Tyler Baron commits to Tennessee

Kentucky Football is putting the finishing touches a historic recruiting class, but unfortunately, four-star strong defensive end Tyler Baron has committed to the Tennessee Volunteers.

The announcement came from Baron himself on National Signing Day, confirming what many had expected for quite a while now. Kentucky had strong interest in Baron, but their border state rival ultimately beat out the Wildcats for the young talent. Of course, it would have been quite the upset if Kentucky got Baron, considering he plays high school ball in Knoxville and his father is on the Tennessee staff.

The four-star would’ve been a complimentary commitment for the rest of Kentucky’s aspiring class, but some things just aren’t meant to be. Instead of suiting up in Kentucky blue and white, Baron will be across the line of scrimmage for the Volunteers in orange and white. The high school senior visited Kentucky on September 13th, but an official December 13th visit ultimately sealed the deal for the Volunteers.

Per 247 Sports, Baron stands 6-4, 252 pounds and is a walking freak of nature for his young age. He ranks as the 112th strong defensive end in the country and is ranked fifth in the state of Tennessee. He also had interest in Ohio State, Oklahoma and Oregon.

The four-star recruit released his “Final Five” on December 12th, naming off Kentucky, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon and Tennessee in no particular order. Surprisingly, recruiting ace Vince Morrow was rarely declined on this occasion. But, again, Baron’s father being at Tennessee didn’t necessarily make this process easy on opposing programs.

Missing out on Baron certainly stings, but there are most certainly more fish in the pond. And besides, while flashy recruits are always a joy to cover and watch at Kentucky, head coach Mark Stoops and his staff have done more than fine developing their lower-rated recruits. The team’s culture, development staff and in the upper-echelon of the NCAA (just see Benny Snell and Josh Allen).

With a strong nucleus in place, Kentucky’s road looks more promising than ever.