Tennessee a contender for 2020 five-star tight end Darnell Washington

Tennessee has made the initial cut for five-star athlete Darnell Washington, who named his top 12 on Monday afternoon. The 2020 prospect out of Las Vegas, Nevada included the Vols, along with Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Oregon and Penn State.

Washington is listed as an athlete by 247 Sports, but is likely a tight end at the college level. With a 6-7, 248 pound frame to work with, Washington could end up being a matchup nightmare from day one. He ran an impressive 4.78 40 yard dash at The Opening regionals in February.

He’s listed as the 14th overall prospect in the 247 Sports Composite Rankings, the top player out of the state of Nevada.

Despite living out west, Washington took a number of visits this spring, including one to Knoxville on March 30th. He visited the Vols last summer as well, just days after picking up his Tennessee offer.

Washington also saw Miami, Alabama, Florida, Oregon, Georgia and Penn State this spring.

If you’re looking for a little bit of confidence in this scenario, consider the fact that Tennessee has Brian Niedermeyer — the national recruiter of the year — on Washington. We’ll see if Washington is his next big catch.