Tennessee picked up several National Letters of Intent from current commitments and early enrollees to start National Signing Day, but at 8 AM they picked up their first new signature from an uncommitted prospect. And it was a big one.
Four-star safety and legacy prospect Nigel Warrior announced early Wednesday morning that he will play for the Vols starting in 2016. Warrior is the son of Vol great defensive back/kick returner Dale Carter and is following in his father’s footsteps.
Warrior is ranked as the No. 44 overall player in the country and No. 2 player in the state of Georgia according to 247Sports. Warrior was wanted by nearly every elite college football team, holding offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Florida, Florida State, and others.
Warrior’s signing addresses the last major need in Tennessee’s 2016 recruiting class, and he’s also currently the highest-rated prospect in the class.
Here’s what our recruiting profile says about Warrior:
Safety – 2016 Class
6-1, 177 pounds
Atlanta, Ga. (Westlake Varsity)
Other top offers
Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, Florida State
Status
The son of Vol great defensive back/kick returner Dale Carter, Warrior is a consensus top-200 player nationally who is ranked as high as No. 40 overall in the nation by Rivals.com. It was a hectic recruitment for Warrior, as he kept things pretty close to the chest throughout the whole thing. But Warrior signed with Tennessee on National Signing Day, following in his father’s footsteps.
Ratings
247Sports: ★★★★
ESPN.com: ★★★★
Rivals.com: ★★★★
Scout.com: ★★★★
RTI average: 4-stars
How He Fits
Warrior is a fluid athlete who makes plays in all three phases for his high school team, but most likely projects as a safety if he ends up at UT. Like his father, he has great instincts and when he does get his hands on the ball in a return situation, whether that be on an interception or special teams, he knows what to do with it – regularly taking it back for huge gains in his high school film. He’s a touch over 6-feet tall, runs in the 4.4-4.5 range and has enough of a frame to bulk up to 190-200 pounds or so when he gets to college. With Brian Randolph and LaDarrell McNeil heading into their senior season in 2015, the Vols will be looking to add some help at safety in this class.
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