The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team may have gotten an instant contributor Tuesday when Georgia Military College receiver Kanore McKinnon committed to head coach Rusty Wright.
Then the Mocs got a pledge from a 6-foot-6 high school lineman from Ohio, Sam Hall. The 240-pounder started at tight end and defensive end for Logan High School. He’s the second UTC commitment from Ohio in this recruiting class, joining defensive end Evan Brown from Edgewood High.
McKinnon (6-3, 200) had 515 yards on 32 receptions this past season and scored eight touchdowns in two seasons. He had 648 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns as a senior at Dillon High School in South Carolina, where he was part of two state-championship teams and one runner-up.
He had been recruited by new UTC assistant coaches Adam Mims and Ricky Spradling at their previous programs.
“I really liked those guys and they knew about me,” said McKinnon, who also had offers from Tennessee Tech, Tennessee State, West Alabama and North Greenville, among others. “I liked the rest of the coaches, too. They showed me more of the college and the area, and we really bonded together. The love they give all the players is great.”
McKinnon plans to compete right way for a starting position.
“The coaches told me they have four receivers back with experience and most are young,” he said. “I started two years at GMC, and I know I can come in and play right away and help win some games.”
With a week to go until the second national signing day, Wright and his staff plan to be busy on two fronts.
“We are out trying to hang on to the ones we have and close hard on some good ones we have left to get,” Wright said.
McKinnon is the first receiver in the Mocs’ 2019 class, which has three players signed and 14 others committed.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22