New Tennessee co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Anthony Poindexter is already hard at work on the recruiting trail, and it appears that he’s targeting an in-state prospect from the 2027 class.
Dallas Pauldo, a two-way player from Rockvale High School in Murfreesboro, TN, posted to X on Thursday that he has received a scholarship offer from Tennessee after a “great conversation” with Poindexter.
Pauldo does not currently have a star rating on 247Sports’ website, but it does list the 6-foot-5 prospect as an EDGE rusher. Pauldo’s X profile says that he is a defensive end and tight end.
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While we await the star rating to eventually come in, it’s clear that Pauldo is getting some SEC attention lately. In the last week, Pauldo has posted online about receiving scholarship offers from Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Missouri, and Georgia. The Missouri one is interesting, too. According to 247Sports, the Tigers’ lead recruiter on Pauldo is Levorn “Chop” Harbin, who was Tennessee’s LEOs coach last season before the offseason staff overhaul.
Tennessee brought in Poindexter as part of a major staff makeover this offseason. Poindexter spent the last four seasons as the Nittany Lions’ co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach, the last of which was directly under new UT defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Poindexter is a highly successful former collegiate player at Virginia and was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 1998. He also won Super Bowl XXXV with the Baltimore Ravents.
Poindexter is a coach with a strong ability to connect with his players. His former Penn State linebacker, Tony Rojas, was bummed out to see him leave Happy Valley after he was hired by Tennessee.
“This one hurt,” Rojas posted to X in January, reacting to Poindexter’s departure news. “One of the rarest coaches I’ve seen actually care for us and build a genuine relationship with every player. Appreciate you and love you coach.”
Tennessee signed 27 players in the 2026 class and found success recruiting the defensive line. Among Tennessee’s signees are four-star DL Carter Gooden, four-star EDGE Zach Groves, four-star DL Jordan Carter, four-star DL Dereon Albert, three-star EDGE Hezekiah Harris, three-star EDGE CJ Edwards, three-star DL Darryl Rivers, and three-star DL NicQuayvion Simmons.
247Sports currently lists Tennessee’s 2026 signing class at No. 9 in the nation.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee Football recruiting news.
