Elijah Rushing, a top-25 prospect nationally, locked in an official visit with Tennessee Football. The EDGE rusher received an offer from the Vols last June after taking an unofficial visit.
The prospect from Salpointe (AZ) Catholic High School also locked in official visits with Notre Dame, Arizona and Oregon. The Ducks have been trending heavily for Rushing’s talents recently.
“I had a great experience going out there and I know they’re a program on the come-up,” Rushing told On3 of Tennessee. “I know they were really good, but they had some things that lacked going through that season. But, I got to see their performance and what they were talking about. That’s somewhere that I know I should take a second look at to see what’s going on down there. They had tremendous success early on, so I want to see what went into that.”
The five-star prospect ranks as the No. 3 EDGE in his class and the No. 2 prospect from Arizona. At 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, Rushing has verified length that will translate to the next level.
During his junior season, Rushing finished with 72 tackles, 13.5 tackles-for-loss, 11.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.
Tennessee’s 2024 class is comprised of four-star quarterback Jake Merklinger, four-star athlete Johnathan Echols, four-star wide receiver JJ Harrell, four-star cornerback Kaleb Beasley, four-star cornerback Marcus Goree Jr. and three-star defensive linemen Carson Gentle and Jeremias Heards along with three-star offensive linemen Gage Ginther and Jesse Perry.
The momentum is picking up for Heupel and his group heading into the summer.
Brian Angulo of 247Sports scouted Rushing, projecting his as a future first rounder.
“Long, high-upside frame with plus-plus wingspan,” Angulo writes. “Tall in stature with major physical potential to add mass. Explosive edge rusher with impressive mobility. Flashes elite pass-rush ability with an array of moves. Shows great flexibility to bend and maneuver past blocks. Displays terrific hand usage to disengage while maintaining forward momentum. Attacks gaps with purpose and shows ability to counter. Could continue to add strength and improve in run support. Potential multi-year starter at elite Power Five level and projects as a Day 1 NFL Draft selection.
