Tennessee’s recruiting offers have developed a pattern as of late. And that pattern continued when they offered one of the top small forwards in the 2019 class.
Jae’lyn Withers is a four-star forward from Huntersville, North Carolina, and he added an offer from Tennessee to his extensive offer list on Thursday.
2019 North Mecklenburg (NC) F Jae’lyn Withers received an offer from Tennessee. (HT @teamloadednc) @jaelyn_durant https://t.co/4lWAeljSiC
— Verbal Commits (@VerbalCommits) May 3, 2018
Withers is rated as the No. 62 overall player in the 2019 class and the No. 17 small forward in the class according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He adds the offer from the Vols to offers he already held from Xavier, Louisville, UConn, Virginia, Florida, Clemson, and others.
At 6-foot-8, 212 pounds, Withers already has the frame and weight to compete at the college level. He’s not too skinny, nor is he pudgy or out of shape. And that shows on his highlight film.
Withers is incredibly athletic and very versatile on the offensive end of the court. He’s just as effective slashing to the basket and finishing in the lane as he is shooting threes and pulling up for jump shots. He has a smooth finish to his jumper and has a fairly polished offensive game for a high school junior. He’s also no slouch on the defensive end either, and he knows how to position himself for blocks and to disrupt an opponent’s offensive game.
In eight recorded games during his junior season at North Mecklenburg, Withers averaged 19.2 points and 10.9 rebounds according to Prep Circuit. He also won the I-MECK 4A all-conference boys basketball player of the year this past season. He helped lead North Mecklenburg to a 27-2 record and both the regular season and tournament championship.
Tennessee’s offer to Withers continues a trend of the Vols’ coaching staff lately. Withers is the third small forward in the 2019 class the Vols have offered in the past week. He’s the highest-rated of the group that Tennessee has offered, but they’ve also put out offers to four-star Greg Gantt and four-star C.J. Walker. They also offered stretch-four forward Drew Pember in the class too.
The Vols currently have a small forward committed in their 2019 class in three-star Davonte Gaines. Tennessee’s recent offers could be looked at as the Vols maybe adding some insurance offers if Gaines doesn’t work out, or maybe they’re thinking Gaines may move on from them.
Or it could be none of those things.
All the small forwards Tennessee has been offering lately are very versatile players who offer a wide range of skill sets on both offense and defense. It’s very likely Tennessee could take two or three versatile wing/forwards in this class if they miss on top targets at other positions.
Whatever the reason, Tennessee’s coaching staff is still out there looking for more players to go after in their 2019 class, and they’ve been very busy lately.
