A former Vanderbilt commit, Michael Sawyers opened up his recruitment when James Franklin left for Penn State. He then took official visits to Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, and Tennessee. He chose to visit Tennessee over Notre Dame the weekend before signing day and the race to sign Sawyers came down to the wire—but the Vols prevailed when he signed with the Vols at 10:11 AM.

When he committed to Vanderbilt this summer, Ole Miss finished a close second. Before Sawyers’ visit to Tennessee just before signing day, the Rebels were thought to be the clear leaders for his services. But the Vols closed strong.

The Vols need help along the defensive front and Sawyers is the type of space eater that will have a chance to earn early playing time at defensive tackle. He’s a huge pull for the Vols this late in the recruiting process and gives Tennessee commitments from nine of the top 13 players in the state. The heavy presence of prospects from Nashville in Tennessee’s class certainly didn’t hurt the Vols’ chances.

The Basics: Rated as a 4-star prospect by 247Sports, Rivals, and ESPN and a 3-star prospect by Scout, Sawyers is a 6-2, 300 pound defensive tackle/offensive guard from Nashville, Tennessee (Ensworth). ESPN ranks Sawyers as the No. 6 prospect in the state while Rivals ranks him as the No. 16 defensive tackle prospect in the nation. He has offers from Tennessee, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Florida State, Missouri, Nebraska, and others.

Scouting Report: “Interior lineman with just adequate height, but a wide-bodied kid who looks to be all that he is listed with a thick, hulking build. Might be bit near his physical ceiling barring a growth spurt, but already a fairly physically developed player for this stage. Flashes excellent playing strength, especially in his upper body…Sawyers is not a dynamic disrupting presence in the trenches, but this is a strong dude who can hold his own and make his presence felt between the tackles. Needs to keep developing technique, but shows the playing strength to contribute early if needed. Also plays OG and could contribute to a program in that role. Not a flashy prospect, but a powerful big man who can help a team in the trenches potentially on either side of the ball.” — ESPN.com

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