Five-star defensive tackle Walter Nolen of Powell High School was back on the field Friday night at Karns for week three action.

The Tennessee target has continued working to get in better shape as the early season progresses. Nolen was out of commission for much of offseason workouts while figuring out where to play his senior season.

“I feel like my performance, it was alright,” the 2022 prospect said postgame. “It got the job done. We aren’t ever satisfied and have plenty of work to do for the rest of the season.”

Powell was victorious, 40-20, over nearby Karns High school – who entered the game 2-0 on the young season.

2023 tailback DeSean Bishop, who holds an offer from Tennessee, has been lights out thus far – rushing for over 600 yards with five touchdowns in only two games. Earlier this week, Bishop picked up an offer from Michigan State.

He was the focal point for Nolen and the Powell defensive game plan this week.

“I feel like Bishop prepared us more. He gave us the work day we needed in the run game,” Nolen said of the talented back. “I feel like we lived up to it, but there’s still stuff we can fix.”

The 6-foot-5, 300-pounder will not be in attendance for Tennessee’s next home game against Pitt on September 11 due to a prior obligation. However, the nation’s No. 2 overall player assured Volquest he’d be at ‘more than one’ Tennessee game this fall.

Still, Nolen had eyes on the Vols in Tennessee’s season-opening 38-6 win over Bowling Green. The defense allowed only two second quarter field goals in the victory while the front-seven corralled two sacks with 11 tackles for loss in the game.

“Man, coach [Tim] Banks. I don’t know what he has going on up there in the booth, but I like it. I like it,” Nolen said of the defensive performance. “With coach [Rodney] Garner, the proof is in the pudding. He said he was going to do what he did. He showed up.

“The d-line showed up. He showed up. You can just tell they were ready to play.”

With the calendar flipped to September and game one already in the books, the Tennessee coaching staff hit the road on Friday. Both Heupel and Garner were in attendance for part of the Powell/Karns game Friday night, but the head coach made a stop by Powell earlier in the day to speak with Nolen.

“He told me to just play hard tonight,” the five-star said of the conversation with Heupel. “He told me to not think about anything else – just to play hard and to play football.”

To see where else the Tennessee coaching staff was out and about Friday afternoon and evening, click here.

Last week, Nolen revealed his top-3 on social media – a group consisting of Texas A&M, Georgia and Tennessee. When asked of the latest on the trio and when a decision could be made, Nolen said ‘no comment’ before ending our conversation with, ‘at the same time, Go Vols.’

Nolen and the rest of the Powell Panthers will be back in action Friday at Science Hill. Fans can watch the five-star defensive tackle on television later in the fall on Rivalry Thursday when Powell hosts Catholic on October 21.