Instant Analysis: What Does Four-Star OL Max Anderson Bring To Tennessee?

2024 four-star offensive lineman Max Anderson committed to the Tennessee Volunteers on Wednesday. What does the Texas native bring to the Vols?

The offensive line is important for any offensive system, but especially in Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel's scheme. The Vols run specific passing patterns that require offensive linemen to hold in one-on-one settings; the defense will spread horizontally as the offensive formation does, meaning Tennessee needs five capable guys who can correctly identify confusion in the front seven and win their matchups. 2024 four-star offensive tackle Max Anderson has Tennessee's full trust in that capacity, which is why they added his commitment on Wednesday.

Anderson developed strong relationships across Tennessee's staff, but the offensive line room pushed hard for this one. Offensive line coach Glen Elarbee and assistant offensive line coach Kevin Pendleton have been hard in pursuit, and Anderson has praised both on the record multiple times. While we could discuss what it means in the grand scheme of things for Tennessee's recruiting efforts moving forward, let's first break down the tape and see what the Vols get in Anderson.

Max Anderson, 2024 OL

Prospect: Max Anderson

Projected Position: Guard

Vitals: 6-5 and 300 pounds

School: Reedy High School (Frisco, Texas)

Frame: Anderson looks the part of an SEC offensive lineman. His frame checks out on tape, and he's playing Texas Class 5A football - there are Power-5 football players all around him. Yet, Anderson utilizes his large frame and dominates at the point of attack. He carries 300 pounds quite well; Anderson looks well-proportioned and has a lot of drive in his lower body and shoulders.

Athleticism: You must be athletic to play offensive line at Tennessee. He has a track background and is an area champion in the shot put and throws discus. Anderson doesn't have the top-end athleticism to play SEC tackle right now, but he could win pass protection reps at guard. Reedy High School often pulls him when running misdirection in the run game, and Anderson has the natural hand-to-eye coordination required to square up quickly and beat the defender to a spot.

Instincts: A nasty, nasty player. Anderson works hard to finish through the whistle and competes on every play. There are several clips on his junior tape when Reedy pulls him into open space, and he quickly finds three defenders and puts them on their backs, one after another. Has an innate ability to locate defenders and square up quickly.

Polish: Played left tackle and guard during his junior season. Anderson can play a bit high at times, as do most high school offensive linemen. There could be a propensity for penalties early in college, but there also will be several "wow" plays where he puts someone on the ground in pass protection. A ready run-game contributor with the frame and power to compete early. 

Bottom Line: Tennessee's top offensive line commit thus far. Anderson will come to college ready to compete with the frame to make noise in camp. Pad-level issues must be corrected, and he will continue to adjust to the game's speed, but the Vols got a high-quality player with SEC starter potential.

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