A day after offering the No. 1 junior college outside linebacker in the 2019 class, the Vols’ coaching staff has sent out another offer to a JUCO pass rusher in the 2019 cycle.
Niadre ZouZoua tweeted out that he picked up a scholarship offer from Tennessee. ZouZoua plays for Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York and plays at defensive end for the Mustangs.
Blessed to receive my third scholarship offer from the University of Tennessee @Vol_Football pic.twitter.com/I6D0h9IYbh
— #95 Niadre Zouzoua (@Niadre) October 4, 2018
The Vols are only the third FBS team to offer ZouZoua, and the athletic pass rusher isn’t even rated by 247Sports yet. But one look at his film shows that ZouZoua could be in store for a big blowup on the recruiting trail.
At first glance, the 6-foot-5, 230-pound defensive lineman doesn’t look like he would be all that strong. But ZouZoua is stronger than he looks, and he plays very physically off the line of scrimmage. He has incredible athleticism and quickness, and his wingspan is impressive. He’s great at tracking down running backs and chasing them down, but he’s also effective at harassing quarterbacks and forcing them to make mistakes. He’s a little more technically sound than a lot of younger pass rushers, but he still has plenty of nuances he can work on. He does show off a strong ability to shed blocks, though.
Right now, ZouZoua holds offers from Tennessee, Temple, and Rutgers, and he’s picked up all those offers within the last month. It’s clear his play is starting to catch the attention of FBS schools, and teams like the Vols who have an immediate need for pass rushers next season are starting to look his way.
In his first year with Monroe, ZouZoua totaled 16 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, and three forced fumbles according to the school’s website. So far in three games this season, he has 10 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.
Tennessee has a few defensive end/pass rushers committed to them in their 2019 class right now, but they don’t have any who are expected to come in and contribute in a big way immediately next season. The Vols have commitments from three-star Jalil Clemons and three-star Roman Harrison at defensive end right now.
