The Top247 junior linebacker from Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis, who already has received 16 scholarship offers to date, said his first visit to Tennessee went really well, and hes now interested in returning to Knoxville again in the coming months.
Everything went really well. I got to meet the staff on a more personal level, so it was good, said Kirkland, whos ranked the nations No. 176 overall player and No. 4 inside linebacker for the 2015 class in the 247Sports Composite, which equally weighs prospect rankings and ratings from major recruiting media outlets.
This was actually my first time in Tennessee, period, so it was really good. Great first impression.
The 6-foot-2, 228-pound Kirkland said he had heard good things about Tennessee before Saturdays visit, and it easily lived up to the hype.
What made me want to visit Tennessee was just how they came into my school earlier in the year and they were telling me how great of a place it is, and their signing class and just everything. I just had to come see it for myself, he said.
Six months ago, I had no idea about Tennessee. I was kind of focusing on my first offer, and then it kind of picked up really fast. As soon as summer hit like, in June I got a couple out of there from the camp season, and they came in with a relationship with my defensive coordinator at my school.
I like the relationship that has been built so far, and Im looking forward to the future.
Kirkland said he talked with Tennessee coach Butch Jones and a few of the Vols assistant coaches, including defensive coordinator John Jancek, linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen and defensive line coach Steve Stripling.
Id say my favorite part was just the personal level that I got to have with each of the coaches Coach Jancek, Coach Strip, Coach Thig and I got to talk with Coach Jones, me and my parents. He was talking about family, said Kirkland, who picked up offers from Penn State and Ole Miss earlier this week.
And being able to go into the stadium, as well, that was quite a breathtaking experience. Thats a really large stadium theyve got here.
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Also, said he would be naming favorites once he finished school in June.
