Tennessee continued its defensive recruiting momentum on Friday, gaining the commit of three-star defensive end Tyree Weathersby of Douglasville, Ga. The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder visited Knoxville multiple times after picking up an offer in January and chose the Big Orange over a Final Four that included Kentucky, Mississippi State and South Carolina as well.

The New Manchester standout becomes the 13th commit for the Vols’ class of 2023, the eighth on the defensive side of the football and the third defensive linemen. Weathersby now joins a d-line grouping with four-star Trevor Duncan and three-star Nathan Robinson.

Weathersby is now the third new pledge stemming from recruits who were on the final official visit weekend – just days ago – as John Slaughter and Jeremiah Telander committed earlier this week.

Here’s a detailed look at what Weathersby’s commitment means for Tennessee.

“He’s an explosive player with unlimited potential. He’s got a lot of raw talent and I think he’s going to be a great player. He’s really grown in the area of leadership when it comes to leading by example. He’s a very quiet guy, but that’s something we have been challenging him with this year in becoming more vocal. It doesn’t come natural to him – but he’s leading by example and becoming more vocal.

He does whatever we ask him to do. He just wants to win and go out there and perform every time. To be able to coach guys like that who will do anything on the field, it makes the job easy.”

-- Cedrick Jackson, New Manchester head football coach

It’s easy to see why Tennessee’s new commit picked up a ton of interest earlier this year. His junior year tape is impressive, ending with All-State Honorable Mentions honors. Weathersby is a lightning rod on the field, makes a habit living in the backfield and utilizes his strength and athleticism to bring down quarterbacks and running backs behind the line of scrimmage.

A defensive end, Weathersby is at home with his hand in the dirt. He usually play’s the five-technique but can slide inside when needed. The athlete can also stand up and rush from a two-point stance off the edge in passing situations. He’s a jack-of-all-trades at the prep level and has tons of ability that will translate well to the next level.

On tape, the defensive end is seen playing in multiple schemes. He displays great use of his hands when attacking offensive linemen. He’s strong with the bullrush and keeps low while splitting double-teams. His punch is good and he squeezes down the end man on the line of scrimmage, allowing his linebackers to run free and make plays.

One of the best things about Weathersby is his motor. It’s always running high and his speed allows him to track down tackles from the backside on routine. That speed is a great weapon on special teams as he is often the first man down the field on kickoff team, weighing 250 pounds. He plays tight end on offense and blocks very well.

Weathersby’s tape shows that he is a selfless player and that is a great starting point when moving up into SEC play.

It gives Tennessee three defensive linemen in the class already and 13 commits as we enter the month of July. The Vols are on pace to build a very balanced class, adding defensive linemen with lots of athleticism and with room to put good weight on. With Weathersby now a part of the class, Hunter Osborne and TJ Searcy remain priorities on the defensive front, along with edge rushers Chandavian Bradley and Rico Walker.

Tennessee will part ways with redshirt seniors Kurott Garland and LaTrell Bumphus following the 2022 campaign. Roman Harrison and Byron Young will be seniors this upcoming season, but the Vols are still set to return a heavy dose on the defensive line for 2023 in Tyler Baron, Omari Thomas, Elijah Simmons, DJ Terry, Jordan Phillips, Tyree West, Jayson Jenkins, Dominic Bailey, Amari McNeill and Bryson Eason.

Look for Weathersby to come in and compete for a spot in the rotation next season, but more than anything, he’ll add some quality depth to a position that needs a lot of ready bodies. Because of his athleticism and speed, the new commit could be used in pass-rushing situation packages and on special teams right away.