We’re now just days away from National Signing Day, and it is clear that cornerback is a main priority for the Vols in their 2018 class. It was a position the Vols struggled at a year ago, and one they lack roster depth at for the upcoming year.
Right now, the Vols are targeting several big time prospects at the position, most notably Olaijah Griffin, Isaac Taylor-Stewart, Eddie Smith, and Taiyon Palmer. Tennessee has garnered strong interest from all four, and all of their recruitments could go any number of ways.
While there’s a possibility two or three of them sign with Tennessee, it is just as likely, if not more likely, that one or none of them do.
Tennessee currently only has three-star Brandon Davis committed at the position in their 2018 class, and they desperately need to add more corners in this class. With signing day happening this week, it is fair to expect Tennessee to start offering second tier prospects as “insurance.”
One of those offers came today, as the Vols offered corner Dyllon Lester. The three-star prospect tweeted that “Tennessee offered” earlier Monday.
Tennessee offered ? #GBO
— D? (@dylltoolive) February 5, 2018
Lester is from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and played his senior year at American Heritage High School. He was high school teammates with five-star corners Patrick Surtain Jr. and Tyson Campbell. He is currently committed to UCF, but that can very easily change. He’s only been committed to the Golden Knights since January 29th of this year. Tennessee wouldn’t offer him this late if they didn’t think that he would at least strongly consider signing with them.
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Lester is the No. 2,229 overall player and No. 198 cornerback in the 2018 class. His only other offers are from Southern Miss and Florida A&M.
While he may be an “insurance” player, that doesn’t mean he isn’t a talented player worthy of a roster spot. He has decent size at 6 feet and 190 pounds, and he is an above average athlete. He has good hips, and he’s good in man coverage. He has the ability to line up as the slot corner in press coverage and shut down the opposing receiver. While he still needs to get stronger and learn more about the game, he is definitely worth investing in. He may not have an instant impact, but with proper coaching, he can develop into a nice player.
This offer probably isn’t good news on the recruiting front for the Vols, as it likely means that Pruitt knows they are out of play for at least one of their top corner prospects. Lester, however, makes for a great silver lining, as he is nothing to sneeze at. I have a good feeling he will end up signing with the Vols and would be a great addition to the recruiting class and the future of the corner position at Tennessee.
