Tennessee Football Recruiting: What 4-Star LB Daniel Bituli Brings to Vols

Tennessee football coach Butch Jones began last week with some excitement created by snagging a legacy commitment, and then he ended it in style with an in-state pledge from 4-star linebacker Daniel Bituli.

The 6'4", 235-pound linebacker from Nashville Christian School announced his intentions to play for the Vols on Saturday morning via Twitter:

As the video above displays, Bituli is a versatile and athletic big-bodied linebacker who has the size and speed combination to play several different positions.

Though he is perhaps best suited to play middle linebacker in defensive coordinator John Jancek's multiple 4-3 scheme, he also has the lateral quickness to stay on the outside if needed, especially in the hybrid role occupied by senior Curt Maggitt.

It's also possible that Bituli could grow into a pass-rushing defensive end, though he appears to be a premiere prospect to compete for the Vols' middle linebacker of the future.

Bituli is the state's top-ranked player, according to 247Sports' composite rankings, and the 14th-ranked outside linebacker nationally. He's also one of the country's top 200 players and the second-highest rated player in the Vols' current class.

He had offers from Auburn, Ole Miss, Florida, LSU, Notre Dame, Mississippi State, Louisville, Oklahoma and others.

UT currently has 13 commitments in a class that is ranked 18th nationally and may not grow much more. With the Vols planning on taking fewer than 20 commits, this class may not wind up highly ranked, but it's going to have plenty of star quality.

Jones was excited about landing the highly coveted prospect. Even though NCAA rules precluded him from mentioning Bituli by name, this Saturday tweet was a not-so-subtle reference to Bituli's pledge:

But rankings aren't the only reason why Bituli's pledge is important. Let's take a look at some things his pledge brings to the program.

Loaded for the Future

Credit: 247Sports

Bituli will team with fellow in-state prospect Tim Hart of Memphis University School to give the Vols a formidable duo that will probably round out the position for UT in this cycle.

At 6'1", 215 pounds, Hart doesn't have elite size or speed, but he's just a tackling machine with strong football instincts, intelligence and a quality skill set. Though he's only a 3-star prospect, schools such as LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Missouri wanted him.

The Vols ultimately won his verbal commitment, and though it's non-binding, neither he nor Bituli seems like he'll waver. Bituli, especially, seemed final in his college selection.

"This is it," he told GoVols247's Ryan Callahan of his Saturday commitment. Bituli went on to say he "wanted to be part of something special."

UT's linebacking corps certainly has the ability to be.

By the time Bituli arrives, Jalen Reeves-Maybin will be a senior leader and cornerstone of the defense. But the Vols are absolutely loaded on the second level for the next few years.

Sophomore Cortez McDowell and redshirt freshman Dillon Bates lead a group of talented linebackers that'll be the next group of potential studs.

Tons of buzz has circulated about the size, speed and photographic memory of freshman mid-term middle linebacker enrollee Darrin Kirkland, who is expected to compete for the Vols' spot in the center of their defense right away.

As if that wasn't enough excitement, the two new outside linebackers—Quart'e Sapp and Austin Smith—are potentially dynamic, athletic key pieces who play different positions.

Sapp will be a future factor on the weak side, where Reeves-Maybin roams, while Smith appears perfect for Maggitt's hybrid end/outside-linebacker role.

"There were more high-profile prospects than Sapp and Smith in Tennessee's acclaimed 2015 class, but aside from maybe [former star recruit defensive tackle] Kahlil McKenzie, I've not heard better things about any of them than I've heard about Sapp and Smith since they enrolled this summer," GoVols247's Wes Rucker told Bleacher Report. "We'll see what they can do in pads, but so far, so great."

Others such as Elliott Berry, Jakob Johnson and Gavin Bryant should provide quality depth, too.

There are already a pair of elite linebackers in the 2017 class whom the Vols are off to excellent starts with, including La Vergne, Tennessee, athlete Maleik Gray and Shelby, North Carolina, outside 'backer Justin Foster.

With so many young, talented players and with all the quality prospects UT and position coach Tommy Thigpen are in the mix for, the position is in good shape for the next handful of seasons.

Stacking Vols In-State

Credit: 247Sports

Last week served as a microcosm to how Jones has rebuilt the Volunteers' roster over the course of his two-plus seasons in Knoxville.

Not only has he taken advantage of elite players with ties to UT as he continued with 2018 elite offensive lineman Cade Mays' commitment, but Jones also locks down state borders, as he proved with Bituli.

Bituli's commitment marks the third consecutive year that Jones has pulled the top-ranked player in the state, a feat that Derek Dooley pulled off just once.

The verbal pledge is huge not just because of how good a player Bituli is but also because it is symbolic of the success Tennessee's coaches have experienced in keeping the top prospects at home. That's an element that simply didn't exist under Dooley, who failed to establish and sustain recruiting relationships. Mark Nagi noted Dooley's dismal situation when it comes to successful in-state recruiting:

Jones said on the day he was hired to coach the Vols that his focus would be on keeping the best players home, and he's done it.

Last year, three of the top four prospects in the state (Kyle Phillips, Drew Richmond and Jack Jones) chose the Vols. In 2013, the first full recruiting class Jones signed, the top three and nine of the top 11 signed with UT.

With Bituli secured now, the Vols will turn their attention to the state's second-ranked player, Joejuan Williams. UT is also still very much in the mix for the next two players on that list—offensive tackle Bryce Mathews, who may be deciding very soon, and defensive lineman Emmit Gooden. Gooden was a one-time UT commit and still has Tennessee at the top of his list.

With No. 5 Ryan Johnson already a Volunter and with UT potentially still trying to flip receiver Dillon Mitchell from Oregon, there is work to be done, but the Vols are looking strong in-state again.

Considering the 2017 class is expected to be one of the best crops of talent in the state's history and with the way Jones has snagged prospect after prospect from the Volunteer State, Vols fans should feel confident.

Time to Develop

Credit: 247Sports

Finally, with all that depth and talent already in place at UT, Bituli has time to marinate, go through a strength and conditioning program, pay his dues on the practice field and learn the scheme.

If he's good enough to come right in and battle Kirkland and Bates at middle linebacker, he'll get that opportunity. Otherwise, Bituli should have time to see where he can carve his niche.

Big, athletic players such as Bituli, who move the way he does laterally and look like they can hold 250 pounds relatively easily don't come around very often. He may be a bit raw, and he hasn't really participated much in the camp circuit, but that doesn't take away his prospect ceiling.

His high school coach, Jeff Brothers, has nothing but praise for Bituli, and this is a man who coached Ole Miss offensive line commitment Alex Givens a year ago and sees Division I talent all the time: 

A network with quality talent evaluators, such as 247Sports, doesn't determine you are the state's top-ranked player without you being a top-shelf talent.

Bituli has the chance to be a really good player for a long time in Knoxville. Getting his commitment is good for perception, it's good for depth at a position that is loading up for the future and, most importantly, it's good because he has the chance to be a dynamic playmaker.

All recruiting information obtained from 247Sports unless otherwise noted. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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