Tuesday Scrimmage Recap
VandySports.com hit the road on Tuesday evening and took in a couple of scrimmages in Cane Ridge at Riverdale and Lebanon at Smyrna. All four programs feature some of the areas top in-state underclassmen, which we highlight below:
Herring has early offers from Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Kentucky and it's easy to see why. The 6-foot-2, 208-pound prospect has a nose for the ball and is extremely tough to block with his athleticism and explosiveness.
ON HIS SUMMER: "It went great. I worked out with my 7on7 team at J3M and the other guys I work out with at OTA (On Top Athletics). They've really helped me out getting ready for the camps, working on my speed, and things like that. Once we went to the colleges, I excelled and they offered me."
Nelson saw his recruiting process skyrocket throughout the spring, receiving offers from the likes of Oklahoma, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and others. The four-star prospect is up to a dozen offers now and gave an update on his summer visits.
ON HIS SUMMER: "Once I went into the summer I started looking at everything and I ended up going Kentucky. Then I went to the Suwanee camp and Virginia Tech was there and I got to talk to there whole crew. After that I went to Vandy's camp and to their cookout they had the next day and had a good talk with Jovan (Haye) - he taught me their defense and everything and I got to see their facility. The next day, I went to Tennessee and I saw all their facilities and everything and it looked good down there."
Lusk was sitting out of Tuesday's practice, but assured us he'll be ready to go for the upcoming season. The 6-foot-3, 278-pound prospect suffered a knee injury in the last game a season ago and has spent the spring and summer rehabbing, but that hasn't stopped schools like Florida, Mississippi State, and Tennessee from offering.
ON HIS SUMMER: "I didn't go camp anywhere this summer, I've been recovering from a knee injury. So, I've just been trying to get back in shape. The offers came about after the coaches watched my film. It feels good to have those offers because a lot of people don't have those types of offers going into their junior year. I've been to Tennessee, but I haven't been anywhere else yet."
Mitchell is a new face to the area, having transferred to Cane Ridge from Bridgeport (Tex.) over the summer. The summer months also saw the 6-foot-2, 190-pound prospect pick up four SEC offers and is a prospect looking to make a splash this fall.
ON HIS SUMMER: "It's not a lot people that can say I got offers from the SEC. That's a lot of people's dream. I'm definitely honored to have those in my possession. The only camp I was able to play at this summer was the Tennessee camp because after that camp I got a hip injury and I shut it down after that and focused on getting back for the season."
The four-star prospect hauled in a long touchdown pass during the first part of Tuesday's scrimmage against Riverdale. Barnes has nine offers currently on his resume with a few SEC schools firmly on his radar.
ON HIS SUMMER: "I've been to Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina this summer. I had a 7on7 at South Carolina and I camped at Tennesse and Florida. I've really worked on a little bit of everything this summer - footwork and route running."
Rucker jumped on the recruiting map during the spring when Kentucky extended an offer to the rising junior. The 6-foot-4, 300-pound prospect was active during the summer on the camp circuit and has more power five programs keeping an eye on him.
ON HIS SUMMER: "I've worked on trying to play lower and fire off the ball quicker. I camped at Georgia Tech, Kentucky, and Ole Miss. I'm hearing from Missouri, Louisville, and others. They like my footwork and my ability to move. Everyone is recruiting me to play inside. This fall, I'll probably go back to Ole Miss, Kentucky, Missouri, and Louisville."
Bailey has yet to receive an offer, but he is getting a lot of college interest and is likely on the cusp of blowing up. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound prospect gained 15 pounds over the summer and is making the transition from linebacker to defensive end this season.
ON HIS SUMMER: "I've getting out more and getting on colleges radars and remaining in contact with coaches. I've been working hard on my position switch from linebacker to defensive end, so I'm really trying to perfect my craft and get better at that. I've been hearing from Kentucky and Tennessee. I was talking to Purdue a little bit. Ole Miss and Missouri came up to the school in the spring. I camped at Kentucky and Louisville. Coaches say they like my size and the way that I move and my speed as a defensive end."
There is a lot of intrigue surrounding Shannon, with Purdue, Western Kentucky, and Middle Tennessee stopping by to check out the 2021 running back during the spring. The rising junior has worked on his speed and bulked up over the summer and is looking for an even more productive season.
ON HIS SUMMER: "I camped at Vanderbilt, Tennessee Tech, and I went to the Maryville camp. Coaches like that I can hit the hole early and they say I have great vision out of the backfield and can predict what I'm going to do before the snap and my vision. I did a lot of speed training over the summer and did a lot of sand work. I also gained 25 pounds this offseason."
Seats was a prospect we noticed during Vanderbilt's Friday Night Lights camp back in June. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound prospect flashed his size, speed, and made a couple of impressive catches during the Commodores' biggest camp of the year. The rising junior is looking to increase his recruiting stock this fall.
ON HIS SUMMER: "I camped at Vanderbilt this summer, that's the only camp I went to. The coaches were real good. The drills they did, I worked on them individually when I had free time. It was an awesome experience. I worked with my Dad this summer doing speed training and I worked out a lot. I can catch really well as a flex tight end. I can find the open spots on the field and holes in the defense."