Tennessee’s 2021 recruiting class soared as high as second in the country in early summer, but the class has suffered a couple of blows of late with the recent de-commitments of four-star defensive back Damarius McGhee and four-star linebacker Terrence Lewis.
The Vols are on a five-game losing streak with Florida and Texas A&M ahead and fans are beginning to worry if the nucleus of this class can stay intact.
It appears as if it will, for now, as several Tennessee commits confirmed their stance with the Vols following Lewis’s decision to look elsewhere Monday night.
One of those was four-star tight end Miles Campbell.
“I think it’s better that you come in and make your own impact instead of being just another piece of a puzzle elsewhere,” Campbell told Volquest. “I want to add to the building of this program and knowing that I’m in position at tight end to come in and compete right away, I’m excited.
“I’ll be in a position to come in and make catches over the linebackers and be lined up on the line or in the slot. I need to focus on holding my own with those defensive ends and tackles, but I know I can make an impact with whoever is throwing the football.”
The Douglasville, Ga. native latched on with UT back in May and will join the likes of Rivals Top 50 prospect Hudson Wolfe in Knoxville. The two will be competing for tight end reps early on in 2021 and could likely see the field together in several packages.
“We both want to compete. If there’s a set that needs only one tight end, we both want it,” Campbell said. “We won’t shy away from competition because we are both highly-recruited prospects.”
The two tight ends have created quite a bond through the recruiting process and have linked up with fellow Tennessee commits Salter and Julian Nixon through group chat.
“We’re all just really excited,” Campbell said of his future teammates. “We are all opportunistic and eager for what’s ahead. We talk about that and really just anything. We are all getting to know each other and becoming friends.”
The 6-foot-4, 238-pound athlete speaks with his soon-to-be position coach Joe Osovet every week and offensive coordinator Jim Chaney about every two weeks. The conversations range in topics but also reassure the South Paulding standout of his status in the class and how he’ll be used in the offense.
“They can spread me out a little bit and create mismatches with linebackers and safeties in the slot,” Campbell noted. “But, we still have plenty of wide receivers returning and in this class, so I won’t need to be out wide too much.”
Campbell has put an emphasis on pass blocking this season while adding on eight pounds of muscle since summer.
And though his senior campaign as cut short a few weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Tennessee commit put forth a strong showing – gaining over 300 receiving yards and scoring touchdowns through the air, on the ground and in the kick return game.
“The season didn’t go as well as we wanted it to. We had an opportunity to win every game, but came up short in some,” Campbell concluded. “I did what I could with the targets I received. I’m super eager to get up to Tennessee and start this new journey.”
Campbell plans to sign on the first day of the early signing period on December 16 and will be an early enrollee.
