Brandon Willis picks Tennessee — again

Willis picks Tennessee — again

by Gerry Hamilton
Scouts, Inc.

Defensive tackle Brandon Willis (Duncan, S.C./James Byrnes) picked the Tennessee Volunteers for a second time on Saturday after decommitting just days ago. The 6-2, 260-pounder was rumored to have given North Carolina serious thought, but Willis seemed destined for Knoxville.

The re-commitment of Willis comes a day after four-star safety Ahmad Dixon (Waco, Texas/Midway) backed out his Baylor commitment and chose the Volunteers.

Willis becomes the 23rd commitment for Tennessee, including the seventh off the ESPNU 150, as Tennessee continues its march towards a top-five recruiting class.

Gerry Hamilton has covered recruiting in Texas and the Southwest for more than a decade. He can be reached at espngerry@yahoo.com.

Evauluation:

Willis is a good defensive line prospect. He plays a little out of position in high school as mainly a defensive tackle. He currently does not have ideal size for that position, but he is a big kid and actually is very productive as an interior player. He could project at the college level as a defensive end who could be a guy used to slide down inside in certain situations to get favorable match-ups. He has good natural size, a frame to keep adding bulk and that natural size allows him to offer some versatility as far as where he plays. He will likely end up growing into a defensive tackle though. He has a good get-off, nothing that makes you go wow, but he gets moving fast enough. A big reason for his success is the fact that he is very active with his hands. He shoots them and can separate from blockers. He is consistently using them to get hands on blockers and keep himself protected. He is tough at the point of attack and when he keeps his pads down he can take on a blocker and hold his ground. His ability to punch and shed allows him to take on double teams and work down the line of scrimmage. He does a good job of getting into gaps, crossing the line and staying square. He does a real good job being able to shed from blocks and has the ability to get his hips turned, get skinny and work past blockers. He is a good tackler, but can get a little tall. Displays good speed and a good motor. He displays good strength and can bull rush his way back. Plus, because he is active with his weapons and can get his hips flipped he can be a disruptive pass-rusher. Willis is a smart, active and physical player. He is not your fastest end whose game is built on running by and around blockers, but he has the tools to be a very good college defensive lineman against the run and pass.

Tagged as: Brandon Willis