In the first two years under Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee has done a nice job working the margins of the roster, adding late additions (Bryce Thompson) and quality depth in preferred walk-ons.

Laurel Riley-Murphy was a standout defensive back at Caldwell County High in Kentucky, but the 2019 prospect still hadn’t decided on a home for the fall until today.

After a visit to Tennessee on Monday, the 6-foot-1, 165-pound corner, with opportunities to play at UT Chattanooga, Cincinnati and Western Kentucky, accepted a preferred walk-on spot with the Vols.

“It’s the SEC. It’s the best ball in the nation,” Latrel Riley-Murphy told VolQuest.

“Me and coach (Derrick) Ansley have had a relationship since he was back at Kentucky. I went to a camp and we built a relationship then. Then when he went to Alabama, it just grew. Then coach (Jeremiah) Wilson, who was at Chattanooga a couple months ago, was recruiting me hard. When he went to Tennessee, he hit me back up and we made that connection. That’s how we got up there.”

Riley-Murphy met with Wilson, Ansley and head coach Jeremy Pruitt, getting a tour of the campus and talking scheme with the defensive staff. The Kentucky native spent nearly a half an hour with Pruitt in his office, “talking football and life.”

“He liked me a lot. He told me I have a good chance contributing. They need depth.”

Riley-Murphy will graduate in late May and then arrive at Tennessee on May 28. The long defensive back is looking to make an immediate impact — both earning a scholarship and seeing the field.

“I’m walking on right now,” he said.

“They really like my game and said in my second year I could earn a scholarship. I have a chance to play early and add some depth. They like my size. I’m long and can cover.”