Shifty Will Shipley shining this spring

CHARLOTTE — Matthews, North Carolina running back Will Shipley is one of the more intriguing prospects in the 2021 class. The dynamic athlete plays all over the field on Friday nights and has seen plenty interest early in his recruiting process.

"It's been awesome," Shipley said. "I started getting offers during my freshman year. It started to stack up during my sophomore year and I've just been really blessed to have a head coach that gets my name out and gets me exposure. Schools have liked what they see."

One of the schools to offer Shipley early on was Tennessee. His interest level in Rocky Top has grown considerably in recent months, with Tennessee working to get him on campus this summer.

"I know Tennessee is on the come up," Shipley said. "I know they have struggled the last couple of years, but with a new head coach that is changing. I talk to coach Weinke a lot, and he has put the vision in my mind so I'm looking forward to watching them this fall."

And it's been Weinke who has thrived since moving recruiting territories into the Charlotte area where he played in the NFL. His conversations with Shipley have put Tennessee in the mix.

"He's been awesome," Shipley said. "Being able to talk to a Heisman winner is really cool. He sees the vision of what I can do at Tennessee. He lets me know all that I could contribute to the team and what the environment is like."

Shipley is 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds. He's quick and plenty explosive. If you ask him what he is, he is quick to point out that he's just a football player.

"I feel like I can do anything on the field," Shipley said. "I can play running back or you can put me at slot. You can put me on the defensive side of the ball and I'm not going to complain. I feel like you put me on special teams or anywhere on the field and I can help contribute and make an impact."

Most like him on the offensive side of the ball with his ability to play running back or slot receiver. Catching the ball is something that he feels like separates him from others players of his skill-set.

"I usually go with our quarterback three or four times a week during the off-season," Shipley said. "We go before or after school to keep my hands fresh and his arm fresh. I think that's what sets me apart is being able to split out and catch the ball out of the backfield."

Having Christian McCaffrey playing for the near by Panthers has been a treat, as Shipley loves to model his game after the former Stanford star.

"He's my favorite NFL player," Shipley said. "I love how he does it. I try to resemble my game after his and how he plays. Just having that as a role model and having someone like that in this region to watch is awesome for me."