The Vols are looking to add some instant impact type of players to their front seven for next season. Tennessee already has a few junior college prospects committed to them on defense in their 2019 class, and they found out on Saturday that another JUCO defender has the Vols as one of his top teams in his recruitment.
Everitt Cunningham is a JUCO defensive end who plays for East Mississippi. He just recently picked up an offer from the Vols a few days ago, and on Saturday he included them in a tweet showcasing the top schools in his recruitment.
Lotta speculation going on
Wanna know who im signed to..#Blessed??#Reloaded??❗️ pic.twitter.com/AeV9OhoZIE— Everitt Cunningham (@EZC55) December 15, 2018
Right now, Cunningham isn’t rated by the 247Sports Composite rankings, but he’s a low three-star by the regular 247Sports rankings. Coming out of high school, Cunningham played for West Point High School in Mississippi.
Become a member of RTI Premium today to get all of our exclusive interviews, analysis, and content heading into the early signing period next week!
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound lineman played both as a hand-in-the-dirt lineman and a stand-up pass rusher for East Mississippi this past season, and he had a very successful second year in the JUCO ranks. He won multiple Defensive Player of the Week awards and totaled three sacks or more in three different games this season. He had four games in which he had three or more tackles for loss as well.
On film, Cunningham shows a knack for getting to the quarterback and not giving up till he gets into the backfield. He has good burst off the snap, and he can use a variety of moves to work his way past blockers. He can take on both tackles and guards, and he has some good speed moves to undermine a lineman’s leverage. He plays a little high at times, but his technique can be tightened. The raw potential is there, and he performs exceptionally well in games. He’s not rated very highly, but his film looks like a JUCO player who should be ranked much higher than what he is. He still has his faults, but overall he has some great potential and displays a solid football IQ and good footwork.
In his second season with East Mississippi, Cunningham totaled 57 tackles, 13 sacks, 20.5 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two pass break-ups, and a blocked kick according to the school’s website.
According to his Twitter, Cunningham plans to sign with the college of his choice on the first day of the early signing period on December 19th. He hasn’t visited Tennessee yet and probably won’t get a chance to before the early signing period. He’s taken visits to his other four top teams, however. Memphis, UCF, UAB, and Indiana have all received visits from Cunningham.
Tennessee currently has three JUCO defenders committed to them in their 2019 class, and two of those recruits play along the defensive line. Four-star linebacker Lakia Henry, three-star and No. 1 JUCO defensive tackle Savion Williams, and three-star defensive tackle Darel Middleton are all currently committed to the Vols in the 2019 cycle.
