Anyone paying attention to Tennessee’s recruiting efforts in the 2018 cycle knows that one of the only items missing from what’s shaping up to be a sparkling class is a big time running back. North Carolina prospect Devon Lawrence looks like precisely the kind of player that could fill that need.
“I’m really looking forward to getting over there and seeing things,” Lawrence said. “I haven’t been there before so I don’t know a whole lot about it. “I’ve talked a lot with coach (Robert) Gillespie and we’re building a good relationship. I have a lot of interest in them so getting a chance to visit this weekend will be good.”
“Being comfortable on and off the field is the biggest thing, I want to make sure I find a place where I really fit in with my teammates and the culture,” Lawrence said of his biggest priority. “After that I would say that a chance for early playing time and the relationships with the coaching staff are next. Both of those things are real important to me. Everybody wants a chance to get on the field early.”
“The coaches have definitely let me know that they need a running back bad in this class and they’ve been recruiting me hard,” Lawrence said on the topic. “It’s something that we’ve talked about a lot. That’s one of the things that stands out to me.”
Lawrence hasn’t closed anyone out of his recruitment as of yet but says he’s focused on a group of top schools that currently LSU, UCLA, UNC and Georgia along with the Vols. Rivals rates Lawrence as a four-star prospect and the No. 11 tailback in the Class of 2018.