What in-state WR Walker Merrill brings to Tennessee Football

In-state wide receiver Walker Merrill announced his verbal commitment to Tennessee football, and he could be a threat for the Vols’ offense.

Last week, we saw Brentwood High School wide receiver Walker Merrill announce his top seven schools and Tennessee football was among the teams along with LSU, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Duke, and Wake Forest.

First off, for Tennessee to beat out the National Champions, LSU, and other SEC East foes, that’s very positive going into the 2021 class and even the 2020 season this fall.

I said last week that if Merrill wants to stay close to home, then Tennessee has the advantage over the other six teams, even Vanderbilt which is right down the road from Brentwood.

Turns out, Jeremy Pruitt and the Vols proved they offer more than Vandy and the other schools even all the way out in Knoxville, and Tennessee locked down Merrill with his verbal commitment.

If you missed it, Merrill said he picked Tennessee because “it’s home.” That’s the case for a lot of in-state recruits, especially in the past. Unfortunately, Tennessee hasn’t done a great job recruiting in-state in the past, but Pruitt is changing that.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound receiver is ranked No. 371 overall, the No. 61 wide receiver, and the No. 11 recruit in Tennessee, according to 247Sports Composite.

Merrill is a receiver who isn’t afraid to get hit, and he’s willing to take on a guy or two to gain a few extra yards. He’s able to break tackles and stay on his feet. When he steps between the hashes, he’s a fighter, and after seeing what Jauan Jennings did in Knoxville, I have a good feeling about Merrill.

He explodes off the ball and can use his athleticism to keep plays alive downfield if the quarterback has to scramble out of the pocket.

One thing he will need to work on over the next year is his speed, but he just finished his Junior season, so obviously he’s not going to have elite SEC speed quite yet.

We could see Harrison Bailey and Merrill team up in future years, and that could set up for a deadly combo. I really like the future of Tennessee’s offense so far, but there’s no reason to stop now. I think Pruitt is going to continue to top his previous accomplishments year after year, and we’re in for a very good surprise in Tennessee’s future in recruiting.