Three-star LB Elijah Herring commits to Tennessee, giving Josh Heupel his first 2022 commitment

It was a lengthy wait, but Tennessee has landed their first 2022 commitment under new head coach Josh Heupel. Elijah Herring, a three-star linebacker out of Murfreesboro, got the Volunteers started in the 2022 cycle.

He made the announcement via Twitter today.

Herring is heading into his senior season at Riverdale High School, a traditional power in the mid-state. The 6-2, 225 pound prospect is ranked as the 29th overall player in the state. Per the 247Sports Composite rankings, Herring is the 729th ranked player in the cycle currently.

Despite being ranked so low, Herring wasn’t short on offers. Michigan, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech and Kentucky each have an offer out to Herring, among others. Tennessee made its offer to him all the way back in 2019.

Linebacker is certainly a priority for this staff in the 2022 cycle, with numbers on the roster already struggling at the position. Now with Aaron Beasley’s status unknown going forward, the spot become even more of a focus.

New linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary is credited as the primary recruiter here, landing his first prospect at his own position.

Standing in at 6-2, Herring has the versatility to play on the outside as an edge rusher or on the inside as a traditional linebacker. At Riverdale, Herring primarily plays on the edge, and Tennessee certainly has a need at both positions.