Could Tennessee land a big time wide receiver recruit in the 2018 class between now and signing day? It certainly looks like it.
Jordan Young, a receiver from Conyers, GA, appears to be heavily favoring the Vols. Tennessee became just the second FBS school to offer him when they gave him a scholarship on January 14th immediately following an official visit. The only other school in the FBS to offer him is Coastal Carolina.
Since the offer, defensive line coach Tracy Rocker has taken an in home visit with him, and now nine crystal ball predictions on 247sports have rolled in predicting the Vols will land him. There have only been nine predictions total cast for him.
Young’s whole recruitment has been puzzling to say the least. Until Thursday, he wasn’t even a ranked prospect on any recruiting service. He was largely unheard of until Pruitt’s staff hosted him and offered him. In 247Sports’ new rankings that came out on Thursday, Young is now the 190th ranked prospect in the country and the 27th ranked wide receiver. They have him rated as a four-star.
And his highlight film shows why the analysts suddenly love him.
A look at Young’s film is exactly what you’d expect from the guy that rose from unranked to four-star in one day. Young is a phenomenal player who measures in at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds. He has a large frame, and he’s also a freak athlete, running a 4.4 second 40 yard dash time. He’s also recorded a 38 inch vertical. Young has a natural ability to high point footballs, and he is fast enough to run under the deep ball. He is a very strong receiver, capable of consistently beating press coverage. On top of all of that, he has very good, strong hands. He makes several jaw dropping catches on his film. Confidence is important for a football player, and Young has a certain swagger to him when he’s on the field.
His biggest flaw right now is his route running ability. He doesn’t consistently run crisp routes, and he doesn’t sell fakes that hard or cut that sharp all the time. He does, however, make plays; and those flaws are very coachable.
How Young was able to remain anonymous is also mind boggling. He played for Heritage High School, a team that went 9-2 last year, and put up incredible stats. As a senior, he had more than 1500 receiving yards and caught 17 touchdowns, averaging over 22 yards per catch. He was also a state champion track and field athlete, excelling in the 110 meter hurdles.
I still have no idea how Coastal Carolina and Valdosta State were the only schools that had Jordan Young on their radar until last weekend. What I do know, however, is that now that he’s been found, every school is looking at him. Tennessee may be the leader right now, but they will likely have to fight to seal a commitment.
Young is worth all the time and effort, though. I really think Tennessee has found an absolute stud of a football player, one that could really make an impact for the Vols in the years to come.
