January 15th: Official Vist Weekend Recap

Although so far there have been no public commitments, without a doubt the first visit weekend out of the dead period was a huge success for Coach Jeremy Pruitt and the Vols.  Another sold out home basketball game in which Coach Rick Barnes and his crew took care of business didn’t hurt, and from social media one could tell that the current players were very involved as well.  The Vols either came out of the weekend as stated leaders or having massively improved their position with every official visitor.

Below is a quick look at where the Vols stand with each of this weekend’s OVs:

LB JJ Peterson had a great visit but will still take officials to Bama then UGA.  Although he seems very strong in his commitment to UT, no one should sleep on in particular Alabama here.  That said, his post-visit comments included a ton of “we” and talking about how he worked on fellow South Georgia LB stud Quay Walker, so it seems like the Vols are in solid shape here.

Speaking of Walker, the Vols made an absolutely huge impression on him and could realistically be considered the leader right now.  Although he’ll be taking an OV this weekend to Alabama (where he is committed in name only), the consensus is he’s not going there.  He has cancelled his OV to Florida, which was scheduled for the last weekend before NSD, so it’s UGA and then AU who will get his remaining visits and are the biggest threats.  However, no one else has the combo of coaches he knows/trusts like UT with Pruitt/Sherrer/Kelly so between that, the kind of early playing time that can only be offered at Tennessee, and good friend Peterson working on him, one has to feel like the Vols are in good if not great shape.  However, this is going to be a knock down drag out fight to the end.

CB Eddie Smith came out of the weekend saying the Vols are his leader.  He seemed to love everything about the visit and as a bonus knows new WR Coach David Johnson, who recruited him while at Memphis.  He didn’t commit though, and will still OV to MSU and then Alabama, who recently offered. That said, it wouldn’t completely shock me to see Smith decide to go ahead and commit before one if not both of those visits occur.  The Vols need Corners in a bad way and Smith is a very good one who no doubt sees the early playing time in Knoxville as a huge opportunity.

RB C’Bo Flemister now has the Vols in front, and frankly it doesn’t seem close. That said, he seems to understand that he’s in a bit of a holding pattern as the Vols both pursue other RB options and also decide whether roster needs elsewhere necessitate passing on another RB altogether.  In my opinion he’s vastly underrated as a 2-star prospect – he rushed for close to 2,000 yards this season and is a high level track athlete who at 6’0 could theoretically be moved to the secondary as well.  But with no other visits scheduled at this time he really has no choice but to wait, so this one will likely come down to whether UT decides he’s a take.

DE/OLB Michael Williams is a prospect I really like due to his insane athleticism for his size (remember, he played QB at 6’2, 250) and the positional versatility that comes with it.  Coming out of the visit he’s got Tennessee at the top along with Texas and LSU (who has no room).  He’s scheduled to visit Austin this weekend and I expect a decision shortly after.  In my opinion he’s a Vol if he’s a take.

WR Warren Thompson also enjoyed his first time in Knoxville, and though most consider FSU to be his most likely destination (he was committed to Willie Taggart at Oregon) the Vols appear to be legit contenders.  If the staff had its druthers Thompson would probably be 1B right behind Jacob Copeland on the WR board, so they’ll probably keep swinging here.

WR Geordon Porter had a great visit – being from Cali he was pleasantly surprised by how nice East TN is and of course impressed with Neyland Stadium and the facilities.  He was also particularly impressed by Coach Johnson, who he got to meet on Sunday. Where he sits on the WR board is unknown, but I am a big fan of the speedster from California who’s already 6’2 despite being young for his grade and whose recruitment has picked up considerably since the Early Signing Period.  He has one more OV that’s up in the air with UCLA, Florida, Texas A&M and others fighting for it.  It’s likely to take place the 1/26 weekend, so this one has some time to play out as the staff sees where they are with Copeland and Thompson in particular and with numbers in general.

WR Brandon Aiyuk loved his visit as one would assume a JUCO from the West Coast who’s only been to Kansas and Arizona State would.  He left without an offer, but Tennessee can get him if they want him.  Pruitt is supposed to be inhome with him this week, but with spots limited and the Vols in good shape for other WRs ahead of him on the board, this feels like a smart play by Pruitt to give himself options should things get squirrely with the other WRs.

WR Jordan Young from Conyers, GA was a surprise visitor and received an offer on Sunday afternoon.  He’s unrated by both major sites – in fact, as of this writing he doesn’t even have a Rivals profile.  What’s odd is that unlike Flemister, who’s from the small town of Zebulon, GA and seems to have been legitimately overlooked, Young not only is from outside of Atlanta but actually made the AAAAAA All-State team.  The similarity to Flemister, though, is that both are track athletes.  This article discusses not only his track exploits but also his ability to bounce back from serious injury (an injury which may explain his low recruiting profile?).  It’s interesting that he got an offer this weekend while Aiyuk did not, and while he has great size at 6’3 and close to 200lbs and the obvious athleticism, I have to think the staff isn’t ready to take him yet.  It will be interesting to see what happens with his recruitment now that UT has offered…

DE Kurott Garland was the other surprise visitor and, similarly to his teammate Young, has an incredibly low recruiting profile.  He’s got similar size to someone like Caleb Okechukwu, and had a nice senior season checking in as an Honorable Mention All State player, but like Young my guess is this offer is contingent on what happens with others higher on the board.  That said, I give the staff a ton of credit both for unearthing two prospects in Young and Garland who look like really good players regardless of rankings and also for expanding their options as much as possible.

Notes on Other Targets

ATH Anthony Grant, ostensibly a UT commitment, was at UNC this weekend for his second official visit after seeing Virginia Tech in December.  No word yet on how the visit went, and there still is not much clarity about where he stands in his commitment – which likely means it’s safe to consider it far from solid.  Whether he schedules an OV with Tennessee is still an open question, and until he does it seems doubtful he ends up in this class.

Major OL target Johncarlo Valentin verbally committed to Baylor while on his official visit in Waco.  That’s a blow to the Vols, as many including myself felt like the Vols were in at least decent shape after he OV’d to Knoxville in December and considered him to be an instant contributor to an Offensive Line that needs immediate help in 2018. To what extent Tennessee continues to try with Valentin is unknown, but considering the dearth of other options and the need at the position, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Vol coaches keep trying as much as Valentin is willing to listen.

TE Glenn Beal, who named Tennessee his leader as recently as last week, appears to have fallen in love while in College Station, TX.  He tweeted on Sunday night that a big announcement is coming Monday – is that trimming his list again or a commitment?  Time will tell, but all indications are that the Aggies are in a good spot.  Beal is an excellent prospect with high potential at a number of positions (TE, OL, DE) and is the kind of player who you’d love to sign if you didn’t have real needs across the roster like Tennessee does.  However, with two TEs already signed one wonders if he wasn’t viewed by the staff as a luxury “love to have” while players at other positions of more immediate need are more “need to have.”  Like Valentin, we’ll see if the Vol staff keeps trying here or not if Beal does indeed commit to A&M.

CB Olaijah Griffin was at USC this weekend and will be there until Monday as he’s now elected to skip the Polynesian Bowl.  According to 247 he’s having a really good visit and his family is encouraging him to stay closer to home.  USC has been viewed as the “favorite” despite Griffin naming Tennessee his leader a few weeks ago.  Knoxville remains his most likely destination if he were to leave the West Coast, but that is likely going to be a major battle.  I expect Coach Nidermayer, who started this recruitment back in December with a great inhome visit, to along with DB Coach Terry Fair spend quite a bit of time in California working this one all the way to Signing Day.  Griffin is good enough to expend all necessary time and resources, and given that he’d likely be a strong candidate to be a Day 1 starter it’s a good bet Pruitt will do just that.  He still has visits available, and Oregon, Auburn, and Florida are all fighting to receive one.

DT Coynis Miller took his official visit to Auburn, where he has been committed to for months, and while he seemed to enjoy himself he is still planning to take his other scheduled official visits.  He’ll start with a trip to Eugene, OR to see the Ducks, followed by trips to UT and then Florida.  Tennessee seems like the only real possibility for a flip, and as a top end NG prospect who Pruitt and Co. were on the first day on the job you can bet they will pull out all the stops when they do get him on campus.

CB Roger McCreary took his official visit to instate Auburn, and while he named AU his leader he did not commit.  I’m not sure that staff was ready to take his commitment, as they are technically still in the race for Griffin (scheduled for an OV 2/2) and a handful of other CBs.  McCreary will OV to Alabama this coming weekend and then is scheduled to be at UT 1/26.  He’s likely down on the board for all three, but he’s a good enough prospect that he likely will end up with a spot somewhere.

DE John Mincey, who last week decommitted from Arkansas, has set his official visits to Tennessee this coming weekend, followed by South Carolina and then FSU.  However, per GoVols247, Tennessee is the team to beat going into the weekend.  Should the Vols push for a commitment they might be able to lock him down.  The question is how many more DL they want to take – Coynis Miller is a take no matter what as the only pure NG on the board, but Malik Langham is a really good player who seems to be a battle between the Vols and instate Alabama.  And now, per the below, Emmit Gooden is on the board.  Can the Vols take two?  All three? Not sure, but that’s another interesting positional balance the staff will have to manage..

Speaking of Langham, no word yet on how his official visit to Vanderbilt went – I don’t consider them to be serious contenders – but interestingly Langham’s primary recruiter at Alabama has been Brian Daboll, the now former Tide OC who is leaving for the NFL.  Obviously Langham has other relationships on that staff, but considering Alabama now has neither a DC nor Langham’s main recruiter, things certainly don’t look the same for him when it comes to who he knows and likes and would play for there.  He’s scheduled to be at Alabama this coming weekend and then UF 1/26 and then will take his visit to Knoxville the first weekend in February.  If he makes it out of Tuscaloosa without committing to the Tide and the Vols are still pushing I think there’s a very good chance he ends up in Orange and White.

ATH Tre’shaun Harrison, a former Oregon commitment, took an official visit to Utah this past weekend.  He will OV to Tennessee this coming weekend and then to Oregon and FSU (Taggart, again).  He’s a 4-star player capable of playing both WR and DB, and he’s another West Coast kid who’s likely to be blown away by what he sees in Knoxville.  The interest on both sides is a bit unknown at this point, but there’s enough from Harrison to fly thousands of miles to check it out.  We’ll know more on this one after his OV is over.

Two New Sunday Night Offers

JUCO DT Emmit Gooden received an offer from Tennessee on Sunday evening.  The big man from Haywood, TN was a UT commitment back in 2014 as a member of the 2016 class, only to end up signing with Mississippi State.  He didn’t qualify and has spent the last two seasons at Independence C.C. in Kansas.  His recruitment has started to heat up recently with offers from Florida and now Tennessee.  He’s now set to visit Knoxville on February 2nd, with an OV to Louisiana Lafayette this coming weekend and then options among UF and others for the following.  My opinion is that if this staff pushes he’ll end up a Volunteer.  He’s a grown man at this point, and physically will be ready to play immediately at either Strongside DE or even NG.  This will be one to watch closely moving forward.

CB Taiyvon Palmer also received a Sunday night offer from the Vols.  Palmer, from outside of Atlanta, is a former Duke commitment whose recruiting has absolutely blown up in the last month – he received offers from Clemson, Notre Dame, and now UT in the last week alone.  He’s another 6’0 CB whose second official visit this weekend was to Nebraska.  He’s got one scheduled to NC State this coming weekend but has two more available for the final two weeks before Signing Day.  It remains to be seen how interested he is, but like all of the other CBs who have received offers from the Pruitt staff he’s likely at least intrigued by both the possibility of being coached by Pruitt and Terry Fair as well as the large opportunity for immediate playing time.

With the Hire of David Johnson, Look for the Vols to Focus on Louisiana in Recruiting

When it comes to recruiting, Jeremy Pruitt will of course focus on the burgeoning instate talent base first and foremost, with Georgia as always being a major pipeline.  Alabama and the Carolinas will likely be new areas that the staff seeks to mine that the prior staff struggled in, and the new staff’s recruiting prowess and relationships will mean that Tennessee is going to be back to recruiting elite prospects across the country from California to Florida.  However, with the hire of David Johnson from Memphis as his new WR Coach, Pruitt now has a real opportunity to make Louisiana a priority state as well.

Johnson, who attended Nicholls State in Thibodaux, LA before spending nearly a decade in the high school coaching ranks in his hometown of New Orleans, also spent four seasons coaching at Tulane.  His reputation as a recruiter is incredibly strong, and his ties in the state are extensive.  In fact, in two years on the Memphis staff he’s signed 5 players from there including Damonte Coxie, an LSU commitment who had his offer pulled just before National Signing Day in 2016 and made his way to Memphis through a connection between Johnson and Coxie’s high school coach.  There’s also Jonathan Wilson, a New Orleans native who signed with Tulane after being recruited there by Johnson and then decided to follow him to Memphis and has started on their defensive line since his freshman year.  In the 2018 cycle Johnson signed 3 Louisiana natives in December and has one more unsigned commitment from the state.

Johnson won’t be walking into a situation where his area of strongest connections are fresh ground for Tennessee.  Robert Gillespie has been working Louisiana for a long time himself, and has been making real hay down there.  In 2017 in fact Tennessee signed three prospects from Louisiana in DBs Cheyenne Labruzza and Terrell Bailey as well as RB Trey Coleman.  And though the 2018 class doesn’t yet include any Pelican State natives, the staff has Jumbo ATH Glenn Beal, DB Eddie Smith, and OLB/DE Michael Williams in their crosshairs. Beal already has Tennessee as his stated leader and Smith and Williams are currently in Knoxville on their official visits.  One would think the addition of Johnson to the staff can only help the Vols with these three.  Whether he can get Tennessee into the mix with elite WR Jamarr Chase, another LA native, remains to be seen.  Chase is at LSU this weekend and the Tigers will undoubtedly be trying to lock him down.  But Johnson was doing his best with Chase while at Memphis, and there is one more OV to be scheduled, so you can be sure he will try here.

LSU will always be the big dog in the state, and other powers, especially Alabama of late, will always recruit the state heavily.  However, there is an incredible amount of talent to go around in the state and in the class of 2019 alone seven Louisiana prospects ranked in the top 10 nationally at their positions.

Johnson also has relationships with high school coaches and prospects in Memphis, particularly one would assume with WRs in the Bluff City.  And fortunately for Tennessee, Memphis is home to three bigtime 2019 prospects in WR Shamar Nash, DE Eric Gregory and DT Trevis Hopper.  And the 2020 class also features stud WR Darin Turner, who will be a national recruit.

Johnson completes what can only be described as an elite recruiting staff, and his ties to Louisiana as well as Memphis complement the relationships that the rest of the assistants bring across the South and the rest of the country.  Look for Tennessee to make Louisiana more of a priority moving forward and for the tag-team of Johnson and Gillespie to start pulling bigtime players from the state almost immediately.

Out of the Chute: Previewing the First Weekend After the Dead Period

Coming out of the dead period with the #14 ranked class nationally by Rivals.com and fresh off a dominating second half performance by his defense in Alabama’s National Championship Game win over Georgia, Coach Jeremy Pruitt is set to host an impressive group of visitors this weekend.  And while the visitor list will likely change (and hopefully expand) in the coming days as things get shuffled around, there are already some incredibly important targets coming to Knoxville.  Check it out below:

LB JJ Peterson – One of the jewels of the class, Peterson is an instant contributor at LB and is the kind of prospect we can get used to seeing Pruitt recruit.  Having committed last weekend at the Army All-America Game despite never having been on campus due to his close relationship with Pruitt and new DC Kevin Sherrer, Peterson will no doubt be looking to familiarize himself with campus, his future teammates, and the rest of the coaching staff.  And Tennessee will be looking to make sure his commitment is 100% concrete and that he shuts his recruitment down.  Finally, Peterson will be looking to peer recruit his good friend and fellow South Georgia stud LB Quay Walker

LB Quay Walker – As mentioned, Walker is both a high level LB prospect and a good friend of Peterson.  The former is why Walker is being recruited heavily by the likes of Alabama, UGA, UF, and the Vols.  Walker is thought to be a lean to UGA right now, but interestingly he moved his Tennessee visit up to this weekend from its previously scheduled spot on February 2nd.  It’s an interesting strategy by Pruitt: on the one hand you get his first visit right out of the dead period with the chance to make a major move before he goes on his other visits – or, in the best but unlikely case, get a commitment and have him shut it down- and come with his good buddy JJ.  On the other hand you’re taking your big swing 3 weeks before NSD and your rivals will have their chances to make impressions that could supersede whatever good vibes Walker has coming out of Knoxville.  While he’s committed to Bama and says UF was his dream school growing up, in my opinion this one is going to come down to UT and UGA so this weekend will be key

CB Eddie Smith – Smith, a former TCU commitment, is the type of long CB who Pruitt covets.  His recruitment has picked up a bit and he is currently scheduled to OV to Alabama and Arkansas after his trip this weekend.  With Bama offering on Thursday this one could get hairy.  However, I’ve got him on commitment watch while he’s in Knoxville, as I think the staff will put the pressure on to land what they hope is the first of 3-4 DB commitments to come

WR Geordon Porter – Porter is a California speed merchant who was formerly committed to Notre Dame but decommitted a few weeks ago.  He’s got good size at 6’2 and is young for his grade so likely has some growing to do.  How many WRs Tennessee has room for to go with Alontae Taylor is an open question, and Jacob Copeland is without a doubt at the top of the board.  That said, Copeland is going to be a very tough pull from out of Florida with Texas A&M, Alabama and UF all scheduled to receive OVs before Signing Day.  Therefore, in my opinion pushing for a commitment from Porter, who is picking up offers from top programs at a rapid rate (UF jumped in yesterday) would be a prudent move.

CB/RB C’Bo Flemister – An interesting prospect, Flemister put up killer numbers as a RB in middle-of-nowhere Georgia and was set to sign with Georgia Tech until Tennessee called and asked him to wait and consider the Vols. What’s unknown is whether UT is recruiting him as a pure RB or as a CB, where his 6’0+ frame and athleticism would fit Pruitt’s mold.  Flemister currently isn’t entertaining any other offers, so it remains to be seen if Tennessee needs to push this weekend.  He’s a high level athlete who ran track in high school and projects as a solid player at multiple positions, so I could see him possibly ending up in the class late if Pruitt is looking for a “best available” type player

WR Brandon Aiyuk – A recent addition to the WR board, Aiyuk is visiting Knoxville without an offer from the Vols.  He’s got a pretty low recruiting profile – no P5 offer yet – but he had a really nice season and brings a good size/speed combo to the table.  My sense is that he’s a ways down the WR board, certainly behind Porter, but the staff is covering its bases and making sure no stone is left unturned by bringing him in

OLB/DE Michael Williams – A mid-week addition to the visitor list, Williams is an absolute freak athlete.  He played QB for his high school team at 6’2, 240 and displayed the kind of athleticism that makes one think he could make one heckuva JACK LB in Pruitt’s system.  He’s had standing offers from instate LSU as well as Alabama, Texas and others, but at this point he’s wide open and it doesn’t appears LSU and Bama in particular have room.

Getting a start on 2019

Tennessee will also have a really nice 2019 group in town, including a large contingent of studs from Grayson, HS in Georgia (LB Owen Pappoe, OL Wanya Morris, RB Ronald Thompkins, LB Kevin Harris, WR Kenyon Jackson, and DB Kenyatta Watson), fellow Georgians Jaylen McCullough and Jalyn Phillips (both stud DBs), and instate stars OL Jackson Lampley, and DB Adonis Otey (fellow instate targets WR Trey Knox and ATH Lance Wilhoite are tentatively scheduled to be there as well).  Joining them will be the #1 OL in the country in 2019 in Darnell Wright from West Virgina, who will be making his third visit to Knoxville since July 2017.

Although it’s obviously very early, getting this volume of high level prospects to campus in a short period of time is a very good sign of what kind of elite level talent I expect Pruitt to be able to attract to Tennessee.  Between his own prowess on the trail and the staff he’s assembled, the Vols are going to be back to competing with and winning battles over other championship level programs for the top prospects in the country.

Other Visits to Watch

Southern Cal is hosting two of the top CB targets of Tennessee and everyone else this weekend in Olaijah Griffin and Isaac Taylor-Stuart.  The Trojans are thought to be the biggest threat to the Vols for Griffin, who recently decommitted from UCLA and named the Vols his leader.  So escaping this weekend without losing that pole position, or worse having Griffin commit to USC, is imperative.  Taylor-Stuart is another elite Cornerback who the Vols are in on, and the Trojans are real players too.  He’s scheduled to OV to Knoxville the first weekend in February, so this is just the first obstacle to getting the opportunity to take a shot at the 5-star CB

Auburn will have three Tennessee targets on campus this weekend as Coynis Miller, Dylan Wonnum, and Roger McCreary will be on the Plains.  Miller is the prototypical 3-4 NG, and while he’s a Tiger commitment he didn’t sign in December and is scheduled to visit Knoxville on the January 26th weekend.  Auburn will no doubt try to lock him down and convince him not to take that or any other trips, so that’s one to watch.  Wonnum is a relatively new target and along with Johncarlo Valentin represents what’s left of the OL board.  He’s got an older brother at South Carolina and the Cocks are the perceived leader, but Auburn is a real threat to land him.  Wonnum doesn’t have an OV with Tennessee scheduled yet, but this is still one to keep an eye on.  McCreary is a former South Alabama commitment that got December offers from both Auburn and the Vols and is scheduled to OV to Tennessee the weekend of 1/26.  He’s likely down the board for both programs, but he’s an SEC-level CB and a good option for both.  I actually wouldn’t be surprised to see him pull the trigger for Auburn this weekend, but if he doesn’t he’ll become a real option for the Vols

UNC will host current Tennessee commitment Antony Grant as well as former FSU commitment WR Antoine Green.  Grant is still being recruited by the new Vol staff, though perhaps as more of an Athlete than a pure RB.  He OV’d to Virginia Tech  in mid-December and right now the Heels and Hokies look to be the biggest threat to Tennessee.  He hasn’t yet scheduled an OV to Knoxville, so his recruitment certainly remains in flux.  Green is a nice-looking WR prospect who visited Knoxville for Orange Carpet Day back in June but then committed to FSU before the coaching change in Tallahassee.  He’s scheduled to visit Tennessee officially the first weekend of February but has said he’s leaning to UNC so this will be one to watch to see if he makes it out of this weekend without committing to the Tar Heels

Others

Glenn Beal, who last night named Tennessee his leader and said he is close to a decision, will be at Texas A&M this weekend.  He’s a TE/DE prospect out of New Orleans with great size and athleticism who LSU doesn’t have room for, so this looks like a two-team battle right now with Ole Miss trying to weasel its way in.  Unless the Aggies can really knock his socks off look for Beal to pop for the Vols soon

Malik Langham will be at Vanderbilt this weekend, and while the Dores have been on the incredibly talented DL for a while they have a long way to go to be real players in this recruitment.  Langham will follow his trip to Nashville with OVs to Alabama, Florida, and then Tennessee on February 2nd.  This one looks like a Vols-Tide battle and will come down to the visits.  He’s an outstanding prospect who would be a huge add to the class

Caleb Johnson will be on an OV to Georgia this weekend.  The OLB/DE target took an official to Tennessee back in the fall and while his recruitment has been quiet it’s picking up steam and he now also has one scheduled for UF next weekend.  He’s probably down on the list for both UGA and UT but with UF not having any DL signees/commitments they might start pushing

Tyson Campbell will be at Georgia on an official visit.  While Campbell unfortunately isn’t a Vol target, this will be one to watch for Vol fans for a handful of reasons.  UGA signed 20 players in December and presumably have 5 spots remaining. They also have three commitments from February signees, so their spaces are very limited. UGA is still pursuing multiple players, and are the presumed favorites for both Campbell and LB Otis Reese.  Notably, they are also in hot pursuit of top-end Tennessee targets Quay Walker and Isaac Taylor-Stuart.  So while I’d hate to see UGA land yet another 5-star player, it might end up playing to Tennessee’s advantage in this case if it keeps them from having room for someone the Vols want

(High School All-Star) Bowl Season is Upon Us

Although Tennessee is shut out of a bowl game for the first time since 2013, there are still bowl games of interest.  And I’m not just talking about rooting against UGA and Alabama and the rest of Tennessee’s SEC rivals in their respective game.  Instead, there are three high school all-star “bowl games” in which Vol fans should have some real interest.

Below is a look at the three most prestigious, all of which include a combination of Vol signees and February targets.

O-D Bowl – Friday December 29, 7:30 EST

What to watch for:

The least prominent of the three, the O-D Bowl features three Tennessee signees in Cordova, HS teammates Jerome Carvin and Jeremy Banks as well as Knoxville star Jacob Warren.  In addition, the roster includes Vanderbilt commitment (and another Memphis target) Rayshad Williams, a long CB/S target that the new staff has re-engaged with and who is expected to officially visit Knoxville in January.  Another big Vol target is Nikko Hall, a WR prospect who is also expected to visit Tennessee officially.  Hall played for former Vol QB Casey Clausen and got a quick offer from Coach Jeremy Pruitt and instantly became a high priority. Rounding out the Vol targets on the roster are Rush DE Caleb Tannor and recently offered power RB (and OU commitment) Tavion Thomas.  Tannor has long been on the UT radar and was committed to UGA until decommitting a month or so ago.  There have been concerns about his grades but those seem to have been resolved.  Auburn is thought to be the lean here if the Tigers make a push, but Tannor has long liked the Vols and is the kind of pass-rushing talent this roster needs.  Thomas received an offer this past weekend but it’s unclear how much interest he has – whether or not he sets up an OV to Knoxville will obviously tell the tale.  He’s another power back like Banks and his talent is obvious.

Having three Tennessee signees around these targets can only help UT’s cause, especially since Carvin and Banks are known as big personalities.  It will also be interesting to hear reports out of practice how well these prospects are performing in practice, as those are often more telling than the actual games, which often featured watered down rules (aptly) designed for player safety.

Under-Armour Game – Thursday 1/4, 6:00PM EST

What to watch for:

Like its namesake and sponsor the Under-Armour Game is an upstart that has made it to the bigtime.  While once the Army Bowl was the end-all be-all of these types of events, the U-A Game now attracts as much fanfare and as many high end prospects as its rival.  This year’s game features two Volunteer signees in Alontae Taylor and Paxton Brooks in addition to arguably the top two overall prospects on Tennessee’s board in WR Jacob Copeland and CB Olaijah Griffin.  Both Copeland and Griffin took their Tennessee official visits the weekend before the dead period, and while they each come to their respective Tennessee interest in different ways (Copeland has a great relationship with Pruitt, while Griffin wasn’t even offered by the previous staff but has family in East TN) both were absolutely blown away by what they saw in Knoxville.  Each of their recruitments will likely go down to the wire, as they’ll both take additional visits and have intense interest from bluebloods across the country.  But Tennessee is in deep with both prospects, and having them around the dynamic personality of Taylor in particular (albeit of course around other schools’ signees too) can only help the Vols.

Other Vol targets include big NG Coynis Miller, an Auburn commitment likely to take an OV to Tennessee in January; Alabama LB commitment Quay Walker, a big fan of Pruitt (and new DC Kevin Sherrer) who many expect the Vols to take a big swing at; and WR Joshua Moore, an uncommitted prospect with national interest who was recently re-offered by the new staff after not signing with anyone during the early period.

Army Bowl – Saturday 1/6, 12:00PM EST

What to watch for:

The “original” and still the game with the most cachet, the Army Bowl is the last one before the dead period ends.  Greg Emerson is the only Tennessee signee in the game, and he’ll likely have his peer recruiting sights set on LB JJ Peterson and CB Isaac Taylor-Stuart, and to a lesser extent (in terms of real chances for Tennessee) CB Kelvin Joseph.  Peterson belongs right at the top of Tennessee’s board along with the aforementioned Copeland and Griffin, and Taylor-Stuart is like Griffin an elite CB.  “IST” has yet to schedule a Tennessee OV but it sounds like he will, and if Pruitt and Co. can get him on campus they have a chance to blow him away like they did Griffin.  Joseph is a Baton Rouge, LA product who the new staff offered likely as “see what sticks” gambit – we’ll see if he reciprocates the interest.

Wait ‘til Next Year

More often than not you can tell the overall quality of a school’s commitment (and now signee) class by how many players they have in these types of games.  And not surprisingly, this year they are littered with players from schools like Clemson, Alabama and Georgia, while Tennessee has only a handful.  However, there is still an opportunity for the Volunteer signees to make some waves on the field and in practices – thereby increasing the buzz around them as prospects and potentially even their rankings – and off the field with peer recruiting of specific targets.  With this new staff Tennessee fans should expect to see the Power T next to many more prospects in the 2018/19 versions of these games.  In the meantime, Vol faithful can take comfort in the fact that Tennessee is represented in each of these games and perhaps as importantly has multiple realistic prospects in each of them as well.

The Case for Anthony Grant

There is a lot of speculation that current Tennessee RB commitment Anthony Grant will not end up signing with UT.  After all, not only did he elect to not sign in the Early Signing Period but he’s also yet to take his official visit to Knoxville and instead visited Virginia Tech officially in mid-December.  Many fans have written him off as another Pruitt casualty due to the perceived preference for bigger backs like recent signee Jeremy Banks and Alabama stars and behemoths like Derrick Henry and Bo Scarborough.

However, I’m not ready to say goodbye to Grant, and below is the case as to why Pruitt and Helton and Gillespie should be trying to hold onto him.

Anthony Grant is a Really Good Football Player

Grant is known of course as a RB and for good reason – he was the Player of the Year in his Region (5A in Georgia) and 1st team RB All County after rushing for just under 1,000 yards despite being part of a 3-headed RB monster with Michigan commitment Christian Turner and 2019 stud Derrian Brown.  And he helped lead Buford to yet another state title game.  However, he was also named AJC first team all-state at LINEBACKER.  In addition, he returned punts and was on the kickoff coverage team (check it out at the 6:00 mark for a wedgebusteràshed blockeràtackle).  And after his outstanding senior season he was upgraded to a 4-star by Rivals.

I think Grant could be a really nice complement to Banks in the class.  As noted above, everyone associates Bama with backs, but the Tide has also had a lot of success with smaller (relative, of course) backs like Damien Harris and Josh Jacobs.  Grant is listed at 5’11, 180 and is known for among other attributes his speed and agility, but when you watch his highlight tape (it is 8 minutes long for a reason) you don’t see a scat back who goes down at first contact.  On the contrary, you see a physical player who not only runs away from defenders but also breaks tackles and initiates contact if necessary, not to mention showing good hands and the ability to pass protect.  After viewing his defensive highlights it is unsurprising he was honored for his play at LB, as he shows off his speed and physicality along with an innate feel for the game.  Now, Grant is too small to play LB in Pruitt’s 3-4, but the fact that he played the position at such a high level simply demonstrates his overall football ability and in my opinion a willingness to be more than a speed back.  In my opinion there is no reason to think he can’t get to 200 pretty easily and keep his speed and elusiveness while just adding to the physical style he already brings

This Class Could Use a Second RB

With Jeremy Banks in the fold the 2018 class has a really nice piece at RB – Banks is a large, powerful running back with really nice speed for his size.  And when you add him to the likes of stud Ty Chandler, Tim Jordan, Carlin Fils-aime and Trey Coleman, there are some nice players in the stable for Running Backs Coach Robert Gillespie to work with.  The impending NFL decision from John Kelly will go a long way in determining just how good the 2018 RB corps is for the Vols, but beyond Chandler the rest of the group does not have a surefire go-to guy.  So while I’m not saying Grant to be an NFL back per se, in my opinion he’s good enough to contribute fairly quickly – 2019 at the latest – and he does have some attributes that like Kelly (a two-way high school player himself) one could reasonably project some real potential from.

Buford HS is a Powerhouse Program You Want to Have Ties To

Buford High annually produces not just state title runs but also numerous FBS and more importantly SEC level prospects.  Tennessee already has two players from Buford on the roster already in LB/D Austin Smith – who I think could see a renaissance under the new 3-4 to be implemented –and DT Quay Picou.  Grant would be a third, and Gillespie is hot and heavy on the next stud RB in the aforementioned Brown.  In addition, this year’s Buford squad featured national recruits on the Offensive Line in Harry Miller, Riley Simonds, and Carter Colquitt  along with future 2021 stud QB Aaron McLaughlin who led the team as a freshman.  Tennessee is unlikely to have a true “pipeline” at Buford – it’s an out of state high school in a state where UGA is king and everyone recruits from – but three players in three years, all on the roster at the same time, would give the Vols at least a foothold in a really strong program.  And if anyone knows the power of high school relationships it’s Jeremy Pruitt.

What happens with Grant’s recruitment remains to be seen.  Certainly he’s not a lock to sign with the Volunteers, and from all indications the opposite seems more likely.  However, I think passing on Grant would be a mistake, as he would not only fit a position of need and bring a really good football player to the roster but would also allow the Vols to build what is already a strong relationship with a high school program that annually produces really good players.  We’ll see if Pruitt and Co. agree…

And Now the Craziness Really Begins

After an eventful first-ever Early Signing Day that saw Tennessee ink 12 prospects, including five players who signed/committed yesterday, the final phase of the 2018 recruiting cycle has begun.  The class has a nice base of players, highlighted by 8 early enrollees and multiple immediate contributors.

With just a few weeks until the traditional February National Signing Day, new coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff will attempt to fill out their first signing class with the kinds of players who can quickly put Tennessee back into SEC contention.  Pruitt and Co. are in an interesting and unique position in that while they were able to salvage a situation in which they had barely two weeks to cobble together the early portion of their class, the stretch run to February will likely seem like an eternity.  And for Vol fans what it exciting is that, especially compared to what was truly available to Tennessee in December, the remaining board looks chock full of bonafide SEC championship winning type players.

Although Tennessee was at a disadvantage relative to its SEC peers due to the new staff coming on late and the early signing period, the Vols could actually be in a good position to be the “best looking girl at the bar at midnight” for some really talented prospects who see their top choices fill up.  In short, as much as it hurt to see rivals like Alabama and (especially) UGA load up on bigtimers yesterday, there simply aren’t enough spots at those places for all of the available top talent, and the Vols are in a real position to capitalize.

As the staff surveys the landscape to see who all signed and didn’t sign, there will undoubtedly be more offers sent out.  Not only that but not only will Pruitt have a full staff in less than two weeks (likely with strong recruiters who bring their own contacts) but he himself as well as new DC Kevin Sherrer will be less constrained to recruit unsigned Bama/UGA commits and targets.  Finally, I would expect that with the success at landing three California products yesterday and all of the uncertainty on the West Coast with new staffs still getting their bearings at UCLA and Oregon in particular, not to mention Tyson Helton’s contacts.

All that said, below is a quick look at the current “February Board” and where the Vols stand with each player, by position:

QB

After signing former Cal commit JT Shrout yesterday, Tennessee is likely still in the market for a second QB.  Shrout is a perfect “bridge QB” for the new staff, as he appears talented enough to take a chance on but not enough of a big name to scare off a true bluechipper in 2019.  Problem is, the remaining pickings are, shall we say, slim. If Tennessee can get in the mix with those I think the staff will take a shot.  If not, my guess is they’ll look hard at the grad transfer market as a way to get some 2018 depth in a one year rental without gumming up the works for the 2019 class and beyond.  Early names to watch for include former Michigan starter Wilton Speights and recent MTSU graduate Brent Stockstill.  Others will pop up in the coming months for sure.

RB

Landing Jeremy Banks yesterday was big for the Vols, both in terms of what looks like a really good prospect as well as planting a flag in Memphis for the new staff going forward.  Of course, helping to sew up teammate and fellow bluechipper OL Jerome Carvin makes Banks look that much better.  The Vols missed out on JUCO product Greg Bell, who signed with Nebraska – whose decision it was is unknown and frankly moot, but I for one am ok with it, because I don’t think Tennessee needs a JUCO back unless he’s a no-brainer stud (which Bell is not) and I’m not entirely sure this class needs more than one RB in total.

Though Buford, GA product Anthony Grant is still technically committed to the Vols most people think he’s unlikely to end up signing with Tennessee in February and most feel like that’s Pruitt’s decision.  I’m a fan of Grant, as I think he’s a really nice looking prospect and would also be the third player to sign with the Vols from the powerful Buford HS program in the last few years.

Right now the depth chart looks like this: John Kelly/Ty Chandler/Tim Jordan/Trey Coleman/Jeremy Banks.  We all know that Kelly could very easily decide to skip his final year for the NFL, but there is a really nice stable of SEC-level backs behind him.

So, assuming Grant signs elsewhere, it will be interesting to see what happens at the position.  The only other RB out there is C’Bo Flemister, a highly productive but relatively Georgia Tech commitment from South Georgia who put off signing yesterday specifically because Tennessee asked him to – he’ll be visiting in January.  Other than him, the board is pretty empty, so we’ll know really quickly if the staff wants another RB in the class by whether or not they start putting out new offers.

WR
With Alontae Taylor back in the fold and an early enrollee, the only decision Tennessee was waiting on was that of JUCO product Jaron Woodyard (also an early enrollee and a Nebraska commitment who OV’d to Knoxville last weekend).  Ultimately Woodyard decided to stick with the Cornhuskers, which means that the bulk of the WR class will come in February.  The good news is that the current board contains four very high level prospect, with more offers likely to go out in short order:

Jacob Copeland; Copeland is a former UF commitment who has been considered a Bama lean for a while.  However, he loves Pruitt and was blown away on his Tennessee OV this past weekend.  The bad news of course is that there is a lot of time between that OV and February’s NSD, and Copeland intends to take more OVs.  That said, the Vols have put themselves in a strong position.  Copeland is a stud and would be worth whatever effort the staff has to put in here.

Nikko Hall/Chris Olave/Geordon Porter – Three California playmakers, one of whom (Hall, formerly coached by Casey Clausen) is definitely planning on taking a Tennessee OV in January.  The other two have OVs left to use, so it will be interesting to see if UT can get any traction here.  Having fellow Californians JT Shrout and Dominick Wood-Anderson and Jordan Allen in the fold could be a big help with these and any other West Coast prospects the staff should decide to take a swing at.

TE

We discussed Tennessee’s coup gaining the signature from Dominick Wood-Anderson, the nation’s #1 JUCO TE yesterday.  Pairing Wood-Anderson with longtime commit and local star Jacob Warren means the TE position has received a much needed injection of talent.  We also discussed the ramifications for Glenn Beal, a Jumbo ATH who could play both TE and DE and took his OV to Knoxville this past weekend.  Interestingly, Beal tweeted last night that he is thinking about signing early.  The guess here is that were that come to pass it would be either Tennessee (his only OV) or LSU (home state school and where he’s visited multiple times).  We shall see here…

OL

After signing Tanner Antonutti, Ollie Lane and ESD commitment and fellow instater Jerome Carvin, the Vols have a nice base of talent for an OL class that needed to have quantity and quality, and still needs more of both.  And after outstanding OVs this past weekend, the Vols are strong favorites for both Giancarlo Valentin and Jahmir Johnson, two highly rated JUCO products (who coincidentally were high school teammates).  Both plan on taking more visits between now and NSD, but Tennessee is in great position for both.  The staff has zeroed in on these and I expect them to expend every effort necessary to land them.

These guys, along with Carvin in particular, project as instant contributors and would solidify the 2018 OL for the Vols.  They would also allow Antonutti and Lane the necessary redshirt year to develop and be ready to contribute in 2019 and beyond.

DL

With a really nice DL haul that included three early enrollees in DE Jordan Allen (JUCO) and Greg Emerson and Kingston Harris along with highly regarded instate DT Brant Lawless, the Vols have a nice group of early signees at a position where you always need more bodies and more talent.  Tennessee also still holds a commitment from instate 4-star D’Andre Litaker.  However, his situation appears to be in limbo and the new staff evaluates him and the overall position, and how they proceed here will be something to keep an eye on.

Malik Langham – A longtime Tennesse target, Langham appears to be down to Alabama and UT, with Notre Dame, where he’s already taken an OV, trying to hang around and UF scheduled for an OV. Langham has been to campus quite a bit, including this fall for the South Carolina game; however, in order to solidify its position Tennessee will have to secure one of his two remaining OVs.  I do expect that to happen, but this one will be another Pruitt vs. Saban battle that goes to the wire.

Coynis Miller – Massive Auburn DT commit, Miller is very talented and a perfect NG fit in Pruitt’s 3-4.  He was scheduled to OV to Knoxville last weekend but did not come – whether he cancelled or rescheduled is unknown right now, but not signing with AU yesterday leads one to believe he’s not completely sold on the Tigers.  Alabama is pushing here too.  He has a great relationship with new Tennessee coach Chris Rumph, which should keep the Vols in it here.  If he reschedules the OV you can count the Vols as a real player here; if not, you can obviously scratch him off.

There does not appear to be much traction with Michael Williams, a Jumbo ATH from Louisiana with offers from LSU and Bama among others who got a quick offer from Pruitt.  We’ll see if that changes in the coming weeks.  In contrast, Javonte Jean Baptiste, a long and lean (6-5, 215) edge rusher with a great frame who hails from the same high school as Jarrett Guarantano, does not appear to have gotten much attention from the new staff.  He did have the Vols in his Top 4 with BC, Virgina Tech and UCF and was actually scheduled to OV for the Vandy game, so if Pruitt and Co. want to get involved I think they can, but they’ll need to move quickly.  I like his game and think he’d be an interesting fit in Pruitt’s 3-4.

I think DL is a position where we’ll see some new offers go out, but Langham and Miller in particular look like the staff’s top targets.

LB

JJ Peterson – A longtime Bama lean, Peterson recently said that the Vols are now his leader.  This is almost 100% due to Pruitt, who he is very close with.  It of course doesn’t hurt that he plays for Pruitt mentor Rush Propst, is from GA so knows Sherrer, and also that UT is now home to two former Colquitt Co players in Jaquan Blakely and Shawn Shamburger.  This will be a knock down drag out fight and one that could yield a crown jewel of the class should Tennessee win out.

Quay Walker- He’s not only close with Pruitt but also is being heavily recruited by UGA (Sherrer).  UGA tried hard to get him to flip and sign yesterday, but he held off and now is fully in play.  Auburn is also a player here, so the Vols are treading in deep waters, which is where you want and can expect this staff to traffic

Javeon Becton – Former UGA commit from current Vol Eric Crosby’s HS, Becton is a pass rusher who knows Sherrer well.  He got a recent Tennessee offer and is very nterested – in fact, he was in Knoxville for the UGA game in late September so he’s been to campus once already.  Virginia Tech is the other big player here

Caleb Tannor – Georgia dropped Caleb Tannor over academic concerns, but it sounds like he will have a chance to qualify. With Auburn missing on Andres Fox, they could very well zero in on Tannor, who initially chose the Bulldogs over the Tigers. Tannor liked the Vols a lot back in the summer before committing to the Dawgs and has been on campus a few times including recently for the LSU game.  Tannor is a really good prospect who I think deserves attention from the new staff given the need for pass rushers.  We’ll see if either side reaches out

Otis Reese – More of a 3-4 ILB, and a very talented one at that, the Michigan commit from GA has had a ton of interest in UGA and Bama, where Sherrer and Pruitt were his respective recruiters of record.  I’ve admittedly not heard of anything going on here but on paper he seems like a guy who would get a quick call from the staff today to gauge interest after not signing yesterday

DB

With zero DBs signed or committed, and with a huge need at the position, one can expect Pruitt and DB Coach Terry Fair to spend a lot of time and energy trying to land some elite prospects.  The good news is that they’ve already laid a lot of good groundwork with a number of highly talented prospects:

Olaijah Griffin – A Top 50 overall player in the class, Griffin had an outstanding OV to Knoxville this past weekend that instantly marked Tennessee as a strong contender for this elite prospect.  Interestingly, Griffin has quite a bit of family in East Tennessee and his uncle actually accompanied him on his official visit, so there is clearly a comfort level here.  As one would expect for a player of this caliber, this will be a fight, and USC, Auburn, Michigan and of course UCLA will battle until the ink dries here.

Isaac Taylor-Stuart: Another big-timer from CA who’s been considering Alabama for a longtime, Stuart got an immediate offer from the new staff and instantly inserted the Vols into his Top 6 alongside the Tide, UGA, USC and Texas A&M (where he’s already OV’d).  Like Griffin, Stuart-Taylor is a hyper-talented prospect and would be an instant contributor in Knoxville, and if he follows through on his stated intention to OV to Knoxville the Vols will be firmly in the mix

Eddie Smith – After decommitting from TCU after a quick offer from Pruitt, the Louisiana native fits the Pruitt mold of long CBs and is obviously incredibly talented when you watch his film.  He also trains with former Vol JJ McClesky and is close with 2017 Vol signee Cheyenne Labruzza.  He will likely set up a January OV to Knoxville pretty quickly and you can, in my opinion, almost pencil him in to the class

Rayshad Williams – A Vandy commitment from Memphis, Williams did not sign yesterday and therefore I’d consider his recruitment wide open.  He’s had interest in Tennessee for a long time but committed to Vanderbilt when UT didn’t come through with a firm offer.  There have long been questions as to whether the 6’3 prospect is a CB or a S, but there is no doubt he’s talented and the new staff seems to like him more than the former. He got a visit form a UT staffer in December and I’d expect him to set up an OV to Knoxville for January.

Roger McCreary – Former South Alabama commitment who is now heavily considering homestate Auburn as well as the Vols after receiving offers.  One would think he’s AU’s to lose, but he does have an OV scheduled to Knoxville on January 26th.  If he makes it that far he could be one to watch

Benjie Franklin – The most recent CB offer, Franklin is a JUCO product who’s getting more and more interest.  Auburn has also just offered and will likely be a factor.  I’m not sure where Franklin sits on the Tennessee board (or others’), so his recruitment will likely be impacted by how schools do with other prospects

Vernon Jackson – Another Jumbo ATH, Jackson profiles as a big Safety who can really run.  He’s a Bama commit but didn’t sign yesterday and despite heavy interest in/from Texas A&M I think he might be one who gets a quick call from Pruitt today.

Breaking: Vols Land Nation’s #1 JUCO Tight End Dominick Wood-Anderson

Tennessee pulled off a stunner Tuesday afternoon, swooping in and landing a signature from Dominick Wood-Anderson, the nation’s #1 JUCO Tight End and a recruit coveted by blueblood programs across the country.  Thought to be a strong Alabama lean, Wood-Anderson took what was undoubtedly a tremendous visit to Knoxville this past weekend and decided he wanted to be part of what Jeremy Pruitt is building at Tennessee.

“DWA” is without a doubt a plug and play starter at a position of need in Tyson Helton’s pro-style offense and where the current roster has real deficiencies.  As an early enrollee he’ll jump right in for spring practice and the expectation here is that he’ll be a star.  Pairing him with longtime commit and local star Jacob Warren means Pruitt has done yeoman’s work at a real position of need.

What that means for Glenn Beal remains to be seen.  Beal is a huge kid with experience both being an inline blocking TE and getting out in the passing game, and is a high level SEC recruit coveted by LSU and Alabama among others.  He took his OV to Knoxville this past weekend and has been silent since – he’s by all accounts he’s a quiet kid, but that’s rarely a great sign.  That said, with two TEs already in the barn and needs elsewhere who knows if he is a take for the Vols; however, given his size/skill level and potential ability to play DE, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the staff keep recruiting Beal until NSD.

The signing of Wood-Anderson is the strongest sign yet of what Jeremy Pruitt and this staff can do on the recruiting trail.  With more time to build relationships the imagination runs wild thinking what might be next…

Visit Weekend Preview: The Last Weekend Before the Early Signing Period

Although this coming weekend will be the second official visit weekend of Coach Jeremy Pruitt’s tenure, it will be the first one that features numerous uncommitted prospects.  And with a list incredibly long on both talent and, due to the number of JUCO players, experience, it’s an incredibly important one.  The new early signing period makes it that much more important, because for some players it’s their last visit before they make a final decision on where they’ll sign in just one week, while for others it’s Tennessee’s final on-campus chance to make a big impression with just under one more month (and likely trips to see other schools) until the second and final signing day.  In a welcome stroke of luck, Thompson-Boiling Arena will have 20,000 screaming Volunteers packed in as they root on the Basketball Vols vs. UNC.  Those kind of things are small, but showing kids, especially who aren’t from the South like many of the incoming prospects, how rabid this fanbase is, always helps.

Below is a quick look at this weekend’s visitors:

Confirmed commitments for the weekend

Jacob Warren/Ollie Lane – Warren and Lane are longstanding local commitments who plan on signing in December and enrolling in January.  Both are solid prospects who ideally would redshirt in 2018.  However, given the dearth of bodies and proven depth at their respective positions both could be in line for snaps in their freshmen season should they take advantage of being in for Spring Practice and summer workouts.  With the large number of uncommitted prospects on campus it will be good to have All Orange guys helping peer recruit

Important Unofficial Visitor

OL Jerome Carvin – Pending logistical details being worked out, Carvin is trying to get back to Knoxville for another visit after taking his OV back in late September for the UGA game.  While it will obviously be much better if he can make it, his desire to do so (especially in lieu of previous plans to try and get to UF) is a great sign.  If he can make it in I think he’s on Commitment Watch.  If not we might have to wait a few more days, but I still think this is trending towards the good guys

Confirmed Uncommitted Official Visitors

All of the remaining confirmed official visitors are prospects the new staff has either offered or reoffered – regardless, they are all players the prior staff was not involved with.  We discussed the status of their respective recruitments in this piece, and suffice it to say that the Vols would very likely take a commitment from almost any and all of them if they get the chance. The group is a good mix of high school players and JUCOs, and each of them play at a position of need.

Uncommitted: December Signees Confirmed for this Weekend

OL Badara Traore – #1 JUCO OL and current LSU commit, this is a new development but one that makes some sense.  He’s not only teammates with Johncarlo Valentin (below) but as an LSU commit he’s also got ties to new UT staffer Austin Thomas, former GM for the Tigers.  Assuming he follows through with the visit, and you can be sure LSU will do everything they can to stop it, one has to think UT has a great shot here.  One other side note is that LSU has just hired a brand new (albeit well regarded) OL coach, which means Traore has no better relationship with his position coach there than he does with UT coach Will Friend

RB Jeremy Banks – Teammates with Jerome Carvin, Banks would be a big add at the RB position due to his size and production.  He’s on my Commitment Watch list

RB Greg Bell – One of FOUR teammates from Arizona Western C.C. coming in this weekend, two of which are December signees and early enrollees.  UT’s biggest competition appears to be Nebraska, where he has already OV’d along with Louisville (where has was committed), Boise, and Utah.  His is an interesting situation, as it is unclear how tied together these four teammates’ recruitments are.  At the same time, Tennessee’s only current RB commitment, Anthony Grant, is far from solid (he’s OV’ing Virginia Tech this weekend), so how many RBs the staff is going to take it up in the air.  All things equal my preference for one RB spot would be for Banks over Bell, but there are likely a lot of things happening in the background…

WR Jaron Woodyard – Another of the quartet from AWCC, Woodyard is actually committed to Nebraska but will be taking his trip to Knoxville this weekend anyway.  Numbers are WR are fluid – with Alontae Taylor back in the fold there is still room for at least 1-2 more, but the pecking order is unknown.  Copeland (below) is a clear take, but that recruitment is likely to go into late January.  Is Shocky Jacques-Louis (also an early enrollee) back in play after Pruitt and Helton were in his home last night?  Like Bell, how much does Woodyard play into the recruitment of his teammates?  As The Dude would say, lotta ins, lotta outs…

TE Dominick Wood-Anderson – A true national recruit, Wood-Anderson is regarded as an instant impact TE prospect and is highly coveted by the likes of Alabama, Texas A&M and Jimbo Fisher, and other bluechip programs.  He’s the jewel of the AWCC Four, and landing him might be a stretch – just getting him on campus represents a pretty big coup, this one orchestrated by new staffer (brought by Pruitt from Alabama) Brian Niedermayer.  However, it’s 100% worth the effort, and he’s an instant starter if he signs with the Vols, a selling point Pruitt and Co. will be hammering home all weekend.

Uncommitted: February Signees Confirmed for this Weekend

Each of the players below are high value targets, not just because of their talent but also because each of them play positions where there is a big need on Tennessee’s roster.  The list below is a mix of high school and JUCO prospects, most of whom we’ve taken a look at in the linked piece above.  As noted, it’s imperative that the Vols make a very big impression on these prospects, as each of them will wait until February to sign.

WR Jacob Copeland

OL Jahmir Johnson

OL Johncarlo Valentin

TE Glenn Beal

DE Kingston Harris*

CB Olaijah Griffin*

*Two relatively new offers

Harris is a DL from IMG Academy in Florida with a decent offer list who Pruitt just offered and is immediately coming to Knoxville for an OV.  My guess is that he’s lower on the board, but we’ll see

Griffin is a borderline 5-star CB from California who received an immediate offer from the staff, has seen Nidermayer in his home, and is now going to be on campus this weekend.  Interestingly, Griffin has a lot of family in East TN and has spent quite a bit of time in the area, so he’s not the typical Cali kid for whom the likelihood of leaving the West Coast is ultraslim.  He’d be a bigtime get, and although he’s probably not going to commit on the spot if the Vols can make a big impression this weekend they could find themselves in the mix for the next month

The Board Gets Bigger: A Look at New Offers

Here’s where it gets really fun.  As new Coach Jeremy Pruitt builds an all-star recruiting staff that brings prior relationships with bigtime players from across the South (and indeed the whole country), the existing boards on Offense and Defense are quickly being bolstered with new offers and renewed interest from players who has previously moved on from the Vols.  Below is a look at newly offered players as well as a few others for whom the new staff will likely get a new look – the good news is that it’s an extensive list, the bad news is that there isn’t a ton of time for some of them…

RB

Jeremy Banks – High school teammates with major OL target Jerome Carvin, Banks is a bigger back who had a huge senior season that has generated a ton of new offers from major schools.  He got a Vol offer last week and is very interested – he will be OV’ing this weekend.  Whether he signs in December remains to be seen, but this is his 5th OV so there might not be much more for him to see.  He seems like a potential commitment this weekend depending on how it goes, and him being good friends with top OL target Jerome Carvin makes him that much more valuable

Greg Bell – Bell is from the same Arizona Western CC as high priority OL target Jahmir Johnson and TE Dominick Wood-Anderson (see below).  Bell has Nebraska as a top choice along with Louisville, both of whom he has already OV’d.  Tennessee is hoping to get him to accompany Johnson to campus this weekend for an OV to Knoxville and is fighting Auburn and ASU for that visit.  If he does make it in one has to think the Vols have a good chance, as he’s signing in December.  If it comes down to Bell or Banks the Vols for the second RB spot (assuming Anthony Grant is solid, which isn’t 100% sure) Tennessee will have an interesting choice to make as Bell is an early enrollee and could represent a package deal with either/both of Johnson/Wood-Anderson

Jerome Ford – A Florida native who’s had a big senior year, Ford has an interesting offer/college list: while he has a standing Alabama offer (and an OV scheduled this weekend) and his other top choice is USF.  He got a UT offer this week so it will be interesting to see how much mutual interest there is.  He’s a likely December signee so the odds here are long, especially since there is a good chance he commits to Bama soon

WR

Jacob Copeland – So, Copeland is a stud.  Period.  And the Vols were not even in the picture before the new hire – he had decommitted from UF and was considered a Bama lean.  But he’s got a great relationship with Pruitt and after an in-home by some assistants last week he’s OV’ing to Knoxville this weekend.  Here’s the (pardon the pun) catch though: this will be his first OV and he’s very likely to wait until February to sign.  Obviously the best case scenario is he’s blown away by UT and the new staff, commits and signs on 12/22.  I’m an optimist, and stranger things have happened, but that seems unlikely.  More likely is Tennessee becomes a major player in this recruitment but UT has to fight through multiple other OVs (Bama, maybe UF, etc) until February.  Copeland is a major talent though, so swinging big here is worth every effort.

Rashod Bateman – Kid flat dominated GA 7A competition in Tifton Co (South GA) and is a stud basketball player too, yet is a Minnesota commitment who until last week’s tender from Tennessee had very little SEC interest.  He’s loved by local recruiting industry writers and feared by local high school coaches, and it could be too late for anyone else to get into this one as he currently plans to sign with the Gophers in December.  However, one has to think the UT offer opened his eyes, and the hope he is he gives the Vols a shot.  South Carolina just offered as well, and UGA is sniffing around too and could likely end things with an offer, so this one could get interesting.  We’ll see…

Geordon Porter – The latest offer as of Tuesday afternoon, Porter is a very recent Notre Dame decommitment.  He’s from CA with a great offer list that strangely does not include USC (Helton) that brings speed and athleticism to the table.  In fact, he is considered to be one of it not the fastest WRs on the West Coast.  It remains to be seems how interested he is in Tennessee, but he’s got two OVs left, having already seen ASU, Utah, and ND.  Clearly the new staff is trying to leverage Helton’s connections in California and we’ll see soon if they bear any fruit

TE

Dominick Wood-Anderson – The nation’s #1 JUCO TE has certainly enjoyed the process, giving multiple staffs indications that he was going to commit.  Alabama has been one of those, and no doubt Pruitt has a prior relationship here (Helton might too).  There is talk he might OV to Knoxville this weekend – if he does the Vols have as good a shot as any, and he’s a plug and play starter both due to his own immense talent as well as the dearth of quality and quantity at the position

Glenn Beal – A large body with experience both being an inline blocking TE and getting out in the passing game, Beal comes from a strong John Curtis HS program in New Orleans.  He is a high level SEC recruit coveted by LSU and Alabama among others.  Upon being re-offered by Pruitt he has immediately set up an OV for this weekend.  While that certainly shows legitimate interest, Beal is likely (though not 100%) a February signee, so the Vols are likely trying to make a giant impression and hope he’s ready to jump in; otherwise they’ll be fighting major powers who will have OV’s left in their arsenal

Michael Ezeike – Former Oregon commit whose body type is in the style of Jason Croom and current WR turned TE Princeton Fant.  Got an offer last week, but has already taken all five of is OVs so this one seems like a longshot for now – if he makes his way to Knoxville on his own dime I’ll happily change my tune.

OL

Dwayne Wallace – Grad transfer from Cal who sat out last year due to an injury, Wallace is a massive man who started nine games for the Bears in 2016.  He appears to have quite a bit of talent, and with the dire state of Tennessee’s projected 2018 OL he’d be an important add.  He’s set to enroll somewhere in January, and as a grad transfer he’s the perfect fit – ready to play but a one-year rental who won’t hold the new staff back as they try to load up with a large 2019 class.  He’s scheduled to OV to Tennessee this weekend (starting Thursday) and there is a good chance he ends his recruitment while in Knoxville.  He’s previously OV’d to Miami and FAU.

Jahmir Johnson – Teammate of the aforementioned Bell, Johnson was recruited by the previous staff and has had interest in the Vols for a while.  He got a quick reaffirmation of his UT offer from the new staff and is now set to OV to Knoxville this weekend.  When he signs is unclear and he’s definitely not an early enrollee, but he’s a real talent and like Wallace would likely be in line for a lot of immediate playing time.  Ideally both of these guys commit this weekend and fortify not only the 2018 class but also the OL for the upcoming 2018 season.

Johncarlo Valentin – Valentin is a center/guard prospect who has been thought to be leaning to Baylor, and has other offers from the likes of Missouri (OV’d last weekend), Temple and Kansas.  Notably though, he signed with OU out of high school so he’s got some pedigree.  He’s teammates with a new top CB target Jeremy Webb (below) both of whom the Vols are pushing to get to campus this weekend as they are both December signees.  He’s a big body with some athleticism and is a good addition to the OL board.

Chase Brown – Yet another JUCO OL, Brown is a Pittsburgh commit who received an offer over the weekend.  Interest is unclear, and he’s an early enrollee – which gives him more value but means Tennessee either gets him to campus this weekend or misses out – but what is clear is that Pruitt and OL Coach Will Friend see the need for immediate help at the position and are acting accordingly.

DL

Coynis Williams – Massive Auburn DT commit, Miller got an instant offer to UT from Pruitt will to OV to Tennessee this weekend.  However, he’s not signing until February so the Vols will have to make a huge impression to be legit contenders.  Likely a longshot, but he’s very talented and a perfect NG fit in Pruitt’s 3-4.

Jalen Cunningham – Another very large NG prospect offered by the new staff, Cunningham is thought to be an Ole Miss lean with Alabama also in the mix.  Pruitt’s got a relationship here and the new staff just offered today – if they can convince him to either not sign in December (likely with the Black Bears) or OV this weekend after the Alabama-Mississippi All Star Game Tennessee will have a real shot here.

Andres Fox – Currently an AU/Alabama battle, Fox is another Alabama native who didn’t have much interest in the Vols until the new staff arrived.  How much he has now is undetermined, but the long pass rusher isn’t signing until February so UT will take a swing.

Javeon Becton – UGA commit from current Vol Eric Crosby’s HS, Becton is a pass rusher who knows Sherrer well.  He just got a Tennessee offer and seems interested – in fact, he was in Knoxville for the UGA game in late September so he’s been to campus once already.  Another February signee, the Vols have time here to make a push.

Michael Williams – A QB/DE (you read that right) from Louisiana, Williams has offers from the likes of Bama, LSU, and others.  He’s not particularly tall at around 6’1, but he’s over 260 pounds yet moves like a 225 pounder.  Likely a 3-4 OLB/Rush DE, Williams got a Vol offer this weekend.  We’ll see if he reciprocates the interest, but he has the look of a typical Bama/LSU defender who is both big and fast and makes plays.

Jordan Davis – Bama commitment from Memphis (Southwind), Davis nearly flipped to the Vols over the summer at Orange Carpet Day only to be told no by his mother.  Pruitt obviously has a longstanding relationship here, and Davis is also very close with Carvin.  Some rumblings he might be open to giving the Vols one more look, but that seems to have been shot down (again, by his mother).  If he signs in two weeks it will be with Alabama – if not, all bets are off.

Daniel Carson – Newly offered big-bodied DE from Missouri, Carson has OV’d to both Texas and Miami and has one scheduled this weekend for Nebraska.  His interest in UT is undetermined at this point – he’s another who if he signs in December it likely won’t be with Tennessee but if he’s a February signee the Vols will have a shot.

LB

JJ Peterson – Arguably the top prospect who Pruitt and the new staff gave Tennessee the best chance for as soon as they put on the Vol gear.  Peterson now not only has ties to the staff (he loves Pruitt, plays for Pruitt mentor Rush Propst, and is from GA so knows Sherrer) but also to the UT program – Colquitt Co. has produced Vols in back to back classes in Jaquan Blakely and now Shawn Shamburger.  Long considered a Bama-AU battle, Peterson has said he will OV to the Vols before signing in February.  He’s instantly one of if not the most talented LB on the roster if he signs with the Vols – this will be a knock down drag out fight and one that could yield a crown jewel of the class should Tennessee win out.

Quay Walker – I’m projecting a bit here because there’s been no smoke about Walker (a Bama commit) really looking at UT.  But he’s not only close with Pruitt but also is being heavily recruited by UGA (Sherrer).  He’s a February signee, and I wonder if he’s a guy who Pruitt leaves alone until after he’s officially finished with his tenure as Bama DC and then tries to get heavily involved with.  He’s a high caliber prospect and like Peterson would represent a bigtime injection of talent to the UT LB corps.

DB

Marcus Murphy – An “athlete” who played a lot of QB for his high school team but is projected as a CB, Murphy not only got an early offer from the new staff but also received a quick in-home visit from fellow Mississippi native Robert Gillespie and new DB Coach Terry Fair.  Murphy is a Mississippi State commitment and plans to sign in December; however, despite a good OV in Starkville this past weekend he is planning to OV to Knoxville this coming weekend immediately after the Alabama-Mississippi game.  Could be one to watch…

Jeremy Webb – Teammates with Valentin at ASA in Brooklyn, Webb has one OV left before signing on 12/22 and enrolling in January.  Webb is one of those JUCO CB prospects who blow up late, and the 6’3″ CB is deciding between UT and UF for his final visit.  Should he decide to visit Knoxville things will be pointing up here for the Vols, who currently have zero DB commitments and need talent and depth at the position.

Rayshad Williams – After visiting Knoxville at least once over the spring/summer, Williams, a Memphis Whitehaven native, committed to Vanderbilt when UT didn’t come through with a firm offer.  Obviously an excellent student, Williams is a very large CB (6’3″) and fits what Pruitt looks for in a high level prospect at the position.  Though he hasn’t been mentioned with UT for months, Tennessee high school relations staffer Patrick Abernathy (who has relationships throughout the state and is a possibility to remain on in some capacity) is on the road while Pruitt fills out his staff and is set to visit Williams today.  We’ll see if anything comes of it, but Williams has long liked the Vols and is not signing with Vanderbilt in December due to not being 100% sure of his decision, so there might be an opening here.

Isaac Taylor-Stuart – Big-timer from CA who’s been considering Alabama for a longtime, Stuart got an immediate offer from the new staff and instantly inserted the Vols into his Top 6 alongside the Tide, UGA, USC and Texas A&M (where he’s already OV’d).  He’s clearly not afraid to leave the West Coast, and as a February signee he’s got time to sort through things and build a relationship with the Tennessee staff.  Hyper-talented and would be an instant contributor in Knoxville.

Eddie Smith – Longtime TCU commit who also got a quick offer from Pruitt, the Louisiana native fits the Pruitt mold of long CBs.  Smith hasn’t been very vocal about either the new offer or the strength of his TCU commitment, but it sounds like there might be a shot for the Vols to get more heavily involved.

Nikko Hall – California native who plays both sides of the ball (WR and DB), in my opinion this one is a long shot unless and until Tennessee can get him to campus.  He’s incredibly talented though and likely has a prior relationship with Helton, so it’s worth trying.

Remaining Board as Pruitt and Co Jump In – Defense

After looking at players on Offense who’ve been linked to UT through the 2018 cycle, below is a look at the board on Defense as Coach Pruitt gets started.  With only 6 commits on that side of the ball, there’s a lot of work to be done here:

DL

There is always a need for more defensive linemen, and with Pruitt being a defensive guy and having two DL coaches (by trade at least) on staff in Tracy Rocker and Chris Rumph, you can be sure this will be an area of focus both in terms of the current board and also for new prospects.  Tennessee’s current DL corps has some talent but needs to be upgraded to compete for championships.

Malik Langham  – Another DL for whom the Vols have been involved with throughout the process, Langham, an Alabama native, has recently seen the home-state Tide put the pressure on after a great senior season.  He was in Knoxville a few times over the summer and also took an UV for the South Carolina game, so clearly he has a lot of interest in the program.  He’s a really nice looking prospect with the kind of grades to put Vandy and Notre Dame (where he’s OV’ing this weekend) in the mix as well.  One would think that the new staff, and especially Pruitt, have a strong tie here.  He’s a late signee so there’s time for the Vols to reestablish themselves, but he’s only got 2 OVs left taken/unscheduled.  I expect Tennessee to get one and be a real player until National Signing Day

Caleb Tannor – After decommitting from UGA, Tannor’s is an interesting case.  On the one hand he likely has a preexisting relationship with new DC Kevin Sherrer who’s coming over from Athens, but on the other hand, of course, he decommitted from there.  Tannor liked the Vols a lot back in the summer before committing to the Dawgs and has been on campus a few times including recently for the LSU game.  There’s some grade concerns, but Tannor is a really good prospect who I think deserves attention from the new staff given the need for pass rushers

Azur Kamara – I wrote about Kamara back in the preseason, and he’s done nothing during his season to make me think any less of him, posting 2.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for a loss.  He’s part of the Arizona Western JUCO crew that the former staff visited a week or so ago, but it’s unclear how much interest he still has.  He’s only got two OVs open and Ole Miss and Oklahoma State appear to be the favorites to land those.  We’ll see if the Vols can get (back) in the mix

Javonte Jean-Baptiste – The Vols have an in here because Jean-Baptiste comes from the same high school as Jarrett Guarantano.  He’s a long and lean (6-5, 215) edge rusher with a great frame and had a senior season that saw him upgraded to a 4-star by 247.  He had the Vols in his Top 4 with BC, Virgina Tech and UCF and was actually scheduled to OV for the Vandy game, so if Pruitt and Co. want to get involved I think they can.  He’s OV’ing to BC this weekend and VT the next, and the new Nebraska staff (form UCF) has also reached out with an offer.  This will be one to watch moving forward.

LB

If Coach Pruitt is going to play more 3-4 in the future, he’s going to need more, and more talented, and perhaps different style LBs than what’s on the roster.  The one LB on the commitment list, Matthew Flint, is very talented but this class likely needs more.  The lack of numbers here reflects the fact that the Vols signed quite a few in 2017 and the fact that the old staff played much more 4-2-5 Base defense and just needed fewer bodies on the roster.

Caleb Johnson – A longtime Vol target who has seen his SEC interest increase throughout his season season, Johnson took his UT OV for the UGA game.  Under a 4-3 he might be considered more of a 4-3 DE prospect, but I’m putting him here for now.  Despite the coaching turnover and an uptick in interest from the likes of Auburn and UGA, Johnson has maintained high interest in the Vols.  One has to imagine that new Defensive Coordinator Kevin Sherrer and his staff (which is still being added to) not only are well aware of Johnson but have a strong relationship with him. He’s a late signee who’s taken no OVs yet, so there is plenty of time here.

Cam Jones – We discussed his recruitment viz. Flint back in the summer.  A Tennessee legacy who many thought was a fait accompli to the Vols, Jones never could get comfortable enough to pull the trigger and eventually recommitted to Indiana.  He’s an outstanding athlete who projects to a number of positions – will the new staff try and get (re) involved?  Would he have any interest?  Remains to be seen…

DB

Unfortunately, yet another position that needs both talent and depth.  The new staff has work to do here.

Jaycee Horn/Trey Dean* – Two high level prospects who have decommitted since Butch Jones was fired, it’s pretty obvious the Vols have a better chance with Horn than Dean.  Pruitt has prior relationships with both, and Horn was enamored with Bama throughout the process while Dean has basically closed the door on Tennessee (though I think there’s a crack there).  Horn likes South Carolina a lot and the Cocks are and were always going to be in this one until the ink dries.  With Pruitt in Knoxville one would think that strengthens Tennessee’s position, but we’ll see.  He’s a February signee so there’s plenty of time, while Dean is signing in two weeks so there really isn’t

Tanner Ingle* – Beating a dead horse here, but I really like Ingle’s game.  Right now NCSU appears to be his other option.  Can the new staff get back in here?  Do they want to?  Open questions, but I hope the answer to both is in the affirmative

Dashon Bussell – Local product who’s a great athlete, Bussell is currently committed to Western Michigan.  If the new staff wants to get involved it surely can, and with the numbers as they are it could be a necessity.

Myles Mason – Alabama native who didn’t have a Tide offer from Pruitt, nevertheless Mason is a really nice looking prospect who projects as a physical Safety.  He visited Knoxville during the season for an UV, but then committed to Dan Mullen and Mississippi State soon after.  He currently still plans to sign early with the Bulldogs, so the window is pretty narrow if the Vols want to get involved

*Formerly committed