Tennessee and new coach Butch Jones are inching closer toward the top recruiting class in the country, and they added another brick to the foundation Thursday.
Three-star defensive end Joe Henderson (Shaker Heights, Ohio/Shaker Heights) visited the Volunteers two weekends ago, and he did not wait long to pull the trigger and commit. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Henderson is commit No. 14 in Jones’ inaugural class in Knoxville.
Henderson and his high school coach, Jarvis Gibson, confirmed the commitment to ESPN.com.
BCS programs Cincinnati, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and West Virginia also offered Henderson, and he visited several of those schools. But the energetic Jones made a major impression on Henderson while he was on campus earlier this month.
Jones has done well in closing with prospects when they are in Knoxville, and he is off to a torrid start after some Tennessee fans previously questioned his hire and ability to recruit.
The first commit along the defensive line, the No. 26 defensive end nationally could also play a little bit of linebacker for the Vols. Henderson has spent time with his hand in the dirt as a rush end and also as a stand-up end/linebacker.
Formerly Cincinnati's coach, Jones is not putting a major emphasis on the state of Ohio like fellow first-year SEC East coach Mark Stoops, but Henderson is the second Vols commit from the Buckeye State. Henderson, No. 17 in Ohio, joins Ethan Wolf, No. 20 in Ohio, in the Vols' class.
