The Tennessee Vols landed one of the top prospects in the nation on Wednesday by inking offensive tackle Darnell Wright. Wright is a five-star prospect, ranked tenth overall in the nation, and is the second rated tackle in the 247Sports.com industry composite rankings.
Tennessee Vols Land Darnell Wright
Wright comes in at 6’6″, 320 pounds. Alabama and West Virginia aggressively recruited Wright as well. While the Vols were the favorites for some time, Neal Brown’s arrival in Morgantown generated renewed interest from the hometown stand-out.
Wright’s footwork and his ability to extend his strength through his reach is what makes him such a coveted recruit. With his superior technique, he will compete for a starting spot on any team in the nation as soon as he steps foot on campus.
Tennessee’s ability to go get top level talent after two seasons with a combined record of 9-16 provides hope for their fans. Wright is coming out of Huntington High School in Huntington, West Virginia. Huntington High School is known for their basketball alumni O.J. Mayo and Patrick Patterson.
See Darnell Wright’s HUDL Highlights Here
Immediate Impact
Anyone who watched the Vols play in 2018 knows that the offensive line is in desperate need of upgrades. Wright would make an immediate impact with the Tennessee front. At 320 pounds, he would arrive on campus as one of the biggest frames on the team. The potential end products after a time in a college program leaves coaches and fans smiling.
With the health of Trey Smith in question, the addition of Wright to the offensive line is critical. Opponents manhandled Tennessee’s front for much of the season.
Brand New Book Ends
Wanya Morris, another five-star offensive lineman, signed with Tennessee in December. That will give the Vols two of the nation’s top six rated offensive tackle prospects. That’ll be two of the top eleven overall rated prospects in twenty seasons for the Vols. There’s no position on any team in college football that upgraded itself more than Tennessee’s offensive line did on Wednesday.
If Smith’s health cooperates and Tennessee can get solid play from their new additions, the Vols might have a solid offensive line next season. That doesn’t even consider Tennessee commit Jackson Lampley and some players dealing with health issues.
Getting Wright
Tennessee is looking to right the ship after a disappointing performance in Jeremy Pruitt’s first season. Landing Darnell Wright, and several other top rated recruits on Wednesday, is a good start for Tennessee.
The Vols have had success in recruiting before. Can Pruitt and staff translate Wednesday’s success into wins on the field?
