Quart'e Sapp Is Athletic Final Defensive Piece to Vols' 2015 Recruiting Class

Tennessee received a key piece Thursday in versatile outside linebacker Quart'e Sapp that will likely wrap up defensive recruiting for the Vols in this 2015 cycle.

The 6'1.5", 200-pound defender from Alpharetta, Georgia, chose UT over various offers on the heels of last weekend's visit to Michigan State and after canceling a scheduled visit to Missouri this weekend. Clemson, Miami and others were in the picture as well.

Sapp's announcement was streamed live on Atlanta's Channel 11's website, and he cited fan support and his relationship with players and coaches, among other things, as reasons for his pledge.

Another key factor was UT's defensive line recruiting prowess, echoing the thoughts of middle linebacker commit Darrin Kirkland Jr. from more than a month ago, given to Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports:

"With all the guys coming in like Kahlil [McKenzie] and Shy [Tuttle], those big guys mean a lot to a linebacker," Sapp said.

Back in December, Sapp tweeted a picture of himself in a bathtub full of college letters. It was a creative way of displaying that he had options, but like the 28 other players in Tennessee's highly rated class, he ultimately chose the Vols.

While Sapp's commitment is more of a luxury than a necessity for Tennessee, which doesn't really have a need at outside linebacker, it doesn't affect the importance of Sapp's decision.

He has been a top UT target for a very long time, and after being a high priority for the Vols for months, his decision to wait out the process recently brought into question whether or not he'd be part of the final class.

After he'd developed a relationship with UT players and coaches, it wound up being only a matter of time. Tennessee tight end commitment Kyle Oliver expressed equal parts elation and relief over Twitter.

Teaming with fellow commit Austin Smith, a 3-star outside linebacker, Sapp will give linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen an athletic duo who fit perfectly with what defensive coordinator John Jancek is building.

Speed in Space

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Sapp doesn't appear to have what analysts would call "elite" speed for a player his size at the outside linebacker position, but he covers a lot of ground and is really good tackling in space.

Much the way the Vols have taken safeties Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Cortez McDowell, beefed them up in the weight room and turned them into play-making second-level players, Sapp has the same ability.

Volquest.com's Paul Fortenberry discussed what makes Sapp an elite linebacker:

"

The most impressive attribute about Sapp has to be his athleticism and his ability to play in coverage while still being physical. Sapp looks like a sideline-to-sideline linebacker that can make plays all over the field.

But, when he's in coverage he excels. He picked off several passes this year and showed that he's a rangy linebacker that can not only cover running backs out of the backfield, but receivers and tight ends in the slot as well.

"

The biggest positive for him is he has played linebacker at Milton High School where Reeves-Maybin and McDowell were recruited as safeties.

Sapp's natural instincts won't have to be taught at the college level, and once he adds the necessary weight to play in the rugged SEC, he can step right in.

As a senior, he did nothing but impress. According to his 247Sports bio, Sapp won the Region 5AAAAAA Defensive Player of the Year award, leading Milton to the region championship. He also was a participant at The Opening, a prestigious camp for elite high school players.

As a junior, Sapp recorded 110 tackles, including seven for a loss, four sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery that was returned for a touchdown. He will eventually have the opportunity to fill up the stat sheet like that in Knoxville.

That type of ability to make plays all over the field makes Sapp compare favorably to Reeves-Maybin, who led Tennessee in tackles along with A.J. Johnson as a sophomore in 2014 while doing everything else, too, as his stat sheet suggests.

Players such as Sapp will help UT continue to revamp its defense from one that was embarrassed and abused against speed-based teams like Auburn and Missouri in 2013. While it improved this past season, it still wasn't great.

According to CFBStats.com, Tennessee was ninth in the conference allowing 56 plays of more than 20 yards. The Vols were 11th in plays of 30-plus yards, giving up 29. They also allowed four plays of 60 or more yards.

Sapp will make those tackles in space, keeping the edges closed down. The Vols need more players like him.

Depth at Linebacker

Credit: 247Sports

Coaches will use the cliche that you can never have too much depth, but it became a reality for the Vols this past year.

So, it isn't just lip service.

There may have been more pressing needs for Tennessee than linebacker in this cycle, but getting Smith, Sapp and 4-star middle linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr., who is already on campus, is still huge.

When Dillon Bates went down with a torn labrum last year, the Vols didn't have many viable options on the outside to go along with Reeves-Maybin. In traditional sets, it wasn't uncommon to see defensive end Curt Maggitt return to his old position standing up on the second level.

JUCO transfer Chris Weatherd didn't know enough of the playbook to be an every-down outside 'backer, and McDowell was a freshman still learning the system as well. So, adding a couple more outside linebackers into the mix was important.

With Sapp's commitment, Jancek now has a deeper pool of talented players from which to match up personnel. Reeves-Maybin, Weatherd, Bates, McDowell and Elliott Berry will all return. Adding Sapp and Smith to the fray will give the Vols several options.

A player with the versatility of Sapp could factor into the equation, if necessary. But that also means there is enough depth on the roster where he could be brought along slowly and develop the way freshmen are supposed to before seeing the field.

If something happens such as Kirkland isn't ready to play in the middle and none of Jakob Johnson, Kenny Bynum or Gavin Bryant prove to be great middle linebackers, UT could move a player like Bates inside for now, if necessary.

The key is they now have options. That's never a bad thing.

More Positive Publicity

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A big part of recruiting is perception. Players want to play for the best teams with the best recruiting classes.

Given the way coach Butch Jones has built Tennessee's elite recruiting classes the past two years, there hasn't been a lot of drama in the weeks leading up to national signing day.

On one hand, that isn't a bad thing. As the old saying goes, most of the hay is in the barn, and there's less to worry about from the standpoint of players flipping or not filling up your class.

On the other, it's nice to have the attention focused on your team during the few weeks out of the year when recruiting steals sports' spotlight.

Getting Sapp to pledge less than a week before signing day is great publicity for a Tennessee recruiting class that will get plenty of national buzz because of its depth and star power but not because of any late surprises.

Sapp's announcement was televised in the talent-rich hotbed of Atlanta, and with that being a key area of emphasis for the Vols (as well as everybody else in the country) the publicity isn't small news.

Also, with ESPNU featuring the Vols on national signing day along with some other schools, Sapp's commitment will help boost a lofty ranking that was already fourth in the 247Sports composite rankings before Sapp's decision.

Sapp's commitment is big, even if there wasn't a pressing need. It's always nice to be able to grab a player of his talent this late in the game, especially when some of the nation's top defensive programs wanted him.

It helps in Atlanta, it helps build depth and, most importantly, it gives Tennessee another versatile athlete it can throw at opponents from an absolutely loaded defensive recruiting class.

All recruiting information from 247Sports composite rankings, unless otherwise noted. 

Brad Shepard covers SEC football and is the Tennessee Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.