Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park EDGE Rodney Dunham is one of the most highly sought-after football recruits in the country. He had visited Tennessee before for baseball in the past, but Saturday marked his first look at Josh Heupel’s program. He detailed the stop with Volquest.
“I was here twice for baseball, once last year and once this year,”Dunham said of what made him want to make the trip to Knoxville. “I really liked it here—the school and the baseball facilities. They started recruiting me for football, so I had to get down here and see it for the first time.”
His first look at the football program for the Vols’ “Big Orange Kickoff” event left a strong impression.
“I really liked it,” Dunham said of his overall thoughts. “I liked the people here. I liked how they treated me, and I really liked the defensive scheme. I think this is a great and special place.”
He enjoyed what he heard about his fit in the Tennessee defense.
“I would be a LEO here,” Dunham said of what he learned about his fit at Tennessee. “I could be an EDGE guy or a down lineman, too. So it is pretty versatile, so I like that a lot.”
Dunham also heard plenty about a fellow Charlotte-area standout, in current Vol James Pearce.
“It would be the same thing he is doing,” Dunham said of the pitch about Pearce. “I know he is from Charlotte, so that is a cool thing, and he will probably be a first-rounder next year. That would be a cool thing to see. I find that means that it could be a good fit. He’s from Charlotte, and I am too. He had a great season, and I feel like I could fill those shoes.”
This visit certainly helped Tennessee’s chances for the elite prospect, as he believes he could have a successful two-sport career on Rocky Top.
“I put them really high on my list because they are recruiting me for football and baseball,” the top-50 prospect said. “Coach Heup and Coach Vitello get along well, so I feel like if I come here, they could make a good plan for me to play both sports, and I could be successful here while doing here.”
Dunham says that he wants to play both sports at least as a freshman to see how it goes, then go from there moving forward. The standout athlete hit 91 consistently on the radar this past spring, and he has multiple other dual-sport offers, including N.C. State, Florida State and Duke.
Dunham also enjoyed his time around the coaching staff during the Saturday event. He connected early on with Mike Ekeler .
“Coach Ekeler is a really high-energy guy and his outside linebackers have a lot of success,” Dunham said of Ekeler. “I haven’t had a chance for him to coach me up yet, but he is really high-energy and a great guy, and I really like that.”
The four-star was also impressed with veteran defensive line Coach Rodney Garner as well.
“He has a lot of experience with the defensive line,” he said of Garner. “We went in the film room and talked scheme, and he knows what he is doing. I really like that.”
Outside of playing both sports, there are a couple of other aspects Dunham will focus on during his recruitment.
“Academics and what I would do at that school and seeing what I can do and fit into it and the people and seeing if it feels like home to see if they are like me or not.”
This will not be Dunham’s last look at Tennessee. He plans to attend as a fan when the Vols travel to Charlott to take on N.C. State. He also plans to return to Knoxville when Florida comes to town.
The post Vols ‘really high’ for Elite 2026 EDGE Rodney Dunham after ‘Big Orange Kickoff’ visit appeared first on On3 .
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