'20 TN ATH Elijah Young (Missouri Commit)

#26
#26
Young holds 10 offers and after being designated an athlete — recruited as a tailback, slot receiver and corner — the 5-foot-9, 180-pound prospect has committed to playing tailback at the next level.

“I’m keep putting on weight, working on my quickness,” he said.

“I’m bouncing around 180-183. I’m going to add more weight, especially when I get to college. So I’m pretty decent right now.”

Speed has always been Young’s specialty, but the South Doyle product believes his added strength will allow him to “get down and dirty,” especially this fall.
“I can still go out in space. I’ll still be able to go out there in the slot in empty, motion, return kicks,” he explained, “but I can get dirty, too.”

Tennessee recently saw tailback Ebony Jackson decommit, and the Vols hope to sign two running backs in their current class. Tank Bigsby, the most impressive tailback at the event, is among the top targets, but Young feels like he’s in the mix for a spot, too. The Vols would love to see him workout this summer, especially at his newfound size.

“David Johnson is my guy,” he said.

“We talk a lot. I spoke to Jeremy Pruitt awhile ago. Coach Johnson always checks up on me. He’s straight up with me. He’s not going to sugar coat anything. He keeps it 100.”

Young plans to visit multiple schools this summer and then come to a decision around October or November. He currently plans to enroll early.
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-Simonton
 
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#29
#29
He wants to play RB. I think he’s similar to CFA but probably faster. I could see him as a change of pace back and receiver out of the back field. Additionally, he would be a pure gem on Special Teams with his speed.
 
#30
#30
gunner said:
He wants to play RB. I think he’s similar to CFA but probably faster. I could see him as a change of pace back and receiver out of the back field. Additionally, he would be a pure gem on Special Teams with his speed.
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What I was thinking. Almost Evan Berry type in the return game
 
#32
#32
VolInDayton said:
If only we knew what Evan Berry could have been on offense.
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Lot of gifted return specialists aren’t much to speak of as position players. Devin Hester and Mel Gray? Desmond Howard? Hard to know if the old staff missed or that it was another example. Remember reports saying that Evan was clueless trying to rush or receive out of a formation. Course same experts thought Kendrick was a legit SEC OL based on the former staff’s grading evaluations.
 
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#33
butchna said:
Lot of gifted return specialists aren’t much to speak of as position players. Devin Hester and Mel Gray? Desmond Howard? Hard to know if the old staff missed or that it was another example. Remember reports saying that Evan was clueless trying to rush or receive out of a formation. Course same experts thought Kendrick was a legit SEC OL based on the former staff’s grading evaluations.
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Return specialist are becoming a thing of the past with less importance on special team. It is possible that he wasnt great on offense but some many times the experts just go with what they are being told by the team since they have limited access during practice. I find it hard to believe Evan Berry looked "clueless". He grew up in a football family and played football his whole life.
 
#34
#34
VolInDayton said:
Return specialist are becoming a thing of the past with less importance on special team. It is possible that he wasnt great on offense but some many times the experts just go with what they are being told by the team since they have limited access during practice. I find it hard to believe Evan Berry looked "clueless". He grew up in a football family and played football his whole life.
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He was always the best athlete on the field...doesn’t guarantee continued success. That’s why Cordarelle Patterson doesn’t have HOF stats. Safe to say the examples I’ve given were return specialists...and gifted athletes. Eric is the only Berry with continued success as of this date.
 
#35
#35
butchna said:
He was always the best athlete on the field...doesn’t guarantee continued success. That’s why Cordarelle Patterson doesn’t have HOF stats. Safe to say the examples I’ve given were return specialists...and gifted athletes. Eric is the only Berry with continued success as of this date.
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Patterson was able to play RB and WR for a team that won the super bowl so I would say his athleticism transversed to playing offense.
 
#36
#36
VolInDayton said:
Patterson was able to play RB and WR for a team that won the super bowl so I would say his athleticism transversed to playing offense.
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You think Patterson is an accomplished position player in the NFL? No qualms with his route running? As a Bears fan, I hope that’s correct but the narrative in Chicago is that he was signed to boost the ST and be utilized in gadget plays. Belichick was able to start WR Troy Brown at CB when injuries hit the roster in the postseason...and won a Super Bowl. Just sayin.
 
#37
#37
butchna said:
You think Patterson is an accomplished position player in the NFL? No qualms with his route running? As a Bears fan, I hope that’s correct but the narrative in Chicago is that he was signed to boost the ST and be utilized in gadget plays. Belichick was able to start WR Troy Brown at CB when injuries hit the roster in the postseason...and won a Super Bowl. Just sayin.
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Better than Kevin White lol. Could be a better receiver but he doesnt stick around as long as he has if he isn't a NFL caliber wide receiver.
 
#38
#38
VolInDayton said:
Better than Kevin White lol. Could be a better receiver but he doesnt stick around as long as he has if he isn't a NFL caliber wide receiver.
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He does if he’s an elite returner...and he has. If he were considered a viable receiving threat, he’d still be a Viking...or at least a Raider.
 
#39
#39
butchna said:
You think Patterson is an accomplished position player in the NFL? No qualms with his route running? As a Bears fan, I hope that’s correct but the narrative in Chicago is that he was signed to boost the ST and be utilized in gadget plays. Belichick was able to start WR Troy Brown at CB when injuries hit the roster in the postseason...and won a Super Bowl. Just sayin.
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Dont forget CP was rushing goal line last year for the Pats. One of the most versatile players in NFL history.
 
#40
#40
bignewt said:
Dont forget CP was rushing goal line last year for the Pats. One of the most versatile players in NFL history.
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His versatility hinges on getting the ball on short passes or handoff and using his athleticism...kinda like a returner. Belichick and McDaniels are excellent at not outthinking the situation. Sounds like Nagy has a similar mindset.
 
#41
#41
butchna said:
His versatility hinges on getting the ball on short passes or handoff and using his athleticism...kinda like a returner. Belichick and McDaniels are excellent at not outthinking the situation. Sounds like Nagy has a similar mindset.
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Nagy with him as a weapon is something to watch if someone really knew how to use him he could be a real ace up the sleeve.
I thought what Green Bay did with Montgomery would change the thinking of what type running back the NFL would use or atleast explore it... i guarantee someone will pick that up eventually atleast as a sub package... ATL did it the year they went to the SB and I think Shanahan is trying to do it this year in SF...
 
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#42
#42
The four-star Class of 2020 all-purpose back from South-Doyle High School in Knoxville, Tenn., said he’s still “communicating with” Tennessee regularly, and the Vols are one of a few SEC programs recruiting him hardest among his 10 current offers, along with Kentucky and Mississippi State. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Young has made the short drive to Tennessee’s campus a number of times over the past two years, and he said he returned there last month to attend the Vols’ spring-ending Orange and White Game.

“It was a show,” Young said last week while attending The Opening Regional at Murfreesboro’s Blackman High School, reflecting on his most recent visit to Tennessee. “I was just looking at them. The running backs changed a lot.” Young said he recently has stayed in contact with Vols running backs coach David Johnson, and second-year Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt even reached out to Young before last week’s The Opening Regional. “I was talking to Pruitt earlier because he was telling me good luck on The Opening and everything, and he hopes I do good,” said Young, who was timed at 4.50 seconds in the 40-yard dash during the event. “We’ll catch up with each other at least every week. “They just want me to maintain what I’m doing.”

He said the Vols, like most of the teams currently involved with him, seem to be recruiting him as a running back. Young said Johnson likes “my speed” and the versatility he has shown on the field. “I can get down and dirty if I need to, head into the hole,” said Young, who’s ranked the No. 360 overall prospect and No. 6 all-purpose back in the industry-generated 247Sports Composite for the 2020 class. “He can see me out in the open and making a couple people miss with my explosiveness.”

While a handful of other teams are staying in more frequent contact with him, he said he's still high on Tennessee for multiple reasons. “I mean, (I like) just the community, the environment up there," Young said. “It’s just a vibe you can feel.” Young said he also visited Kentucky and Alabama this spring, and the Wildcats and Crimson Tide are among a handful of teams recruiting him hardest, along with Florida State, Mississippi State and Missouri. He attended a spring practice at Kentucky on April 6 before making his latest visit to Tennessee. “It’s a great coaching staff and everything,” Young said of the Wildcats. “I see the players care about each other a lot, and they’re just pushing each other to go harder.”

Florida State and Alabama are among the schools Young is likely to visit in the coming months, but he said he’s not rushing to make his college decision. “I will be enrolling early, so I’ll be graduating early," he said. “I’ll be making a decision about midway through the season.”
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-247
 
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#45
#45
Ron Swanson said:
Why doesn't he want to commit to UT right now?
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A couple of reasons, UT was originally recruiting him as a WR, not RB, Kentucky has offered him as a RB and promised him immediate playing time, and then there’s Alabama, they have visited him and he’s waiting on an offer. I’m not certain that Bama does offer but I hear they like his speed.
 
#48
#48
gunner said:
A couple of reasons, UT was originally recruiting him as a WR, not RB, Kentucky has offered him as a RB and promised him immediate playing time, and then there’s Alabama, they have visited him and he’s waiting on an offer. I’m not certain that Bama does offer but I hear they like his speed.
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Knoxville kid wanting a Bama offer? Sounds about right lately.
 
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