2023 Vol commit out to prove he's 'that dude' this fall

Tony Mitchell committed to Tennessee in early June and the 2023 athlete from Birmingham (Ala.) was back in Knoxville on Saturday for the Vols’ invite-only pool party.

The rising ninth grader earned a Tennessee offer this summer following a strong camp performance, where the 6-foot, 185-pound defensive back showcased his technique and athleticism. Mitchell also holds scholarships from Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky and LSU, among others.

With four years of high school football in front of him, Mitchell admits his recruitment isn’t totally shutdown, but “right now I just really like it here at Tennessee.”

“It’s a great place to be,” he added. “The coaches, players they all treat me the same. They talk to me just like they did before I committed.”

Mitchell spent most of Saturday’s pool party chatting with various prospects and cracking jokes with assistants Brian Niedermeyer and Derrick Ansley.

“They’re real fun. We can just have conversations,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell starts his first true season of high school football in the coming weeks, and despite just being a freshman, he projects to start at corner for Thompson. He’s spent the summer digesting highlights of Denzel Ward and Derek Stingley Jr., his two favorite players at the position, and taking those lessons to the field in camp and 7-on-7 settings.

“They both have that dog in them. I really like their technique and how they play the game with aggressiveness. I just try to model my game after them,” he said.

Asked what his goals are this fall, Mitchell answered bluntly and confidently, saying, “You’ll see me lock up a lot of people. I want to show people that I can really play. That I’m not just some eighth grader who’s just getting offers. I’m going to show that I can really hang with older kids and that’s I’m really that dude.”