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Tennessee prospect Kahlil McKenzie has orange blood running through his veins. The son of Vols great Reggie McKenzie — and nephew of Raleigh McKenzie — surprised few when he announced his commitment this past July.
After dominating The Opening, McKenzie donned his signature orange bucket hat to announce his decision to attend the University of Tennessee. The Clayton Valley High School standout ranks as the No. 10 overall prospect by the 247Sports Composite and the No. 2 defensive tackle for the 2015 class, making him the Vols’ top prospect.
But his work off the field has helped bolster Tennessee’s class even more. McKenzie has taken the role of unofficial recruiter to some of the Vols’ top targets since announcing his commitment. The five-star lineman has been active on social media, pitching the Tennessee program to several fellow prospects.
Four-star linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr., who committed to Tennessee on Monday, was one of several players targeted by the second-generation Volunteer. Here’s a few examples of McKenzie’s timeline leading up to the Indianapolis native’s decision:
Vol Nation today’s the day my boi @_KIRKjunior commits and hopefully joins the #VolFam I can’t wait!!!! #CommitToTheVols #DreamTeam15 ?????? — Kahlil McKenzie (@KM1_Era) December 15, 2014
#KirklandToTheHill all day!!! #CommitToTheVols @_KIRKjunior ????? get it trending!! — Kahlil McKenzie (@KM1_Era) December 15, 2014
#KirklandToTheHill — Kahlil McKenzie (@KM1_Era) December 15, 2014
McKenzie was also active in the recruitment of fellow defensive tackle Shy Tuttle, who committed to Tennessee in September:
#TuttleToTheHill get it trending only thing I wanna see on my TL #VolNation !!!!??????????????????
— Kahlil McKenzie (@KM1_Era) September 26, 2014
His ranking alone is enough to garner fan support, but McKenzie’s outpouring of admiration for the rising Tennessee program has already made him a fan favorite even before playing a down at Neyland Stadium. The blue chipper should make just as big of an impact on the field as one of the Vols top young defensive linemen.
The combination of McKenzie and Tuttle paired with All-SEC freshman Derek Barnett and a depth chart full of young talent should help Tennessee achieve its goal of rebuilding the program.
The second-generation Volunteer has already proven to be a great ambassador to the football program even prior to enrolling at the University of Tennessee.
A former freelance journalist from Nashville, Jason covers Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky
