Tennessee Football is targeting Class of 2025 Ensworth High School defensive lineman Ethan Utley out of Nashville, Tennessee. The Vols are working hard to keep the top talent in the state of Tennessee and received uplifting news in that department on Tuesday afternoon.
On Tuesday, Utley tweeted out a Top 12 consisting of six teams from the SEC: Tennessee, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Florida, Texas A&M, Georgia, Michigan, Miami, North Carolina, Penn State, Texas, and Oklahoma.
“Recruitment still 110% open,” Utley tweeted out with his list.
RECRUITMENT STILL 110% OPEN ‼️ @CoachMikeElston @CoachBoUT @SpenceChaos @TravionScott @coachg76 @Coach_MannyDiaz @Coach_LBJ_ @CoachE_TAMU @CoachToddBates @CoachJsalavea @warriordad4 @DLCoachGarrett pic.twitter.com/eauuuTqx8r
— Ethan Utley (@EthanUtley1) July 4, 2023
The 6-foot-4, 260-pound prospect is one of the highest-rated prospects from the Volunteer State. All four of the major publications in 247 Sports, Rivals, On3 Sports, and ESPN have Utley ranked as a four-star prospect and as a Top 10 player from the state of Tennessee.
Additionally, 247 Sports composite rankings have Utley as the No. 133 player in the class of 2025, the No. 16 defensive lineman, and the No. 4 player from the state of Tennessee.
A reoccurring trend for the trench players that Tennessee is targeting on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball is being a multi-sport athlete. The Vols recently received a commitment from four-star offensive lineman Max Anderson, who doubles as a star shot put and discus athlete in Frisco, Texas. Utley, on the other hand, is also a strong player in that field. According to 247, Utley recorded a “39-2.5 shot put and a 113-10 discus as a freshman in Spring 2022.”
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Despite it being early in the Class of 2025’s recruiting cycle, Utley has been loading up on scholarship offers with 37 so far.
The good news for Tennessee, though, is that the home-state team looks to be leading the race. On3 Sports’ Recruiting Prediction Machine has Tennessee leading the way at a slim 24.2 percent with LSU, Florida, and Texas A&M all behind with less than 15 percent.
Five of the 15 players that are currently committed to Tennessee’s 2024 class come from the Volunteer State. Additionally, seven of the Vols’ 26 enrollees from the class of 2023 were also from the state of Tennessee. As the Vols continue to establish themselves as a quality and consistent program, Tennessee will also look to lock down the state borders.
While the 2024 recruiting cycle is still in full swing, the class of 2025 prospects are starting to make some noise on the trail. In addition to Utley, Tennessee landed in “Top X” lists from Class of 2025 linebacker DJ McClary on Monday and 2025 running back Justin Baker on Tuesday.
Despite being ranked highly early in his recruitment, Ethan Utley feels like the sort of recruit that could continue to rise in the rankings as more and more analysts flip their full attention to the class of 2025 down the road. The Vols will have to battle against current and future SEC foes for Utley’s commitment, but Tennessee does look to be in solid shape early into the process.
