9. Jamie Pettway, LB
In Tennessee’s search for help at linebacker, one name that’s kept popping up over the months has been Jamie Pettway. The Vols extended an offer to Pettway back in February, and he’s visited Tennessee twice since then. He included UT among his four finalists ahead of his announcement date on Wednesday.
Pettway recently got a big ratings bump on 247Sports and received his fourth star, jumping up to No. 266 overall. He’s still a three-star on the 247Sports Composite rankings, but he had a strong camp circuit over the summer and followed that up with a really good senior season. He blends speed with strength exceptionally well, as Pettway was been timed running a 4.62-second 40-yard dash and has run a 4.47-second shuttle. He has a 31-inch vertical, can bench 255 pounds, can squat 420 pounds, and can power clean 235 pounds.
The Vols got the last word with Pettway before he makes his announcement. Pettway didn’t take a visit to Knoxville this past weekend, but co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer made an in-home visit with Pettway on December 13th.
