Morristown (Tenn.) East head coach Larry Smith believes that once Blake Garrettson plays at his natural position, he will be a force to be reckoned with.

The 6-foot-3, 280-pounder with 4.7-second speed in the 40-yard dash has been forced to play linebacker this season because of team needs.

"He's a down lineman," Smith said. "When he plays that position, he plays pretty good. He's kind of struggled at linebacker."

Smith added that Garrettson is very strong and has good size and speed. The No. 11 prospect in Rivals.com's preseason Tennessee top 20 showed his athletic ability off during a 40-20 win against Greeneville High last weekend with an interception followed by a 10-yard return.

A member of Kentucky's coaching staff scouted one of Garrettson's recent games.

While no scholarship offers have been extended yet, the three-star rated prospect has gotten attention from schools across the SEC, including the Wildcats, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Alabama.

Nine games into the season, Garrettson has 55 total tackles (29 solo), including two for loss and two sacks at linebacker as East has a 4-2 conference record (4-5 overall).