Edwin Spillman 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.
Inside linebacker Edwin Spillman is the seventh commit to turn in their national letter of intent. He is the No. 337 player in the cycle, according to 247Sports Composite Rankings. Take a look at what the Vols are getting.
Prospect: Edwin Spillman
Projected Position: MIKE Linebacker
Vitals: 6-2 and 215 pounds
School: Lipscomb Academy (Nashville, Tennessee)
Frame: A really long build with a thick upper half. Spillman probably plays at 225 pounds in college, and it would be nice to see him fill out the rest of his lower body. Strong hands with the length to attack blocks. Gets good drive through his shoulders when engaging with blockers but has retained the athleticism to bend around if need be. One of the better body types in Tennessee's linebacker room immediately in two senses of the word: he should be ready for practices right away, but his long-term physical ceiling is quite high.
Athleticism: An excellent downhill mover. When Spillman sticks his foot in the ground and decides to work upfield, he can be the fastest player on the football field. His first step isn't lightning fast, but he separates himself with lateral agility. Spillman covers a lot of ground for Lipscomb, and the coaching staff only asks him to do that because they know he can. Tape can tell us so much, but the fact that Lipscomb, a nationally ranked program with a sterling reputation and strong options at every position, decides to use him in that capacity tells me all I need to know.
Instincts: A student of the game. Lipscomb gives Spillman a lot of responsibilities in presnap and in postsnap - they know that he can get everyone in the right check and adjust from there. The spacial awareness is impressive, and he reads route concepts well, but Spillman's instincts are more than that. He recognizes offensive formations well; a lot of defense is film study and guesswork. "I know they do this on tape, but a play I watched said they could scheme in this concept of it." Those thoughts and instincts determine football games - Lipscomb lets Spillman make those determinations, and they win many football games.
Polish: Spillman looks like he was born to play MIKE linebacker for Tennessee. His development track, physical profile, and work ethic all align with what linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary wants in a MIKE. His fit in Tennessee's system was a driving factor in why he picked the Vols over Ohio State - the transition from high school to college will be easier than most.
Bottom Line: Tennessee invested a lot of energy in his recruitment from the beginning, and it's paid off. Spillman will walk into Knoxville, Tennessee, fresh off a productive four-year stint with the top program in the state. He's an SEC-level linebacker that could see time early in his career, possibly in an extended role by the 2025 season.
2024 4-star ILB Edwin Spillman during his official visit to Tennessee. (Photo courtesy of Edwin Spillman)
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, DB
- Kaleb Beasley, CB
- Boo Carter, S
- Edrees Farooq, S
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