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Via Wild Weasal in today's Quickies, it would appear that one of the highest rated quarterbacks in the 2016 class has decommitted from Tennessee. Austin Kendall committed to the Volunteers last August, and it sounds as if UT continuing to sign and recruit big-named quarterbacks may have played a role in the parting of ways. In fact, this situation may not have been sudden:
Line from Kendall in our Q&A recently: "It's feels good to feel wanted..." Definite foreshadowing. #BBN saying he's 'the guy.'
— Justin Rowland (@RowlandRIVALS) March 10, 2015
Kendall didn't immediately commit - at least publicly - to UK, so there's likely other schools Kendall will visit in the coming months, ones that have existing ties, or new ones that may emerge altogether. His various recruiting profiles list Auburn and Clemson, for example. On top of that, it's a long way until NSD 2016 and dozens of variables are still in play. Stay tuned to see which schools he visits during their spring practices.
With due caution out of the way, it's also fun to speculate. Kendall has an older brother who is a walk-on at UK. UK ostensibly has not been attached to other quarterback recruits in the 2016 class so far this young cycle, despite the glaring need for one. If Kendall was put-off by UT's signing three quarterbacks in the 2015 class, then UK only have three total scholarship quarterbacks may hold some attraction. For whatever it's worth, his crystal ball now projects UK.
Getting far ahead of ourselves, if UK landed Kendall, he would be one of the highest rated recruits UK has ever landed. 247 Sports currently lists him as the 179th overall in the country, Rivals list him 27th, and Scout and ESPN rank him lower, but still one of top 20 quarterbacks in the country. He'll likely be in Oregon this summer competing for the Elite 11 honorific. I think we would all agree here that his commitment would warrant the Yahtzee banner image.
Below are highlights from his junior season. His throwing motion probably gets altered at the next level, but any highlight tape is a good one when the first two minutes are nothing but touchdowns with three or four exceptions. Kendall reminds me of Sean White in ways.