Cornerback is one of the biggest positions of need for the Vols in the 2019 recruiting class. Jeremy Pruitt needs to bring in several talented players at the position this recruiting class or else they could have some serious issues in the future. Tennessee is now a step closer to adding one of those players after a highly sought-after corner put the Vols in his top seven.
Warren Burrell, a three-star prospect from Suwanee, GA, tweeted out his top seven schools on Wednesday. The Vols found themselves on a list that includes their two biggest rivals in the SEC East, Florida and Georgia. Burrell also includes Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame and NC State.
TOP 7!!!?? pic.twitter.com/ueI6BpUhJM
— Warren Burrell (@_warrenb153) May 9, 2018
The three-star corner is listed by the 247Sports Composite ratings as the 38th-best corner in the country and the No. 410 overall player in the 2019 class. Those rankings also have him as the 42nd-best player in Georgia. Despite Georgia being seen as the current favorite, he still has plenty interest in the Vols, having visited twice since receiving a scholarship offer from them back in January. After the second visit, he told 247Sports that “Tennessee is definitely a school I want to take more interest in” and is “pretty high on my list.”
As a player, Burrell presents a lot of upside. Coaches recognized him as 1st team all state for his performance in his junior season at North Gwinnett High School. He has offers from some of the best programs in the nation too. At 6-foot, 166 pounds, he doesn’t have bad size either. With a 4.53 40 time, he has the speed to cover faster receivers. He is a player that might end up a better safety than corner in college.
Burrell has great hips and is a very fluid athlete. He has elite ball skills. A corner that can read the ball in the air and go make a play on it is incredibly valuable to a team, and he can do just that. Time and time again on his film he can be seen tracking the ball and reaching it at its highest point. Tackling is not a concern for him either. It isn’t necessarily a strength of his, but it certainly isn’t a weakness either. One concern is his physicality at the line of scrimmage. He is rarely seen playing up on receivers, and with his pedestrian strength, it’s fair to wonder whether he can be successful in press coverage.
As a junior last season, Burrell totaled 26 tackles, a tackle for loss, five interceptions, 11 passes defended, two fumble recoveries, a safety, and a defensive touchdown off an interception according to MaxPreps.
Overall, Burrell is a solid player that can probably contribute pretty early in his career, and Tennessee has to feel pretty good about their chances. Burrell is one of those three-stars who might end up rated higher before the end of the 2019 cycle.
