'26 App St Transfer S DJ Burks (Tennessee)

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HoleInTheRoof

HoleInTheRoof

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www.espn.com

DJ Burks - App State Mountaineers Defensive Back - ESPN

View the profile of App State Mountaineers Defensive Back DJ Burks on ESPN. Get the latest news, live stats and game highlights.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

www.on3.com

DJ Burks - Appalachian State Mountaineers - Safety

Explore DJ Burks's athlete profile at On3.com. Get news and insights into his playing career, statistics, and achievements in sports.
www.on3.com www.on3.com

“You know, I wanted to just come home,” Burks said. “I always dreamed of running out the power T. It was great to get the phone calls and have the conversations with the coaches on my visit.”

So what made him feel the good vibes on his visit?

“I feel like they valued me,” Burks said. “They wanted me to come in and compete on defense as well as special teams. Now it’s evident, through my decision making process.”

Burks had 73 tackles with two interceptions this past season in Boone.

“I’m bringing a guy that’s gonna compete, go hard and everything,” Burks said. “A guy that’s not going to leave any stone unturned. A guy that just wants to win. I want to win, I’m going to do what’s best for the program.”

During his visit he got to meet with new Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

“Coach Knowles is a very smart man,” Burks said. “Of course, he’s had success over the past several years. I really enjoyed talking to him and going over the scheme as well as well as just chopping it up, as a man person to person.”
And he had an even longer meeting with Tennessee safeties coach Anthony Poindexter.

“Coach Dex was a great guy,” Burks said. “I had heard great things about him leading up to the visit as well and he’s still impressed me. He still blew me away with how much he cares about me as well as the techniques and how he coaches the indy drills in practice and how he handle stuff going into the game as well.

“He showed some clips of Penn State from the past season when he was there, well, as well as some clips of Ohio State, and he showed me some clips of the rover, the boundary position, making plays and doing stuff that they that they saw me doing in this defense as well,” Burks said. “As well as his track history and the guys he’s helped get to the league. One of the things he said is it’s the player at the end of the day, and he can only take it so far and it’s up to the player to take himself to that next level. He’s just a guiding hand. We talked about the NFL as well as the teach tape and the drills he had as well.”
 
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#2
#2

What the transfer portal commitment of DJ Burks means for Tennessee​

The chance for the local safety prospect to play for the hometown team began to become a reality when Tennessee hosted the former Appalachian State standout on a transfer portal visit on Thursday.

As a redshirt-junior in 2025, Burks tallied a career year with 73 tackles, and two interceptions. In 40 career games, the defensive back has totaled 133 tackles, four tackles for loss and two interceptions while defending seven passes with two forced fumbles.

He redshirted in 2022, playing in two games. Burks will have one year of eligibility remaining. He is 6-foot-0 and weighs 200 pounds and logged 600 snaps in 2025 with 473 snaps the year before. As the primary defender in coverage, Burks has allowed three touchdowns, picked off two passes and broken up four passes throughout his career.

How this helps Tennessee​

Tennessee needed help at safety in a massive way and Burks fits the profile for new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who values safety play.

The Vols lost starting safety Andre Turrentine to graduation, as well as STAR Jalen McMurray. Once Boo Carter was dismissed from the team midway through the season, the Vols didn’t have much depth at STAR. Edrees Farooq (740 snaps) played nearly every snap at safety this season but reserves Kaleb Beasley (301 snaps) and Sidney Walton (104 snaps) never made a true rotation in the backend.
Tennessee is also losing corners Jermod McCoy and Colton Hood to the NFL and Rickey Gibson entered the transfer portal. Beasley (safety) also entered the portal.

The Vols needed help in the secondary and Burks addition is the sixth in the defensive backfield for the Vols thus far in portal season. Tennessee has landed defensive back commits from Kansas State defensive back Qua Moss (STAR), Auburn cornerback Kayin Lee, Penn State safety Dejuan Lane, Michigan safety TJ Metcalf, Michigan DB Tevis Metcalf and now Burks as well.
Click to expand...
 
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#3
#3
Getting that secondary depth up......I like it. Seems like a solid addition. Believe that makes 6 add-ons for secondary.
 
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#4
#4
HoleInTheRoof said:
www.espn.com

DJ Burks - App State Mountaineers Defensive Back - ESPN

View the profile of App State Mountaineers Defensive Back DJ Burks on ESPN. Get the latest news, live stats and game highlights.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

www.on3.com

DJ Burks - Appalachian State Mountaineers - Safety

Explore DJ Burks's athlete profile at On3.com. Get news and insights into his playing career, statistics, and achievements in sports.
www.on3.com www.on3.com

“You know, I wanted to just come home,” Burks said. “I always dreamed of running out the power T. It was great to get the phone calls and have the conversations with the coaches on my visit.”

So what made him feel the good vibes on his visit?

“I feel like they valued me,” Burks said. “They wanted me to come in and compete on defense as well as special teams. Now it’s evident, through my decision making process.”

Burks had 73 tackles with two interceptions this past season in Boone.

“I’m bringing a guy that’s gonna compete, go hard and everything,” Burks said. “A guy that’s not going to leave any stone unturned. A guy that just wants to win. I want to win, I’m going to do what’s best for the program.”

During his visit he got to meet with new Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

“Coach Knowles is a very smart man,” Burks said. “Of course, he’s had success over the past several years. I really enjoyed talking to him and going over the scheme as well as well as just chopping it up, as a man person to person.”
And he had an even longer meeting with Tennessee safeties coach Anthony Poindexter.

“Coach Dex was a great guy,” Burks said. “I had heard great things about him leading up to the visit as well and he’s still impressed me. He still blew me away with how much he cares about me as well as the techniques and how he coaches the indy drills in practice and how he handle stuff going into the game as well.

“He showed some clips of Penn State from the past season when he was there, well, as well as some clips of Ohio State, and he showed me some clips of the rover, the boundary position, making plays and doing stuff that they that they saw me doing in this defense as well,” Burks said. “As well as his track history and the guys he’s helped get to the league. One of the things he said is it’s the player at the end of the day, and he can only take it so far and it’s up to the player to take himself to that next level. He’s just a guiding hand. We talked about the NFL as well as the teach tape and the drills he had as well.”
Click to expand...
Did not need to read any more!! If he is being truthful, we finally have a portal guy like we would like them all to be. That is, not just the money, but be being a VOL!!
 
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#9
#9
I am good with the Sunbelt Conference being a feeder into Tennessee. Especially with linemen on both sides of the ball and the occasional player that develops into a star at that level. These programs can be great landing spots for kids that can develop into GREAT football players that otherwise get overlooked in the highschool recruiting process. Also, the plus is they come into Tennessee with a lot of football played, even if it is at a lesser level.
 
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#15
#15
Hunerwadel said:
But can they tackle? I'm not joking. Last years defense was the worst tackling UT team I can remember. And I can remember a long time ago.
Click to expand...
Definitely up there. Some of Butch’s and Dooley’s D’s would beg to differ. That more than the scheme doomed Banks legacy.
 
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