LaDarrell McNeil signs with Tennessee

Published Feb. 1, 2012

LaDarrell McNeil

Safety, 6-2, 195

Dallas, Texas (Wilmer-Hutchins)

Committed: Aug. 15, 2011

Prospect Rankings

247Sports: 4-star

Rivals: 4-star

Scout: 4-star

247Sports Rating: 95 (No. 115 overall prospect, No. 6 safety, No. 14 prospect in Texas)

The skinny: Already considered one of the top players at his position before the 2011 season, McNeil saw his stock soar after a senior year that featured plenty of YouTube worthy hits. Understandably, a number of schools, most notably Arkansas and Oklahoma State, put the heat on McNeil to drop the Vols for a destination closer to home. Though the coaching instability at UT initially made him waver -- McNeil was first recruited by former special teams coordinator Eric Russell -- McNeil hung tight to give the Vols one of their top prospects in the defensive backfield. The Vols are heavy on numbers in the secondary but are light on reliable safeties. McNeil could very well get an early look.