Interview: The SEC and ACC are Catching onto Talents of 3-Star 2023 Tennessee OT Ayden Bussell
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
College coaches looking for a mauler on running downs and a developing stonewall on passing plays, Ayden Bussell is the Class of 2023 prospect for you. At 6-6, 290-pounds, he’s that versatile guy on the line capable of playing on the inside or on the outside. All that potential and talent has SEC and ACC schools looking and dropping offers.
During the 2020 season, Bussell mixed it up in the trenches with Wilson Central at left tackle and will reprise the same role this fall but with Mount Juliet. When the pigskin is teed up for the Golden Bears taking on 6A Tennessee squads, their three-star standout will have college scouts watching intently. Five offers have been extended with more SEC, ACC, and Big Ten teams looking for reasons to offer.
In an RNG first-look conversation, Bussell breaks down his offseason workouts along with his busy schedule of unofficial visits taken this summer.
Interview
Ayden, the passion you bring to the field for the Golden Bears has to be infectious among your teammates. What fires you up on a Friday night to whip up on defensive linemen the way you do?
I love the energy surrounding you being on the field, the community watching you, and your brothers playing with you. It is fun getting to knock some heads. Football is a violent game, and I love to be violent. I’ll knock you down, but I will help you back up after the play. The brotherhood and love for the game fires me up.
Did you track your pancakes and/or knockdown blocks?
Yes, I did. On varsity, I had over 40 pancakes and my knockdowns were around 20 in total. That’s just an estimate.
After the big sophomore season at left tackle, what did you work on with your run blocking this offseason?
Working on my footwork and pass blocking. Watching my film, I am not in a traditional kick stepping position. This offseason I have been training on that. I have also been working on my angles with my run blocking, more footwork, getting my feet in the ground faster, and using more force through my legs than I did during my sophomore season. Last season I was big enough to hit and pancake defenders, now I am more fluid using technique. My speed of play and being fluid with my technique has been a focus this offseason.
What have you been doing in the weight room to add more power to your blocks?
A lot. My strength coach, he’s one of the best. He’s probably the best in Tennessee period. He’s transformed my body from 260 to 290 pounds in little over six months. And it is not fat, pretty much all muscle. My training plan has been four days a week working the main lifts and auxiliary lifts. Wednesday is a yoga day.
Consistency in the wight room and eating right has made a difference. Guys shove whatever into their mouth but you have to consider what you are eating. You will get crap out of your body if you put in crap. At Mount Juliet, my strength coach has already made a big difference for me. Before I got there, my squat was 405 pounds and it was more of a half-squat. Now doing a full squat with correct form, I am up to 500 pounds in three months. Amazing with the results in the differences in the strength program and eating right, and how that can do a number on you.
You just mentioned your squat max is at 500 pounds. Have you maxed out on any other lifts recently?
Yes, my deadlift is 500 pounds. I did that at my house with one of my friends. My bench max is 310, I did that at school, and my power clean max is 250.
All very impressive numbers.
Thank you, sir.
You transferred this offseason from Wilson Central to Mount Juliet. When you take the field with the Golden Bears this fall, which positions will you be playing?
You will see me mainly at left tackle, and wherever they may need me. I am playing left tackle but I played right tackle my freshman year and I was at left tackle my sophomore year; that is where I have been playing. I can play guard. In college, I will more than likely be at guard unless I continue to grow. Tackles at the Power Five schools are typically 6-7 or 6-8.
What style of offense will you be running with the Golden Bears?
We are running a lot. We are very heavy upfront with a dominating Spread offense. Last year in the playoffs, they switched to a Wing-T. This year they are switching back to UCF (Central Florida) approach. We will be on the line, hurry-up, no-huddle, calling the plays going as fast as we can dominating our teams. Our offensive line averages 6-foot, 3-inches. Our skill players are crazy fast and our quarterback is very good. He’s someone to watch out for this season. He flew under the radar last year.
With your offseason work, did you compete at any national camps?
Yes, I went to one Rivals camp in Indiana and a camp in Dallas, the USA National Team camp. I went to that combine a couple of months ago.
Going into recruiting, which programs are showing interest but have not offered yet?
That I know of, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Notre Dame, Miami, Florida State, Northwestern, North Carolina, and Virginia.
How many offers are you holding?
I have five offers.
Which programs were the last couple to offer you?
The last one was Virginia Tech and Tennessee and Kentucky were before that.
Bussell’s Offer Sheet: Eastern Kentucky, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Virginia Tech
Did you get to take any visits this summer?
Yes, I took a visit to Kentucky, Tennessee, and have been on multiple visits to Tennessee, four in total, and I took one to Vanderbilt. I am going on a Tennessee on a visit at the end of this month on the 31st.
The Tennessee visits have obviously gone well. What have you seen and done during some of the visits?
It was kind of crazy. During my first one there, I went to the camp part to watch their coach coaching up the guys at the camp. After that I did a stadium tour, saw the locker rooms, and they had a place in honor of the retired people from Tennessee that I saw.
We had a cookout; there were a lot of guys that were there with offers from Tennessee. After the cookout, then I did the photo shoot in the locker room. They took me and my dad around the campus. It was really cool. They showed us the oldest building there and the engineering building. Then we toured the football facility. It was crazy. They have some of the nicest facilities I have seen in my life.
Very cool. And the Kentucky visit, how did that turn out?
It went really well. I enjoyed my time there. I like the layout. And it is not too far away from home, about three hours. I like the setup there. Everything is close together. The stadium is next to the facilities. Everything is kind of set up like a square. Everything is super nice there – the weight room and their facilities. I really enjoyed watching Coach (Eric) Wolford coach up guys. I wanted to see what he’s like; he’s mean and intense. But he’s also someone that will get on you and then help you, tell you what you did wrong. I liked that a lot.
You mentioned visiting Tennessee at the end of the month, are there any other visits upcoming for you?
Oh yeah. I plan on going to a bunch of games, even schools that haven’t offered. Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech are on my list. I might take a game visit to Notre Dame to see what that is like. And I might go to Florida with one of my friends to see what it is like there. Mississippi State is another one I may go; I heard that is pretty awesome. It is up on the air right not but the four mentioned are set.
Ayden, I enjoyed covering all this ground with you today. Wishing you the best of luck preparing for the upcoming season and with your recruiting visits.
Yes, sir. Thank you.
Photo credit: Bussell family; Ayden Bussell at Kentucky and Tennessee