Riverdale's Elijah Herring has Vols in top-4
With the bulk of the 2021 cycle in the review mirror, Tennessee will begin shifting focus to the Class of 2022 – especially one that features a great deal of in-state talent.
Three-star outside linebacker Elijah Herring of Riverdale High School is a name that’s been on Tennessee’s radar a while.
“It’s going well,” Herring said of his relationship with the Vols’ coaching staff. “We talk sometimes twice a week – a lot over the course of a month. I mostly talk with coach DA [Derrick Ansley] and coach [Jeremy] Pruitt. I sometimes speak with coach [Brian] Niedermeyer, too.”
Herring stands in at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds and has 10 offers to date. Tennessee jumped in early while Duke joined the party here recently. The Vols, along with fellow Southeastern Conference foe Mississippi State are showing the most interest so far.
Other teams who have offered include Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Arizona State and Coastal Carolina.
On Christmas Day, Herring released a top-four with Tennessee firmly in the mix.
“I love how hard they always play and I love how they play a lot of guys,” Herring said of Tennessee in 2020. “They are very multiple with their schemes and fronts. I really like how they can change up what they want to do.”
Herring plays the edge in a 3-4 scheme and routinely rushes the quarterback. With his size and athleticism, he’s often a mismatch at the high school level – using his size and frame alone. Still, the Murfreesboro, Tenn. native holds himself to a high standard.
“I played well this past season, but not up to my standards. I set lofty goals for myself and I expect to reach them,” the prospect said of himself. “Tennessee likes the way I get off the ball and how I get off blockers. They really like how well I move and run to the football.”
The linebacker has been clocked as fast as 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash and plays for the Tennessee Select in a 7-on-7 league.
“Recruiting has been good this past year. I look forward to taking visits once they allow it again, but I’ve still enjoyed the process,” Herring said. “Coach Pruitt seems like a laid back person. He knows football because he had so much success at Alabama and places before.
“I can tell he knows football.”
Herring grew up in Georgia before moving to Middle Tennessee four years ago. The Bulldogs aren’t heavily involved in the prospect right now, but Herring did grow up a Georgia fan.
Riverdale finished the season with a 10-3 record before bowing out in the third round of the 6-A state playoffs to eventual champs Oakland. Herring finished the junior campaign with All-Region honors.
The rising senior plans to get with a trainer in the offseason to work on specific things to enhance his game prior to next football season. That, along with lots of field work, will be on the docket this winter and spring.
“It’s a blessing and somewhat crazy to even think about how fast this time has passed,” Herring said of the Early Signing Period now being just a year away for his class. “I’d really like to commit sometime this summer, sign in December and be an early enrollee.
“Tennessee is definitely one of my top schools right now.”
