Anquin Barnes has seen plenty of Tennessee over the past few months. The Class of 2021 defensive tackle from Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery, Ala., visited the Vols twice in a span of a little more than a week in late May and early June, and he found himself back in Knoxville again Saturday to attend Tennessee’s pool party.
The 6-foot-5, 299-pound Barnes said he “enjoyed” the visit, and while it’s still early in his recruitment, he likes “everything” he has seen and heard from Tennessee during his three visits with the Vols. “I like the environment and the way the coaches and players react and talk with me,” said Barnes, who has received early scholarship offers from more than a half-dozen schools, including Tennessee, Auburn, West Virginia and Toledo.
Barnes traveled to Tennessee for the first time May 31 to attend the Vols’ first camp of the year, earning an offer from them with a strong showing at the camp, and returned a little more than a week later with one of his friends: three-star offensive lineman
James Robinson, who announced his commitment to Tennessee on Thursday. After his pair of earlier visits with the Vols, he said he enjoyed spending time with some of Tennessee’s coaches and players, along with other recruits, in a laid-back setting during Saturday’s visit.
“Saturday was more like a cool, chill day,” said Barnes, who has yet to be rated by 247Sports and in the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. "It was a day to have fun and get to know the players and coaches better. “I spent most (of the) time with the players, and the coaches were really just telling me to have fun and enjoy myself.” Barnes said Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt’s staff told him to simply “relax and have a good time” and “get to know everybody” while he was in Knoxville last weekend.
Tennessee’s coaches have impressed Barnes so far. “They’re pretty much straightforward,” he said. They pretty much don’t sugarcoat it. They tell you what it is and what you need to do.” While Barnes already has spent plenty of time at Tennessee recently, he said he’s hoping to return to Knoxville yet again to see one of the Vols’ home games this season.
Tennessee is one of the schools that already have caught his attention, and it doesn’t hurt that one of his friends, Robinson, now is committed to the Vols. Barnes admitted “it would be cool” to join Robinson at Tennessee, but he doesn’t expect Robinson’s commitment to steer him toward the Vols or play a major role in where he ultimately decides to play. “I had a good thought that he was going to Tennessee, so I wasn’t really surprised,” Barnes said of Robinson. “It won’t really be a big deal in my interest (in) UT, but it would be cool playing with him at the college level.”
