Tennessee baseball has added another major name to its recruiting haul, officially signing elite shortstop prospect Leo Nockley.
Nockley, a Plains, PA, high school athlete who plays football at Wyoming Seminary College Prep, is one of the more complete players in the class for Tennessee. He projects as a shortstop and is one of several shortstops lined up to sign with the Volunteers, a sign of how well the staff has worked the recruiting trail.
Perfect Game has him rated as a PG 10, their highest mark, which they use for a “Potential very high draft pick and/or Elite level college prospect.” In its evaluation, Perfect Game described Nockley as a 2027 SS/ with a 5-8 165 lb. frame from Plains, PA who attends Wyoming Seminary Upper.
The report called him a medium, athletic frame with present strength and quick twitch throughout, and praised his swing, bat speed and ability to drive the ball from gap to gap. Perfect Game also noted that he “Engages lower half extremely well, uses whole field and has huge power within his frame.
Verbal commitment to University of Tennessee. Good Student,”
That profile makes the signing a strong one for Josh Elander and his staff. Nockley can still choose the MLB route if he hears his name called in the draft, and that remains a real possibility given that he has been viewed as a consensus early projected prospect. The earlier he goes, the less likely he is to make it to Knoxville.
Still, Tennessee has locked in a player with real upside, and that alone makes this a significant win for the program. As the source put it, if Tennessee can’t have him, then no one can.
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