Kicker Aaron Medley was offered by Butch Jones on May 21st and committed to Tennessee less than a day later. Tight ends/special teams coach Mark Elder was his primary recruiter. Since his commitment, he has made nine trips to campus.

The Vols must replace Michael Palardy, who held down all three kicking jobs last season. Medley’s immediate strength is as a placekicker but he could also compete for time at punter. He has a stronger and more consistent leg than any other kicker on the roster. Don’t be surprised if handles Tennessee’s kickoffs and field goals this fall.

The Basics: Rated as a 3-star prospect by Rivals, ESPN, and Scout, and a 2-star recruit by 247Sports, Aaron Medley is a 6-2, 170 pound kicker from Lewisburg, Tennessee (Marshall County HS). ESPN ranks Medley as the No. 1 kicker in the nation and No. 14 overall prospect in the state. He chose the Vols over Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

Scouting Reports: “At this point you could argue he’s the best kicker in the country, his offers say that. He’s a top five kicker, punter, kick off, and field goal guy. With Palardy graduating, they’re going to need somebody to give them some options. He was too talented (for Butch Jones) to pass up. Aaron’s better than me, he really is. He has better height on his kicks than I did, his motion is smoother.” -James Wilhoit

“Aaron is a talented prospect, he has great physical ability. The ball jumps off his foot. His ability to hit a clean ball off the ground is ahead of his class. He generates solid tempo on his kicks, this spring he made a 65 yd with no wind, hit a 74 yard 4.3 hang on a KO in the Showcase KO competition, best combination of power and consistency in the nation, also a good punter, pure ball striker, should compete immediately in college, very trustworthy and dependable on FG’s.” –KohlsKicking.com 

“Slender athletic frame. Will be able to add good weight. Very coordinated and explosive. Made 65-yard field goal with no wind at a Kohl’s Showcase. Can hit 4.2 hang times on kickoffs and 4.8 hang times when he punts. Very strong and consistent leg. Smooth and repeatable motion on field goal. Top ball striker in the 2014 class. Punting mechanics are solid but can make punting progress in the years to come. More fundamentally sound as a kicker. Medley will be able to compete early in both kicking and punting. His kickoffs are at the top end of the 2014 class and his field goal are FBS ready now. His punting is close to being college game ready. Very talented prospect who has shown to be able to handle pressure extremely well.” –ESPN.com

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