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5. LB Daniel Bituli
Outside Linebacker – 2016 Class
6-3, 227 pounds
Nashville, TN (Nashville Christian)
Other top offers
Auburn, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss
Status
Bituli is a consensus top-3 player in the state for 2016 and is currently sitting at No. 1 on both 247Sports.com and ESPN.com’s state rankings for Tennessee. The Vols were the first SEC school to offer Bituli, doing so in March of 2014, and since then the floodgates have opened for the talented linebacker from the midstate. Bituli claimed that Ole Miss and Tennessee were the two schools that stood out most to him early in on in his recruitment, but we expect him to receive plenty of attention from some of the biggest and best programs in college football moving forward.
Bituli unofficially visited Tennessee twice during the 2014 season, and also made it in during January for one of the Vols’ big recruiting weekends. He is a priority for Butch Jones and his staff and appears to have already started building relationships with coaches and players on campus.
Ratings
247Sports: ★★★★
ESPN.com: ★★★★
Rivals.com: ★★★★
Scout.com: ★★★★
RTI average: 4-stars
How He Fits
Explosive, powerful, fast, nasty…the list goes on and on when describing Daniel Bituli’s game. He is a vicious tackler who knows how to make the most of every hit, punishing ball-carriers and quarterbacks with regularity when given the opportunity. As a junior, Bituli was at his best when he was used as a blitzer and simply allowed to hunt the football and make high-impact plays. He will need to shore up some technique issues when he gets to the next level in order to reach his full potential, but whatever school signs him is getting a player will all of the tools to be a disruptive player at the collegiate level. His speed, strength and tenacious approach when pursuing the football make him one of the most coveted players in the 2016 class.
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