KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee head coach and director of track & field Duane Ross has announced the addition of 10 talented student-athletes—eight men and two women—to the program’s 2023 signing class. The group features high school talent that has collected dozens of All-America certificates, multiple national titles and state championships while ranking among the nation’s best midway through the 2023 outdoor season.
Three new transfers will also join the Big Orange next fall: All-ACC hurdler Layla Anderson, Conference USA bronze medalist high jumper Shyhiem Scotland and five-time NJCAA All-American sprinter Andrew Brown.
With collegiate postseason two weeks away, Coach Ross and his staff have worked the recruiting trail relentlessly throughout the spring. Tennessee’s 2023 class now includes a combined 54 signees between the track & field and cross country programs.
The 10 newest additions to Tennessee’s 2023 signing class of sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers and field athletes, including relevant personal records and notable accomplishments, can be viewed below.
Three new transfers will also join the Big Orange next fall: All-ACC hurdler Layla Anderson, Conference USA bronze medalist high jumper Shyhiem Scotland and five-time NJCAA All-American sprinter Andrew Brown.
With collegiate postseason two weeks away, Coach Ross and his staff have worked the recruiting trail relentlessly throughout the spring. Tennessee’s 2023 class now includes a combined 54 signees between the track & field and cross country programs.
The 10 newest additions to Tennessee’s 2023 signing class of sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers and field athletes, including relevant personal records and notable accomplishments, can be viewed below.
Nigel Ancrum (last name pronounced ANK-rum)
Columbia, S.C. (Spring Valley HS)
Event: Sprints
PRs:
- 60m – 6.75
- 100m – 10.18
- 200m (outdoor) – 20.78
Notables:
- Reigning AAU Junior Olympic and adidas Outdoor Nationals champion in the 100-meter dash who ranks as the No. 14 recruit in the nation according to Milesplit
- Claimed eight AAU All-America certificates over the course of his high school career that began as a sophomore in 2021
- In the 2022 outdoor U.S. high school national rankings, finished No. 15 in the 100m (10.18) and No. 17 in the 200m (20.78)
- Undefeated in 12 100-meter races this season with his fastest mark of 10.29 coming last week at the SCTCCCA Bob Jenkins Coaches Classic Elite Meet – ranking No. 6 on the 2023 U.S. high school list
- At the 2022 AAU Junior Olympics, won the 100-meter dash with a personal-best time of 10.18 and took second in the 200-meter dash with a mark of 21.06
- Won the boys’ elite 100-meter dash competition at the 2022 adidas Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, North Carolina, clocking in at 10.56 into a headwind
- Began his track career as a sophomore and won SCHSL 5A state titles that season in the 100m and 200m events
Nakhi Benjamin (first name pronounced nuh-KYE)
Raleigh, N.C. (Wakefield HS)
Event: Sprints
PRs:
- 60m – 7.13
- 100m – 10.63
- 200m (outdoor) – 21.63
- 200m (indoor) -…
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