The first big domino of the day has fallen for Tennessee on Wednesday morning.
Elite four-star linebacker/running back Len’Neth Whitehead announced on the first day of the early signing period that he’ll be furthering his football career at Tennessee. Whitehad chose the Vols over offers from Georgia, South Carolina, Texas A&M, UCLA, and many others.
According to the 247Sports rankings, Whitehead is the No. 88 overall prospect and No. 7 inside linebacker in the 2020 class. The composite rankings list him as the No. 181 overall recruit and No. 10 inside linebacker. Whitehead plays for Athens Academy down in Athens, Georgia.
The 6-foot-1, 230-pound athlete is expected to be looked at as a running back first in college, but he’s more than capable of playing linebacker and has played both positions at a high level for Athens Academy.
Whitehead participated in Nike’s The Opening Finals over the summer. Not only is he a solid football player, but he’s a track athlete as well, participating in the shot put. In fact, Whitehead is considered one of the top shot putters in the high school ranks.
Unfortunately for Whitehead, he suffered a season-ending injury during his senior year and was only able to play in a few games. His injury isn’t expected to hold him back during his freshman campaign, however.
Because of that injury, the only real highlight film for Whitehead comes from his junior season. When healthy, Whitehead is an exceptional athlete who blends power and speed together better than you’d expect for a running back his size. On defense, he’s strong and a hard hitter, often laying out bone-jarring hits.
Whitehead is the first recruit to commit to Tennessee who wasn’t already committed to the Vols prior to the start of the Wednesday early signing period.
