Alabama LB commit considering Tennessee 'very, very, strongly'
Quay Walker only visited Tennessee this weekend “because of coach (Jeremy) Pruitt.”
While the Alabama linebacker commit may not have given serious thought about playing for the Vols before arriving on Rocky Top, he certainly is after leaving Knoxville.
The 4-star prospect from Cordele, Ga., remains committed the Crimson Tide, but Walker openly admits that’s unlikely to hold since Pruitt and lead recruiter Derrick Ansley is no longer in Tuscaloosa.
Instead, Tennessee’s first-year head coach has assembled a staff Walker is intimately familiar with — Kevin Sherrer from Georgia, Chris Rumph from Florida, Tracy Rocker from Georgia and Charles Kelly from Florida State — and Walker got the opportunity to spend some quality time with all five recruiters under one roof this weekend during his official visit.
“I have a great relationship with everyone up there,” Walker said, who saw Rocky Top for the first time.
“Everything was nice. “The facilities. The people. I enjoyed it. It shocked me with everything. The only reason I went up to Tennessee was because of coach Pruitt, but I just believe in everything they’re about to do. I know Tennessee will be back on the right track in the next year or the year after that.”
So where do things stand with the Under Armour All-American now?
“Tennessee has made its up way,” he said. “Tennessee is a school that I’m considering very, very strongly right now.”
In a short interview, Walker consistently talked about the trust and togetherness at Tennessee. He raved about his relationships with the new staff, but also “the people” at the school.
“I didn’t know Tennessee had good people like that. Everybody is friendly,” Walker said. “I know for a fact I can trust they coaches. Out of everybody, I know if I go to Tennessee I can go to talk to anybody on the staff.”
During his visit, Walker got his first look at Tennessee's new dorms, the weight room and Neyland Stadium. He “went everywhere” with new outside linebacker commit JJ Peterson, who told VolQuest earlier Sunday that the Vols “had a good shot” at flipping Walker.
Walker chuckled at that remark, but did acknowledge that he considers Peterson “like a brother already” and thinks the two could create real havoc on a defense together in college.
“Me and JJ, how we play, our style, I think we’re very similar,” said Walker, who measured in at 6-foot-4, 236 pounds.
“Me and him both being so big and how we run and everything, me and his games are so similar. I didn't really know JJ until the Big Cat weekend at Auburn and ever since then we’ve been talking. Our relationship is getting better and better.”
Walker is a legit 3-down linebacker, with an ability to stop the run, cover tight ends and rush the passer. He said he spent a good portion of the visit talking with Rumph and Sherrer about how he’d be utilized at Tennessee — with the new staff comparing Walker’s skill-set to a former Top 10 pick from Georgia.
“We watched some film on Leonard Floyd because that’s who they said I remind them of,” Walker said.
“First and second down I’d be inside, third down pass rushing outside.”
Coming out of the trip, Walker decided to shuffle his official visit plans. The Alabama commit will actually visit the Tide next weekend, bumping Florida off his schedule. He also has visits set for Auburn and Georgia.
He plans on making a final decision on National Signing Day, and as he headed back to the Peach State, he said Tennessee was definitely on his mind.
"I got people I can trust down here. That’s the main thing,” he said.
“They pretty much said since it’s new coaches and everything everybody got to come in there and compete. I’d be up there competing with the 1s and everything. I’m looking forward to it.