Dewayne Hendrix took an official visit to Knoxville on October 5th for the Tennessee-Georgia game and it wasn’t longer afterwards that he made his plans to play for Butch Jones and Co. public (October 27th).

Butch Jones making an impact at Tennessee. New commit DeWayne Hendrix said Jones was recruiting him like no other coach.

— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) October 27, 2013

Despite a late push from Missouri, he recently reaffirmed that he remained “100% committed” to the Vols throughout the process.

With Tennessee losing six of their top eight defensive linemen, Hendrix will get a chance to prove himself early. As with Barnett, he’s a prospect who could slide to tackle as he develops or move inside in Tennessee’s four-end front.

The Basics: Rated as a 4-star prospect by Rivals, ESPN, Scout, and 247Sports, Hendrix is a 6-4, 260-pound defensive end from O’Fallon, Illinois (O’Fallon HS). Rivals ranks Hendrix as the No. 78 prospect and No. 5 defensive end in the nation. As a junior he tallied 60 tackles, 12 TFLs, and four sacks. Hendrix is a consensus top-200 player nationally. He chose the Vols over Missouri, Florida, Penn State, Illinois, Ohio State, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and others.

Scouting Reports: The word “disruptive” is the first thing that comes to mind when watching Hendrix’s film. He’s quick off the ball and gets upfield in a hurry. He’s a sound tackler with good instincts who has the athleticism and body control to make adjustments on the fly. Hendrix can beat you with both speed and power.

“The 6’5”, 255-pound defender is a monstrous backfield disruptor who displays a relentless motor. He sheds blockers with a blend of impressive moves and a strong launch at the point of attack. Hendrix fires off the ball, but doesn’t get tunnel vision by focusing on the quarterback. He has impressive peripheral awareness and uses lateral quickness to make up ground in a hurry.”—Bleacher Report

“Has the height and some outstanding athleticism for the defensive end position at the BCS level. Sturdy frame appears capable of supporting the added bulk needed to play defensive end. An explosive player with the upper-body strength and hand quickness needed to take on and defeat blockers at the point…Although at times we see him get out of position, his athleticism and effort get him back to the ball. Demonstrates excellent change-of-direction and lateral pursuit effort to the sideline. A tough customer who has the ability to create havoc in the opponent’s backfield.”—ESPN.com

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