One of the first stops members of the Tennessee football staff made this week was in Detroit to check in on Cass Tech standout, Masai Reddick.

“Coach [Tim] Banks and coach [Glen] Elarbee came up to see me,” the Tennessee commit said. “We all just sat down and talked together, watched the game and ate. We talked about football and how things were going to go in the coming weeks with Signing Day on December 15.

“They were telling me how it was going to go with me coming into the program. They were saying how excited they were to have me. It was a really good day.”

It’s unclear exactly which day the 6-foot-3, 280-pound offensive lineman will sign, but it will be during the Early Singing portion of the recruiting calendar. The plan is to have a routine celebration of sorts at the school.

“From how I feel, they are really excited to get me into the building,” Redick said of the Vol staff. “They said they can’t wait to get me a playbook and for me to get used to the plays. They are eager to get me training and into the culture. They want me to bring what I have individually and add on to what they already have in that room.

“They already have some great guys who are ready to get down to work in preparation for a bowl game, championship or whatever. Those guys are ready to work and they are ready to get me in there and for me to do what I do best and to add on to it.”

The Wolverine State native will slide into the interior when arriving in Knoxville before potentially moving outside to tackle later on in his career. With a bevy of experienced returners back on the roster for next season, Reddick is excited to learn from the likes of Jerome Carvin, Javontez Spraggins, Ollie Lane and others at guard.

“I’ve already picked up on a lot from those guys – the biggest thing probably being the overall effort they put into everything,” the commit said. “Effort is a big thing for me and to see those guys add even more sauce to what is going on, there was a lot to take from it.

“In seeing that, I know that’s how my game is going to have to be – playing with some extra sauce and ‘oomph’. Really, just that extra bit of aggression that’s needed. This is the SEC - big stage, big plays and big guys. You’ve got to make sure you finish every block that you have. Watching those guys has been amazing.”

Reddick also enjoyed watching the offensive line play with ‘excitement’ this season.

“Everything from pass blocking, screen plays, inside zone, outside zone. Any type of base block, second-level blocks, knockdown blocks, pancake blocks – everything was there,” the 2022 prospect said. “Anything I wanted to see, I was seeing. So, I was extremely excited and happy to see those guys play.”

Tennessee ran the fastest offense in the country this past season at 2.94 plays per minute. Reddick has experience operating inside a fast-paced system as well at Cass Tech. The thinking is the adjustment won’t be as much of a shock compared to a brand-new player in the scheme.

Reddick joined the class on July 2 and really likes the way this group is coming together under Josh Heupel’s first ‘true’ recruiting class.

“We are just a bunch of guys who are ready to get to work as soon as possible,” the lineman said of the group of 15. “That’s what I’m most excited about. I’m grinning ear-to-ear just talking about it right now. I’m pumped to get in there and get to work with all my guys.

“We are going to give everything we have to Tennessee. Trying to get as many wins as possible, win bowl games and win championships. That’s the biggest goal. I’m a puzzle piece. My job is to keep the team together and be a team player, be a leader in my class. If I can do that, if we can all do that, I think this class will be very monumental.”

Reddick, who signs in the next two weeks with Tennessee, won’t be an early enrollee. Instead, he’ll be a part of the crop of players reporting in June for summer workouts and class. Most schools have backed off in their recruitment of Reddick, knowing he’s Volunteer bound – though Kentucky still tries on occasion.

“All schools know that I’m solid in my decision,” the three-star said in conclusion. “I know where I’m going and I’m 1,000% solid in my decision.”