Before spring practice starts, RockyTopInsider.com will take a look at 16 uncommitted prospects to watch in the 2016 recruiting cycle. Click here for the full 2016 commitment list.
Tylin Oden
Quarterback – 2016 Class
6-5, 190 pounds
Columbia, TN (Spring Hill)
Other top offers
Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Western Kentucky
Status
Tylin Oden has to be among the most intriguing prospects for Tennessee in the 2016 class, and the Vols were among the first teams to extend an offer to the talented in-state quarterback. Tommy Thigpen visited Oden in early December and the Vols’ linebacker coach must have come away impressed, as the Vols offered immediately following Thigpen’s initial evaluation. Since then, Oden has received more and more interest from big-name schools around the country, and will likely be one of the most sought after prospects in the state of Tennessee in the 2016 class after more schools are able to evaluate his film – Ole Miss, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Notre Dame and UCLA have all recently expressed serious interest in Oden and are likely to offer once they see him throw in person.
Oden is currently ranked as a top-10 prospect in the state of Tennessee for 2016, but a strong senior season could see him easily work his way into the top five. The Vols already have a highly-ranked quarterback committed in this class in Austin Kendall, but expect them to continue to recruit Oden and keep an eye on his development during his senior season.
Ratings
247Sports: ★★★
ESPN.com: N/A
Rivals.com: ★★★★
Scout.com: N/A
RTI average: 3.5-stars
How He Fits
If you could build a prototype quarterback to run Tennessee’s spread offense, that player would probably look a lot like Tylin Oden. He is an elite-level runner with the ball in his hands, but also possesses a huge arm to fit the ball into tight spaces. He throws a near-perfect deep ball and knows when to put touch on his passes to assure the completion or drop the ball over the coverage, but also already understands the principles behind the zone-read and runs with toughness between the tackles when the play calls for it. He is comfortable taking snaps out of the shotgun or under center and can deliver accurate passes rolling to both his right and his left. He is a slicing runner with great speed in the open field that he uses to beat angles and pull away from pursuing defenders. Once he adds some weight to his frame and learns a college playbook, he could blossom into a star at the quarterback position.
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