Underrated pass rusher Deontae Craig taking official visit to Tennessee during Orange and White game weekend

Since Jeremy Pruitt arrived at Tennessee, he’s been in search of edge rushers to really make his defense pop. To this point, it’s really been the one position on the roster that he hasn’t been able to improve. We wrote yesterday about Tennessee’s pursuit of in-state pass rusher Reggie Grimes, but today there’s a new name to officially monitor.

Deontae Craig, a three-star edge prospect from Indiana, is set to visit Knoxville this weekend during the Orange and White Game. Craig made the announcement last night, noting that this will count as one of his official visits.

The 6-4, 230 pound potential edge rusher has all the measurements needed to be an impact player at the next level. In high school, he played a lot on the interior, using his quick first step and impressive burst to cause disruptions in the backfield. Coaches say he has the ability to bulk up or stay where he’s at, which gives him some position flexibility at the college level.

Just a few minutes into Craig’s tape, it became obvious that he’s being underrated by the recruiting services right now. His offer list doesn’t exactly read like a three-star prospect, either.

Craig currently sits as the 684th ranked prospect in the country, according to 247 Sports. However, Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State each sit in his top schools of interest. Each of those offers came back in February. Tennessee made their offer in August of 2018, checking in as one of Craig’s first major offers.

The 2020 prospect will see Neyland Stadium under the lights during the Orange and White Game on Saturday. It will be interesting to see if the Vols can hang with the northern schools through the summer here.

With the offers that have come Craig’s way, you can probably expect to see him jump up the recruiting rankings soon.