Bennett Warren Signs With Tennessee
Early national signing day is upon us, and the Tennessee Volunteers are hoping to finish strong. They've recruited at a high rate under head coach Josh Heupel and brought in some major difference-makers in their 2023 signing class. Volunteer Country will provide readers with an in-depth breakdown of each signee.
Offensive tackle Bennett Warren is the twelfth commit to turn in their national letter of intent. He is the No. 148 player in the cycle, according to 247Sports Composite Rankings. Take a look at what the Vols are getting.
Prospect: Bennett Warren
Projected Position: Offensive Tackle
Vitals: 6-7.5 and 330 pounds
School: Fort Bend Christian Academy (Sugar Land, Texas)
Frame: Warren measures in at 6-7.5 and 330 pounds. For reference, those numbers are larger than both of Tennessee's starting offensive tackles in 2022. He could have fit the bill of an SEC tackle before he even played a snap of football in his senior season. Has long arms and can reach tackles and linebackers well in the run game.
Athleticism: Warren maintains his agility even at 330 pounds, staying light on his feet and quickly sifting through defenders to reach the second level. Tennessee offensive line coach Glen Elarbee would likely prefer Warren to transfer muscle into his lower body to create more explosive knee drive. However, they would simply reshape body composition, not reinvent the wheel. Warren is such a graceful athlete it would be a mistake to make him completely change his body, as so many offensive linemen do upon arriving at college
Instincts: Tennessee often focuses on framing in their offensive line searches. They want prospects that can turn their body in relation to the whole field, someone who sacrifices the personal highlight play for the big gainer. Warren has the ankle flexion to quickly rotate his lower body and wall off defenders from reaching the ball. His pad level is still inconsistent, and college defensive linemen may capitalize on a high-set from Warren every now and again, but there will be three instances prior of Warren being the final seal on a big gain in the run game.
Polish: Few offensive tackles arrive in college with a signature move in pass protection that can aid them. Warren has one. He does a nice job of getting depth on his first two steps in his pass set before taking a step forward and latching on to his defender. His arm length and size ensure that an edge rusher won't capture the corner early in Warren's set, meaning he gets his hands in position almost every time. Warren then uses his strength to get under his matchup's shoulder pads and rips them down into the ground. NFL offensive line coaches teach this technique to high picks that have tools - it's often effective and relies on tools.
Bottom Line: The variety in Warren's skillset is startling. He looks bigger than everyone on tape, but you go into the watch knowing that. The things that set Warren apart are his foot speed and length, which, paired together, are too much for oncoming rushers. Warren looks like he was made to play right tackle, and the timing flows for him at that spot - he quickly kicks back into his set from his stance, can get square, play with low pad leverage, and extend out to create a pocket ring for his quarterback. It takes many prospects years of college development to string all that together as seamlessly as Warren. He should slot into the starting right tackle conversation beginning in the 2025 preseason - one year on campus should be all it takes.
2024 4-star OT Bennett Warren during his official visit to Tennessee. (Photo courtesy of Bennett Warren)
Tennessee's 2024 Recruiting Class - * denotes NLI turned in
- Jake Merklinger, QB
- Peyton Lewis, RB *
- Mike Matthews, WR
- Braylon Harmon, WR
- Braylon Staley, WR
- Cole Harrison, TE
- Bennett Warren, OT *
- Jesse Perry, OT *
- Gage Ginther, OT
- William Satterwhite, OG *
- Max Anderson, OG *
- Kellen Lindstrom, DE *
- Carson Gentle, DE *
- Jeremias Heard, DL *
- Jordan Ross, EDGE *
- Edwin Spillman, ILB *
- Jordan Burns, ILB *
- Marcus Goree, CB
- Kaleb Beasley, CB *
- Boo Carter, S
- Edrees Farooq, S
You Might Also Like:
- Joe Milton III Stars On Senior Night As Vols Crush Vanderbilt
- Cooper Mays Not Participating In Senior Day Activities
- Creating Atmospheres - Why Saturday Is Reflective of Josh Heupel's Work
Join the community:
- Follow Evan Crowell on Twitter: @EvanVCrowell
- Follow Caleb Sisk on Twitter: @CalebSisk_
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @VolunteerCountry & follow us on Twitter at @VCountryFN.