Watch: Highlights of new Tennessee edge commitment Joshua Josephs

Tennessee picked up a commitment on Monday night, adding some much needed depth on the edge. Joshua Josephs picked the Volunteers over offers from Michigan, Penn State, Auburn, Florida State and several others. According to 247Sports, Josephs is a four-star prospect, ranking as the 19th edge defender in the class.

Tim Banks has a clear need for more bodies on the outside, and the 6-3, 215 pound Josephs fits the bill. As Clint pointed out on Monday, he’s a bit of a tweener-type prospect right now, lacking the weight to line up with a hand in the ground at defensive end. You can probably expect Tennessee to get right to work on filling out that frame upon arrival in Knoxville.

Josephs has some clear athletic ability, playing some in coverage and making some impact plays blocking field goals. He wins coming off of the edge with physicality, not necessarily speed or burst. His 82 inch wingspan offers some length, allowing him to shed blocks and make plays on the ball in the box.

Tennessee now has 15 commitments in their 2022 class, which ranks 27th nationally. Josh Heupel and his staff have been playing catch-up on this class all year, trying to quickly establish relationships in a new region. Certainly, the product that they’ve put on the field will help speed up that process.

The Early Signing Period begins in less than a month, set to begin on December 15th and run through December 17th.