Tennessee dipped into the state of Ohio for their latest recruiting win, as 3-star tight end Brody Foley announced that he’s committing to the Volunteers.
The 247Sports Composite Rankings have him as the 537th overall player in the country and the 28th best tight end. He hails from Anderson High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Tennessee had been involved with him for quite some time, and many expected a commitment in the next few months. Instead, Foley surprised everyone and announced his intention Saturday morning.
Foley is a bit of a Swiss Army knife for his high school right now. His tape has examples of him playing tight end, wide receiver, and even some H-back responsibilities. Most exciting for Tennessee fans is how natural he looks at each position. Foley is a well rounded player who doesn’t have a clear “weak spot” when it comes to his game. Some of his weaker areas (like route running) you expect to improve in college when he’s focusing on a single position.
The only real knock would be his lack of top tier athleticism. Foley won’t blow past anyone or force a defensive coordinator to focus on his side. Instead, you’re banking on him fully developing into the tight end role and providing you with a mean blocker and reliable receiver.
In order to do that, Foley will need to bulk up a little. Right now he stands at 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, which is certainly on the lighter side for someone you expect to contribute on the line. It’s not too much of a hurdle, but it likely means Foley won’t be playing much his freshman year (unless he undergoes serious gains in his senior season).
It remains to be seen how many tight ends the new staff will keep on the roster. For now, Foley is the first tight end commit of the class, but don’t be shocked if Tennessee took one more to help beef up the numbers.