Shy Tuttle to Tennessee: Volunteers Land 4-Star DT Prospect

When it came to recruiting defensive tackle Shy Tuttle, well, programs around the country weren't terribly shy. With plenty of options to choose from, however, Tuttle eventually settled on Tennessee.

Ryan Bartrow of 247 Sports reported the news of Tuttle's highly anticipated decision Friday:

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Defensive tackle Shy Tuttle (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson) verbally committed to Tennessee at a press conference at his high school.

Tuttle said he chose the Volunteers over North Carolina and North Carolina State because he felt comfortable there.

“I like the atmosphere,” Tuttle said of Tennessee. “I have a good relationship with the coaches.”

It was a group effort for the Volunteers to land one of the nation’s elite recruits. Tennessee defensive line coach Steve Stripling led the way with assists from area recruiter Mark Elder and ace recruiter Tommy Thigpen.

“Coach Stripling talked to me every day,” Tuttle said. “He’s pretty cool as a person.”

Tuttle likes Tennessee's future. The Volunteers signed a Top 10 class in 2014 and are placed inside the nation’s Top 10 this cycle.

“They are doing a pretty good job of rebuilding,” Tuttle said of Tennessee. “I like the way they treated me with respect and it feels like home there.”

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His commitment is a huge boost to Butch Jones's class.

The 6'3", 315-pound Tuttle is one of the top defensive linemen in the country. He is considered a 4-star defensive tackle by 247Sports' composite system, which ranks him as the 41st-best prospect overall, the sixth-best defensive tackle in the country and the top player from the state of North Carolina in the class of 2015. 

The North Davidson star has dominated over the past three years, racking up 244 tackles, 44 tackles for loss, 27 sacks, 10 pass breakups, nine forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries, per 247Sports. Not surprisingly, he's been both an All-State and All-American selection already in his career.

ESPN Insider (subscription required) offered the following scouting report on the player:

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Strength to anchor and quickness to disrupt. Demonstrates good short-area burst and down the line speed for an interior defender. A wide-bodied frame that plays with good upper and lower body strength to anchor the run. Displays high level awareness and recognition skills. Redirects well in tight areas. A nasty wrap up tackler. Very effective versus the run.

Needs to continue to improve his technique as a pass rusher and become more dominant in this facet.

Tuttle is an extremely physical and athletic player for his size. Two-gap strength with shade quickness to disrupt. A top-level prospect that will benefit from further polish to his technique and speed development.

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It shouldn't come as a huge surprise that Tuttle has developed into a fearsome player. After all, his uncle Perry Tuttle played for the 1981 Clemson national championship team and eventually was a first-round pick in the NFL as a wide receiver.

His nephew is obviously more of a bruiser. Check him out in action for yourself:

Without question, Tuttle pops on the tape. Along the way, he's impressed just about everyone who has seen him play.

"I've been doing this for 21 years, and potential-wise, he's the best player I've coached," North Davidson head coach Mark Holcomb told WXII12's Kenny Beck.

"He's an outstanding young man, an outstanding student athlete, a great worker," he added. "He's got a great work ethic and the other kids just follow him. That's what we want."

Tuttle has everything coaches would want from a top defensive tackle recruit. He's scheme versatile, strong, a hard worker and has plenty of room to continue to grow as a player. Physically he's already a beast, and with a few tweaks in his game he should be a major presence at the college level.

Tennessee has potentially gotten itself a game-changer. Tuttle is many things out on the field, but bashful isn't one of them.