesting move for Hacker as IMG already has a lot of talented big men on the offensive line, so competition will be strong once the former Bucs lineman arrives down in the Sunshine State. Hopefully Hacker is given an opportunity to shine down at IMG and it boosts his recruiting stock going forward.