Over the course of the offseason, we’ll be taking a closer look at some of the top names to know in the 2018 class These players either have an offer or significant interest from Tennessee and seem to have at least some interest in the Vols in return.
Offensive lineman Cade Mays
6-6, 300 pounds
Knoxville, Tenn. (Catholic)
Early offers: Tennessee (committed), Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M
Early rankings:
247Sports: ★★★★
ESPN.com: ★★★★
Rivals.com: ★★★★★
Scout.com: ★★★★
Scouting report: For the second year in a row, Tennessee is in position to sign one of the top offensive linemen in the nation. Trey Smith is already on campus and Cade Mays is about as committed to Tennessee as a person can be – pledging to the Vols before his sophomore season in high school and staying loyal since that time.
He’s rated as one of the best offensive tackles in the nation by every recruiting service, and there’s good reason for that.
He’s the complete package – 6-foot-6, 300 pounds and moves well enough to get to the second level and can block in space as well. There’s even film of him on the punt return team blocking in open space. He does a good job getting into his pass set, has an incredibly powerful punch and finishes blocks both in run and pass blocking with a nasty streak. He sometimes has the tendency to get too upright, something that is common with big high school offensive lineman, and his sheer strength allows him to get away with some things that will need to be cleaned up at the next level.
But it’s tough to ask for much more from a prospect at this point. And the fact that he’s a local prospect who seems fully committed to Tennessee makes it the perfect storm for him to be a huge part of the 2018 class for Tennessee. UT will have a lot to work with on the offensive line over the next few years.
