Photo: Tennessee Athletics
Imagine for a moment that John Kelly, Tennessee’s gritty running back who has declared for the NFL Draft, grew a few inches. Now imagine he plays wide receiver. Now, you’ve got Cedric Tillman, a mostly looked over wide receiver out of Bishop Gorman High School in Nevada.
Tillman isn’t ranked by all recruiting services, but 247Sports considers him a three-star prospect and No. 180 receiver in the country. Pruitt and Tennessee offered Tillman a scholarship on Feb. 4, just three days ago, and now he’ll be a Vol in the fall.
Tillman’s effort is not to be understated here. He takes on defenders both in the air and on the ground, fighting for catches and extra yards down the field. He takes long strides that help him create separation from slower defenders, but he doesn’t show the top-end speed some of the more elite receivers in the class have.
His physical nature and go-get-it attitude should make him a fan favorite once he gets some playing time in orange. It might be premature, but he shows flashes of a Jauan Jennings-John Kelly combination — he wants the big plays and will beat everyone around him to make them.
