2018 defenders like what they have seen from Tennessee

Defensive lineman KJ Henry is seeing his recruitment blow up this spring as he piles up offers from Power 5 Schools.

One program that has long been recruiting Henry is Tennessee and the 6-foot-5, 210-pound defensive end visited the Vols last fall to see them take on Oklahoma. The game left a lasting impression.

“I went to the Tennessee-Oklahoma game. It’s crazy,” Henry said. “That was the game they broke the record for most sound. And as a football player you love hearing things like that. It’s a great environment over there.”

Henry was able to spend time with the coaching staff and around the team and came away with a solid takeaway.

“They’re all about the players over there,” Henry explained. “They do everything for Tennessee and that’s pretty cool.”

Henry has kept in touch with Tennessee defensive line coach Steve Stripling and he likes the veteran’s approach.

“He’s just a cool, down-to-earth guy,” Henry said. “He’s going to be honest with you and as you go through this process you want guys like that. I see he wants success for me and every time I go over there I try to connect with him more and more.”

Henry knows current Tennessee defensive lineman Shy Tuttle, as they are both from the Winston-Salem, N.C., area, and he understands why the rising sophomore defensive tackle chose Tennessee.

“It being close to home, I’m definitely going to consider them,” Henry said. “That’s a factor they definitely have in their advantage. It’s an SEC school so I definitely like going over there and meeting them.

“I can tell from what he’s saying why he likes that place. I definitely want to get back out there and see them again.”

Henry, a class of 2018 product, already has offers from Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and many more programs.

Virginia Beach, Va., linebacker Teradja Mitchell already knows a good deal about the Vols despite being a class of 2018 product.

He's already visited Knoxville twice and now has a close friend committed to the Vols in the form of 2017 defensive tackle Eric Crosby.

“I like the team. They win and that’s a great thing," Mitchell said. "Then, the coaches, I have good relationships with them, especially the defensive staff. And I’ve gotten to know some players so that’s good.”

Mitchell mainly keeps in touch with area recruiter Zach Azzanni as well as linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen. And the last time he was in Knoxville he was able to learn what it was like to be a Vol linebacker.

"I have a good relationship with coach Z. And I’ve talked with coach Thigpen the last time I was down there and they had me in some of the position meetings. It was different. Like the calls and stuff are different and everything is more intense.”