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 we feel he needs to improve in his game, and what his projected impact with the Vols could be over the next few years.
Latest Commit: Isaac Washington, DT
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3 268 pounds
School: East Surry (North Carolina)
Home Town: Pilot Mountain, NC
Rankings
247Sports Composite: No. 647 overall, No. 37 DT
247Sports: No. 603 overall, No. 35 DT
Rivals: 5.6 rating No. 29 DT
Notable Offers: Georgia, Auburn, South Carolina, North Carolina
What we like:
It’s only a matter of time before Isaac Washington gets a bump in his recruiting rankings, and his film shows why. He hasn’t been truly evaluated since last summer, and he put together a strong junior season at East Surry. Washington is an athletic defensive lineman who lines up both at defensive tackle and defensive end in high school. His versatility and speed really stand out to me on film, and I like the aggressiveness he shows in stopping the run. He’s powerful and big for a high schooler, but he’s not some lumbering giant, either. He’s capable of getting good leverage and pushes through double teams. The way he moves and can get into the backfield makes him a valuable asset along the line.
Places to improve:
While Washington has a very strong foundation of skills and natural talent, you can tell that sometimes he’s just the biggest kid on the field and can get away with just pushing his way through smaller linemen. He’ll have to learn some more techniques and really hone his craft, because he won’t be the biggest or most athletic lineman in college. I’d like to see him develop some more moves to get by blockers. He does, like I said, have a lot of good skills to build off of, and you can’t teach the kind of athleticism he has.
Analysis:
Tennessee will need to replace a lot of their defensive line in 2021 and 2022, and Washington seems like a good piece to add to the line. It’s hard to tell what kind of instant impact he’ll be able to make until the roster for 2021 gets more clarity and he goes through his senior season, but the tools are there for him to develop into a strong 3-4 defensive lineman in UT’s system. His versatility and blend of both power and speed make him a very unique prospect, and I’d be willing to bet he sees the field sooner rather than later.
