Tennessee is expected to pick up another commitment this evening when Jalen Smith announces his college decision.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that Smith will end up a Vol. However, every indication points toward a Tennessee commitment.
The 6-foot, 213-pound linebacker from Grayson High School in Loganville, Ga., has also taken official visits to Pittsburgh, Texas and Virginia. He took his official visit to Tennessee on June 10.
Here are three things to know about Smith before his announcement at 6 p.m. which he has said he’ll make on social media:
Smith can fill the stat sheet
It’s not hard to find Smith on a post-game box score. Smith recorded 173 tackles – 107 solo – and 10 sacks last season. Smith also recorded 13 quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
The Vols need that sort of production at linebacker. Tennessee’s woes on defense from last season are well documented. Other than linebacker Jeremy Banks, who had 128 tackles last season, no Vol landed amongst the top 25 tacklers in the SEC last season.
The Vols have picked up seven commitments since June 19 and four in July. All have been out-of-state commitments. Why?
Smith is potentially very fast
Smith ran track during his freshman and sophomore season. He posted a 12.17-second personal record in the 100-meter dash and a 25-flat in the 200-meter dash. That’s not world-record speed. However, it’s impressive considering Smith was just an underclassman when he posted those times.
He’s surely faster now and could shave off his personal best times with more training, which he’ll get when he actually needs to run an official 40-yard dash. For now, he’s proven he’ll fit in with Tennessee’s class, which is based on speed, especially on defense.
Smith isn’t a talker
Smith hasn’t shared much about his recruitment journey. Unlike some, he’s not super excited about being quoted in countless stories about his recruitment. That makes the three-star prospect a bit tougher to predict.
However, the Vols are expected to pick up their fifth commitment in a week when Smith announces his college decision at 6 p.m. Smith is rated as the No. 43 prospect in Georgia and the No. 40 linebacker in the nation.
