Tennessee secured its biggest recruiting coup of the 2021 cycle on Sunday, beating out Alabama and Auburn to earn a commitment from 5-star defensive end Dylan Brooks from Roanoke, Alabama.
Locked In🔒 #GBO🍊 @CoachJPruitt @DansleyAnsley @shelton_felton pic.twitter.com/Kxv4dtl6cz
— Dylan Brooks (@_dylanbrooks) April 26, 2020
At 6-foot-5, 220-pounds, Brooks is rated the top weak-side defensive end in the country, No. 18 overall prospect in his class and the No. 1 prospect in Alabama per the 247Sports Composite.
A linebacker and wide receiver at Handley High School, Brooks is an explosive, speedy defender off the edge with a flexibility that is rare at the high school level. With offers from Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Georgia, Florida and several other major programs, Brooks gives Tennessee its highest rated commitment since quarterback Harrison Bailey in the 2020 class.
With a big, rangy frame and long arms, Brooks looks the part of an upper tier edge defender in the SEC, much like Darrell Taylor, who was taken in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks on Friday.
Brooks has another year of high school football left to play, so his recruitment will not slow down over the coming months, but for now, Tennessee has ventured into Jeremy Pruitt’s home state of Alabama and secured a top talent coveted by the state’s biggest programs.
Tennessee defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley is the primary recruiter for Brooks, who gives UT its 11th commitment of the 2021 recruiting class.