Defensive end has become a premier position in football. As teams have continued to throw the ball more frequently, the need for pass rushers has also grown. And many of the best players at the position hail from the SEC.
Tennessee has a history of great pass rushers. Players like Reggie White, Derek Barnett, Leonard Little, and many others have donned the orange and white. It’s a position that you can never have too much talent at, and head coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff have made it a priority in the 2019 class.
Just days after offering a pair of defensive ends in one day, Tennessee has extended an offer to another pass rusher.
Four-star defensive end Rodricus Fitten tweeted that he was “blessed to receive an offer from the University of Tennessee.”
Blessed to receive an offer from The University of Tennessee @CoachCPrather @ChadSimmons_ @therealkwat @247Sports @RecruitGeorgia pic.twitter.com/TopNpJe8ka
— Rodricus Fitten (@rodricus_fitten) February 19, 2018
Fitten, who plays for Washington High School in Atlanta, is committed to South Carolina and has been since September 13th of last year. But the Vols are making it a mission to try and flip him from the Gamecocks.
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Fitten is the 39th-best player in Georgia and the No. 22 weak-side defensive end in the nation. He also holds offers from Louisville and North Carolina among others.
Standing at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, Fitten has pretty decent size. The thing that immediately stands out when viewing his film is his speed. His quickness is eye-catching. He has an extremely high motor and is very athletic. To put his athleticism into perspective, he also plays running back in high school.
Fitten is an excellent pass rusher and a good tackler. He will need to prove, however, that he isn’t a liability in the run game. In college, it’ll be good for him to develop a larger repertoire of post moves. Right now he relies mainly on speed, and you can’t always get away with that in the SEC.
Fitten would likely project as more of a stand up, pass rushing edge player in Pruitt’s defense. His unique athleticism would make him an asset to any team. Tennessee has assembled a staff of elite recruiters, and they certainly believe they at least have a chance to flip Fitten away from South Carolina.
