Every time Tennessee gets a commitment in either football or men’s basketball, we will write up an impact report looking at what that recruit does well, what he needs to improve in his game, and what his projected impact with the Vols could be over the next few years.
Latest Commit: Keshawn Lawrence, S
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 195 pounds
School: Ensworth (Tennessee)
Home Town: Nashville, TN
Rankings
247Sports Composite: No. 63 overall, No. 3 S
247Sports: No. 59 overall, No. 3 S
Rivals: 5.9 rating, No. 129 overall, No. 7 S
Notable Offers: Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Ohio State, Oklahoma
What we like:
Instinctual, dynamic, and intelligent. Those are the first three words that come to mind whenever I watch film of Keshawn Lawrence. He has good speed, and he just has a knack for making plays. Typically, that’s not just luck; that’s a combination of smarts and elite athleticism. Lawrence has both of those. He’s used to having the ball in his hands on offense and is a high level offensive weapon for Ensworth, and that serves him well on defense, too. There’s a reason he has offers from almost all the top programs in college football. Lawrence has superb vision, and he reads ball carriers and quarterbacks well. He plays physically and can work in man coverage and zone both. Plus, he has high quality return skills and can be a weapon on special teams, too.
Places to improve:
Lawrence isn’t a perfect prospect, but man, he’s a really, really good one. There’s not a lot to critique about his game from my purely amateur perspective. I would like to see more man coverage on his film and more work in pass coverage in general, but overall I wouldn’t say those are exactly weaknesses for him. He has areas he can improve in — such as those — but there’s a reason he’s viewed as a borderline top-50 overall prospect. He has a lot of elite attributes and should be able to contribute as a true freshman.
Analysis:
The Vols will have a need for safety competition in 2020, and Lawrence will provide just that. There’s even a chance he could play at corner, but I expect he’ll get his first shot at safety. Lawrence’s ball skills are next level, and he’s a hard hitter from the back end of the secondary. Even if he doesn’t win a starting spot in the secondary as a true freshman, I expect him to make an impact on special teams. Unless there’s an injury or something, I would be shocked if Lawrence doesn’t make his presence felt in his first year at UT.
