cormontae hamilton, who has shined on the camp circuit this year and earned his first sec offer from the vols. While hamilton is a big, sure-handed tight end, tennessee actually likes his athleticism as an outside linebacker. Hamilton is 6-3, 250 pounds and moves well laterally. He worked out on both sides of the ball on thursday.
it was the first sec offer for the 6-foot-3, 256-pound hamilton, who added an offer from ole miss by thursday night and also picked up an offer from louisville on saturday after attending the cardinals camp. it was kind of a surprise, hamilton said of the tennessee offer. but after the hard work that i was doing (thursday), i knew for sure i was going to get it or they would have more interest.
he said all the schools that are recruiting me are pursuing him as a tight end, but the vols appear to be an exception to that. They tried him on both sides of the ball during thursdays camp, moving him to outside linebacker after seeing him work at tight end, and he said tennessee could see me playing both sides.
they started off working me out at tight end and went around and put me at linebacker. I did a couple pass-rushing (drills), said hamilton. the head coach came in the room and he talked to me, hamilton added, referring to first-year tennessee coach jeremy pruitt. he told me he loved me at tight end, and he said hes going to get me some more work in on defense.
hamilton said the vols were not really sure which position they might prefer for him to play. it really dont matter, he said. i really did excellent at (pass rushing). I was 100 percent with that. They told me i needed to use more hands, but i was more rushing. Every time i went out there, i got the sack. (they liked) my speed how big i am and really my speed there.
during thursdays visit, pruitt expressed interest in getting hamilton on campus again soon. coach pruitt told me we need to come back up there, me and my mom, just to visit and he can talk to her, hamilton said. she can talk to more other people about it. We can just take another visit around the whole facility and the school, talk about the school and everything. with at least a few other schools, including ohio state, still showing interest in him, he said hes currently not rushing to decide on a college. i think im going to a wait awhile, talk more with my mom about it, hamilton said. were thinking about waiting awhile.
I camped well there and the coaches loved what I did at tight end but then they switched me over to linebacker and I did good. I did couple little pass rushing drills, Hamilton explained.
Then they took me into coach Brians (Niedermeyers) office and coach Pruitt came in and asked how I was doing and said he wanted to give me a scholarship offer. He told me that we love you at tight end, but wed like to really look at you on defense also. So if I got to Tennessee, Id might be playing both sides.
Hamilton measured in at 6-foot-3, 253 pounds and said Tennessee really likes my size on defense. He averaged 23.6 yards per catch last season for Whitehaven but does have a bit of experience playing defense in high school for renowned Memphis coach Rodney Saulsberry.
I started off playing defense in high school. A matter of fact, I played defensive line, d-tackle and then coach had me at some middle linebacker, Hamilton said. Im good at linebacker actually, but if I go to the next level and get more help on it, I could be wonderful.
Hamilton camped at Louisville on Friday, earning an offer, and is set return to Ohio State for another camp next week. Ole Miss extended a scholarship, too, with OSU and Oklahoma upping its interest recently. The 3-star prospect plans to take official visits in the fall and then close in on a decision. Im going to wait and see how it all goes out, he said.
Cormontae said:"Im good at linebacker actually, but if I go to the next level and get more help on it, I could be wonderful.
I wonder if the team really likes him at TE or if they're using that as a hook to maybe get him in here and play him at LB. As in, could they like him better than Brown? Because we're also in with that high ranked FSU commit as far as I know.
I'd expect that Pruitt was straight with him, meaning it exactly how he said it.
Well I didn't mean to suggest that CJP was bull****ting the kid.
I guess what I'm trying to say is... how many TE's we planning on taking this cycle? We have two committed and they seem like strong commits. We're in good with the kid out of Florida it seems, who's strongly considering us.
Do we (UT staff) like him more at TE or at LB? As in where would we try him out first at? If I had to speculate, I'd guess we like him more on defense.
I think they just like big athletic bodies. Kids that are 6'3 250lbs and can move seem to be a combination Pruitt wouldn't mind taking a handful or more of each class and figure out their best position later.
I think they just like big athletic bodies. Kids that are 6'3 250lbs and can move seem to be a combination Pruitt wouldn't mind taking a handful or more of each class and figure out their best position later.
Well I didn't mean to suggest that CJP was bull****ting the kid.
I guess what I'm trying to say is... how many TE's we planning on taking this cycle? We have two committed and they seem like strong commits. We're in good with the kid out of Florida it seems, who's strongly considering us.
Do we (UT staff) like him more at TE or at LB? As in where would we try him out first at? If I had to speculate, I'd guess we like him more on defense.
Well I didn't mean to suggest that CJP was bull****ting the kid.
I guess what I'm trying to say is... how many TE's we planning on taking this cycle? We have two committed and they seem like strong commits. We're in good with the kid out of Florida it seems, who's strongly considering us.
Do we (UT staff) like him more at TE or at LB? As in where would we try him out first at? If I had to speculate, I'd guess we like him more on defense.