Tennessee is loading up on defensive backs in their 2020 class, and they’re one of the top teams for yet another talented DB in this current recruiting cycle.
Kendall Dennis, a four-star cornerback out of Lakeland, Florida, announced on Twitter on Monday his top eight schools in his recruitment. The Vols made the list along with Georgia, Auburn, Florida, Miami, Florida State, Nebraska, and USF.
Top 8 ?Thanks to all the schools that recruited me??. @AuburnA1 @MiamiHurricanes @Vol_Football @FSUFootball @GatorsFB @NEB_Recruiting @USFFootball @FootballUGA pic.twitter.com/WKaOAgqIVD
— Kendall (@theycravekd) July 22, 2019
According to 247Sports, Dennis is the No. 221 overall prospect, No. 16 cornerback, and No. 34 player in the state of Florida. He’s a four-star prospect in their composite rankings as well.
The 5-foot-11, 172-pound corner from Lakeland has visited Tennessee twice in 2019 already, coming to campus for an unofficial visit on April 6th and returning to Knoxville for another unofficial trip on June 13th.
Dennis grabbed attention after his stellar showing at a regional camp for Nike’s The Opening, and he got an invite to The Opening Finals afterwards. At the finals, he impressed with his speed and athleticism. Dennis was timed running a 4.57-second 40-yard dash (after running a 4.40 at the regional camp) and a 4.21-second shuttle drill. He had a vertical leap of nearly 38 inches and had a power ball toss of 35 feet.
On film, Dennis shows off incredible ball skills and awareness. He plays cornerback, but he has the perception and vision of a safety when it comes to picking off passes. Dennis displays some elite awareness in both the pass and run game, and he’s a fairly solid tackler for a cornerback. He’s also an exceptional return man and is a major weapon on special teams.
Dennis isn’t the only prospect from Lakeland, Florida who the Vols are targeting in the 2020 class. Four-star wide receiver Arian Smith — who recently included Tennessee among his top teams — and three-star defensive end Morven Joseph also play in Lakeland, and they’re also big-time Tennessee targets.
Right now, the Vols have 12 commitments in their 2020 class, and four of them are from projected defensive backs. Four-star in-state safety Keshawn Lawrence, four-star safety Antonio Johnson, four-star corner and No. 1 overall JUCO player Art Green, and three-star corner Lovie Jenkins are all committed to UT. Athletes Jimmy Calloway and Darion Williamson could also play in the defensive backfield in college, though it’s expected Calloway will start out at wide receiver.
