The Tennessee coaching staff has been hard at work since arriving in Knoxville, trying to reset their recruiting board and find players that fit their system. On Monday, that hard work continued to pay off, as the Vols landed the commitment from offensive lineman Brian Grant.
@Gelarbee @coachjoshheupel @Coach2Bless @Record_Breakerz
GO BIG ORANGE! pic.twitter.com/zP4WeqisbU— Brian Grant (@BrianGrant50) May 17, 2021
The 6-foot-8, 270 pound offensive tackle, from Choctawhatchee High School, announced on twitter that he will be a part of the Vols 2022 class. The athletic big man has a basketball background, along with playing on the defensive line, but the Tennessee coaching staff recruited him for an OL position. Grant only started playing football during his junior season. He holds offers from BYU, Maryland, UCF and FAU.
I spoke with Ryan Callahan of GoVols 247 about the potential of Grant and what the Vols are getting out of the versatile lineman.
“Brian Grant obviously isn’t a big name in recruiting circles at this point, but I think there’s no doubt Tennessee feels it’s getting a really good player. The Vols clearly have a big need at offensive tackle, so this gets them started in addressing that, and it speaks volumes to me that they offered him within two weeks of Josh Heupel’s hiring. He’s one of the first Class of 2022 offensive linemen this staff offered”
As campuses around the country start to open back up to potential prospects, one the dead period ends, it was intriguing that the Vols took the commitment so early. But, as Callahan mentions, they wanted to pull the trigger now because of his upside and how they could mold him into what they’re looking for.
“With all of the offensive-line targets left on Tennessee’s board right now, I don’t think the Vols would’ve taken a guy like Grant if they weren’t really, really high on him. A handful of offensive linemen are scheduled to take official visits to Tennessee next month, and the Vols easily could’ve waited to get Grant to camp next month or see what happens with other targets if they weren’t sold on him. But they didn’t do that. They wanted to add him to their class now, and despite his lack of experience as an offensive lineman, I think they believe they’re getting a tackle with a ton of upside and natural ability.”
Tennessee now has their 5th commitment of the 2022 class, as they prepare to host a good amount of prospects in June. We’ll see how long the Vols will have to wait before snagging another play, my gut tells me not very long.
