Impact Analysis: Aaron Willis
Make it a double-shot from St. Frances Academy, please.
— Jeremy Pruitt, somewhere in East Tennessee.
A day teammate Katron Evans picked the Vols, 4-star linebacker Aaron Wilis joined the Orange & White commitment party on Mother’s Day, choosing UT over Maryland, LSU and others.
The Baltimore (Md.) native is a star at St. Frances Academy, the same powerhouse program that produced UT early enrollee Dominic Bailey last cycle as well.
Despite being a bit undersized (6-foot, 200 pounds), Willis is Top 100 prospect and a thumper at inside linebacker who could form a lethal duo with recent commit 4-star Terrence Lewis. He is now the 20th member of the 2021 class.
Here’s a closer look at what Willis’ addition means…
SCOUTING REPORT
“There’s a lot to like about the way Aaron Willis plays. He isn’t the biggest linebacker, but he flies to the football and reading running lanes. He arrives with bad intentions. He’s a big hitter despite not being the biggest linebacker out there.”
— Adam Friedman, Rivals Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst
HOW WILLIS FITS IN WITH THE VOLS?
Willis played more outside linebacker for St. Frances, but the DMV standout projects as an inside guy in Tennessee’s hybrid 3-4/4-3 scheme. He showcases excellent athleticism, instincts, especially against the run, and is a lethal tackler for a HS prospect. Willis is not all that dissimilar from star freshman Henry To’oto’o, who also came to Tennessee from a storied, developmental program. Friedman also sees a comp with another talented freshman linebacker from 2019.
“I expect him to push for playing time fairly early, similarly to what Shane Lee did at Alabama and being able to step in and make an impact right away,” he said. “You never know when it comes to this ever-changing depth chart at Tennessee. It was a good job by the Vols to land a highly-rated prospect coming out of a very talented program like St. Frances.”
WHAT DOES WILLIS’ COMMITMENT MEAN FOR TENNESSEE?
Willis is now the second true linebacker in the 2021 class, joining Lewis. The Vols also have 4-star edge rusher Dylan Brooks in the fold, too. They want more bodies at both spots now though.
Although the Vols currently have 19 commits, several key targets at inside and outside linebacker remain on the board. The biggest fish is Smael Mondon, but UT has a ton of competition there for the 5-star Peach State native, with Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Oklahoma all heavily in the mix.
Other names to watch include Junior Colson, an in-state talent from Ravenwood who is set to decide between UT and Michigan, Alabama native Jeremiah Williams and North Carolina pass rusher Travail Price.
Also, Willis' addition gives UT its fourth Top 100 prospect in the class, joining Lewis, Brooks and tailback Cody Brown — all who have committed in the last two weeks.