Tennessee LB making visits
The recruiting picture is starting to take shape for
Hollow Rock (Tenn.) linebacker
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Patrick Willis.
"I went to Tennessee's game where they played
Florida (Sept. 21)," he said. "The weather was pretty bad that day, but the
football was fun. I had a good time touring the campus and talking with Mike
Barry, the assistant who's recruiting me. I got to meet the strength coach
and coach (Phil) Fulmer came by and shook everybody's hand. That was really
nice.
"It's the kind of place when you go up there, you
don't want to come back home. I love Tennessee. If they offered me a
scholarship, I'd have to take it -- definitely."
Willis (6-2, 220, 4.6) said he's gotten the
impression from the Volunteers that he'll be in good shape with them if he
takes care of business on and off the field.
"They tell me to keep working hard and doing what
I'm doing, and it should work out," he said. "They say my ACT score is the
biggest thing. I've got a 14 right now, but I know I can do a lot better. I
didn't know what to expect the first time. I'm confident I'll do a lot
better next time."
Willis said he maintains a 2.8 GPA, so he only needs
a slight increase in the test score.
On the field, he's continuing to show why he earned
all-state honors as a junior when he led Bruceton Central with 155 tackles.
Through five games as a senior, Willis has 62 tackles, including a 21-tackle
performance in the season-opener.
In last week's game, he was a jack-of-all-trades. He
carried the ball 19 times for 219 yards, recorded 10 tackles, had two sacks,
forced a fumble and blocked an extra point. For his efforts he was named the
AP Tennessee Class A Player of the Week.
His performance and overall physical skills (365
bench, 700 squat) have also drawn interest from several other programs,
including Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Middle Tennessee, Memphis
and LSU.
"I'm going down to Ole Miss this weekend to see them
play Florida," he said. "They're the No. 2 team on my list. I'm excited to
go down and see that campus. I've never been there."