KNOXVILLE - Tennessee grabbed a commitment from one of the state's top 2016 football prospects Saturday.
One day after he was on campus visiting for a camp, linebacker Daniel Bituli from Nashville Christian School pulled the trigger and pledged to play for the Volunteers.
According to 247Sports.com, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Bituli is the No. 1 player in Tennessee.
"I am officially committing to the University of Tennessee," he posted on his Twitter account Saturday afternoon.
Bituli's impressive list of scholarship offers included Auburn, Ole Miss, LSU, Florida, South Carolina and Mississippi State out of the Southeastern Conference in addition to Ohio State, Oklahoma and Notre Dame.
The four-star prospect had made visits to Auburn and Tennessee this summer, and the Vols had been Bituli's leader heading into his decision to commit.
Bituli, who had 61 tackles, 12.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks as a junior, is the second linebacker commitment in Tennessee's 2016 class, joining Memphis University School's Tim Hart, who committed in late June.
The Vols signed three linebackers in February, and all three appear to have exciting futures.
Early enrollee Darrin Kirkland will be in the mix to start at middle linebacker when Tennessee opens preseason practice next month. Of the summer arrivals, Austin Smith is working at the linebacker/defensive end hybrid role and Quart'e Sapp has impressed in workouts. Both could find roles on special teams this season.
Five of the Vols' 13 commitments for 2016 are from Tennessee.
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com