Tennessee football signed its best recruiting class yet under Josh Heupel on Wednesday. The group, spanning across the country and into Canada, ranked as a top-10 class across all platforms and even dipped inside the top-four on 247.
TJ White, one of the top defensive signings in the cycle for the Vols, is now earning hardware for his impressive season. The four-star linebacker has been named the Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year. He is the No. 3-ranked player from the state on 247 and is considered the No. 41 recruit in the country.
According to Gatorade, he recorded 88 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 12 sacks this season for Jackson Academy. He helped his team earn an 11-1 record and the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools Class 6A tournament championship, as well.
This earned him the award over other top prospects from the state, including UT signees wide receiver Tristen Keys and defensive lineman Dereon Albert. It’s worth noting that Keys did deal with injury this year, though.
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“TJ has great physical traits; he is long, he is fast and he has the best three-step acceleration into a tackle that I’ve seen,” said David Duggan, head coach of Jackson Academy in a statement. “He can rush the passer, he can drop into coverage and he can play man-to-man. Combine that with a high football IQ and all of those skills will translate at the next level.”
The selection process for the award is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which ‘leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the winners in each sport.’
Each Player of the Year receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. The Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $6.4 million in grants to winners across more than 2,200 organizations, according to Gatorade.
