With an edge rusher headlining the 2021 NFL Draft class for Tennessee football in Darrell Taylor, it makes sense that the Vols would gain some ground with elite defensive ends on the recruiting trail that weekend. They made the cut for one such prospect the day after the draft ended.
Jahvaree Ritzie, four-star on Rivals out of Glenn High School in Kernersville, N.C., put the Vols in his top five. Ritzie is the No. 125 ranked player nationally and the No. 9 ranked player at his position and in the state of North Carolina.
Joining Tennessee football in the 6’5″ 265-pound strongside defensive end’s top five were the North Carolina Tar Heels, South Carolina Gamecocks, Georgia Bulldogs and Ohio State Buckeyes.