Last week, Tennessee canceled a visit from a massive JUCO transfer named David Swaby. The 6-9 offensive lineman said that Vols coaches informed him that there was a different player who was “gonna go (to Tennessee) for sure.” Swaby moved on to pick Oklahoma as his D1 collegiate destination.
And now the Vols have added an offensive lineman who will reportedly walk on to the Vols’ roster.
Tennessee adds another relatively unheard-of player with outstanding measurables, this time in the form of a 6-6 320lb offensive lineman named Jarius Abercrombie. While Abercrombie has no hudl or rivals profile at all, his tape depicts a quick-footed lineman with some violent technique.
There was some speculation that Tennessee’s mystery addition was going to be embattled Alabama grad transfer Brandon Kennedy, but Abercrombie might pose a more promising long-term addition to the well-documented lack of big men in the OL cupboard. Though Kennedy, as a grad transfer, would’ve come in with no jitters about playing SEC ball, the 6-2 275lb OG never started a game for the Tide, and is coming off of a foot injury.
Abercrombie, on the other hand, rings in at a “lean” 6-6 320. Unlike Kennedy, who would’ve been (at best) a short-term solution to Tennessee’s OL depth problem, Jarius provides both an immediate boost to general depth, and enough collegiate road ahead of him for OL coach Will Friend to take that massive frame and cultivate it into quality depth.
Pruitt and company continue to be legitimately talented at finding these players that have been passed over by other schools. The new Tennessee coaching regime famously discovered Georgia wide receiver Jordan Young, only to increase his profile enough for other schools to notice him, ultimately signing with Florida State. While Pruitt’s staff quickly scrambled to discover talented (but still available) players, they did successfully fill several areas of need with players who, like Abercrombie, were low/no-profile recruits, but easily passed the smell test when you looked at their film and measurables.
Jarius Abercrombie is planning to move onto the Knoxville campus next week.
This was first reported by Dan Harralson for Saturday Down South.
