Tennessee already has a number of highly-rated wide receivers committed to them in their 2021 class, and one of those wideouts plays high school football inside Tennessee’s own state borders. Another in-state receiver is heavily considering the Vols and has UT among his top teams moving forward.
Quenton Barnes, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound wideout who plays for Cane Ridge in Antioch, included Tennessee among his top five teams on Monday. The Vols join four other SEC teams in Barnes’ list: LSU, Florida, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss.
Top 5???.
S/O @TurpEdits pic.twitter.com/b14J7JNFif— Quenton Barnes Jr.?? (@QBarnesJr2) May 18, 2020
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Barnes is the No. 258 overall prospect, No. 47 wide receiver, and seventh-best recruit in the state of Tennessee.
The Vols were the first team to offer Barnes, and it was UT’s previous staff that originally extended the offer to him. He picked up an offer from Tennessee on October 11, 2017, but the Vols have kept in contact with him as he’s added more offers over the years and even as Tennessee’s coaching staff has changed.
Tennessee was the last school that Barnes visited before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down recruiting visits for the time being. He attended campus on March 2nd and has been to Knoxville several times.
Barnes is quick off the snap and uses a strong first step and good burst to get by defenders. He’s a capable threat in the red zone and has the ability to make catches in traffic. He’ll need some more polish to his game, but there’s a lot of upside and play-making ability present.
As a junior for Cane Ridge, Barnes caught 38 passes for 679 yards and seven touchdowns according to MaxPreps. He’s totaled 68 receptions for 1,261 yards and 11 scores over the last two seasons.
The Vols have 22 prospects committed to them currently in their 2021 class, and four of those recruits are projected wide receivers. Four-star Julian Nixon, four-star Jordan Mosley, three-star Walker Merrill, and three-star athlete Roc Taylor are all likely to play wide receiver for the Vols. Merrill — who plays for Brentwood — is one of two in-state prospects currently pledged to the Vols, joining three-star running back/athlete Elijah Howard from Baylor in Chattanooga.
