Author Archives: DylanVol

With the Vols on their second of two bye weeks of the season, the Tennessee staff will not only take the opportunity to rest its team and develop its younger players but also reassess its 2020 recruiting board.  They’ll likely hit the road and touch base with prospects while at the same time likely handing out at least a handful of new offers.  Below we’ll take a look at the Offensive Board by position and evaluate where these prospects sit on Tennessee’s board as well as their reciprocal interest.  As a reminder, the Vols currently have 18 commitments, giving them 7-8 spots to work with and multiple needs to address:

QB

Current commitment: Harrison Bailey

Prospect:

Jimmy Holiday

Holiday is a TCU commitment from Madison, MS who has shined over the course of his senior season.  We featured him in an article talking about the need for playmakers in early October, after which Holiday took an official visit to Tennessee in October for the UGA weekend.  While it’s unclear whether or not TCU is recruiting him as a QB or as more of an ATH (read: WR), what’s not in doubt is the fact that Holiday considers himself a QB.  The Vols have told him that they will absolutely give him his first opportunity at QB, which seems to have resonated with him.  Bottom line is he’s ~6’0 and 180 pounds, runs a sub-4.4 40 and notched the 7th best overall SPARQ score at a Nike Regional event over the summer that included over 300 other prospects – and ALL of that translates on film. Whether or not the Vols need another QB in this class is up for debate, which is why the fact that Holiday projects as an electric playmaker with the ball in his hands no matter where he ends up a more valuable prospect for Tennessee.  Holiday took his OV to TCU over the summer, so the Horned Frogs won’t get a chance to host him in that manner again.  He’s been committed to them for a while now, so flipping him won’t be particularly easy, but the chance to play QB and play in the SEC could be enough if the Vols decide to push.

RB

Current commitment: Tee Hodge

Prospects*:

Zaquandre White (JUCO)

Ty Jordan – Texas commitment

John Gentry – Arkansas decommitment

Don Ragsdale (JUCO) – USM commitment

Like QB, one could make the case that Tennessee doesn’t need another RB in this class.  All three of Tennessee’s RBs who have played this season – Ty Chandler, Tim Jordan, and Eric Gray – have eligibility remaining, and even the one senior in the RB room in Carlin Fils-aime could potentially redshirt and return.  Hodge’s senior season has been plagued by injury and he hasn’t put up monster stats, but there is a reason that schools like Wisconsin and Oregon wanted him up to when he committed to the Vols over the summer, and in the Badger’s case continue to try.  Hodge looks like a solid and capable SEC RB, something that’s not to be understated.  And assuming all of the above return in 2020 that would give Tennessee four (or five, pending CFA) RBs.  It would also set them up to need at least two in 2021, which in theory is precarious.  However, at the same time that would give the Vols a tremendous sales pitch.  Because for all of the great things that Jeremy Pruitt has done in terms of upgrading the talent and depth in the program, one sore spot he’s so far failed to correct is Tennessee’s decade-long inability to land a bigtime, no-brainer, blue-chip 5-star RB.  While Eric Gray was a highly regarded and coveted prospect, he’s just not on the level of the kind of RBs that the likes of Alabama and Georgia have been adding literally year after year, sometimes landing more than one in a class.  There are still more than a few things that Tennessee needs to do to reach the next level of truly going toe-to-toe with the Tide and Bulldogs as well as competing for championships, but having that kind of gamebreaking RB is one of them.  That has to be considered an absolute MUST for 2021.

As for the RBs on the board should the Vols choose to add one more, it’s an interesting group.  Given the above, on the one hand it makes sense to add a JUCO who would bring maturity and experience to a potentially shorthanded group. On the other hand, if the concern is more about who is around past 2020 then a JUCO makes less sense.  Either way, White is seemingly the most likely to make an instant impact, as he has the strongest pedigree as a former 4-star FSU signee and has had a nice sophomore year in Junior College.  The Vols have been on him for a while but so far he hasn’t been to campus since Pruitt was the coach, although it should be noted that he’s not been anywhere else either this year.  Jordan is the other one of the group who the Vols have been recruiting for some time, and he took an OV to Knoxville this summer before ultimately deciding to stay close to home, at least partially due to an illness in the family.  With the Vols adding a commitment from his high school teammate OL Kyree Miller, however, Volquest.com has reported that Tennessee has reengaged at least a little with Jordan.  Ultimately it seems hard to see the small but very dynamic back opting to leave the state, but like with most if not all prospects Tennessee covets they likely won’t stop trying.  The last three RBs on the board are all very new offers – with Tennessee tendering each of them in the past week or so.  Gentry is another Lone Star state standout, and Arkansas’s firing of Coach Chad Morris caused him to back off of his pledge to the Razorbacks.  Gentry seems like a Utah lean and as of this writing Amos appears to be ready to jump in the sinking ship that is Gamecock football, so those two could be off the board before Tennessee has time to gain any footing. Finally, Ragsdale, the newest offeree, is the second JUCO on the board and is currently committed to homestate Southern Mississippi.  He’s a big, powerful back whose film shows some impressive shiftiness but a lack of top end speed – think a bigger Tim Jordan while at the same time thinking of your prototypical Southern Miss RB. 

*It is very important to note that Tennessee is recruiting both Desmond Tisdol and Len’neth Whitehead as Athletes who could play both RB or ILB.  Both of them are high level prospects and both could possibly be considered Vol leans at this point (with the South Carolina implosion moving the needle for both).  That said, not only is there still a need for another ILB in the class, but I have a hard time seeing Jeremy Pruitt put bigtime players on offense when he has a choice of keeping them on the defensive side.  Therefore for these purposes neither prospect is being counted on the RB board

WR

Current commitments: Jalin Hyatt, Jimmy Calloway, and Darion Williamson

Prospect(s):

Rakim Jarrett (LSU commitment)

Thaiu Jones-Bell (Alabama commitment)

Dee Beckwith

With the impending graduation of two potential All-SEC players in Jajuan Jennings and Marquez Callaway, Tennessee’s passing game is inevitably going to look different in 2020.  Whether it ends up worse is TBD, as the move of UGA transfer Deangelo Gibbs from DB to WR and the decision to redshirt the dependable soon-to-be 5^th year senior Brandon Johnson will give the Vols some veterans that they didn’t necessarily think would be there when the season started.  At the same time, freshmen Cedric Tillman, Ramel Keyton and Jerrod Means have gotten some real playing time this season, giving the Vols some more experience as well.  And of course Josh Palmer will be in line to take over as the headliner of the group.  Finally, in the second year of OC Jim Chaney’s system there could be more involvement in the passing game for both the TEs (especially if they add the stud prospect below) and RBs. 

That said, Tennessee needs an infusion of both quantity and quality at the position in the 2020 class, and although they have three commitments they could stand to add at least one more and are recruiting as such.  Even more because Calloway is still looking to take visits – to at least OU if not also UK and maybe homestate UGA if they end up offering – and Williamson has visited Memphis this season and also is less likely to be a Year 1 contributor given his inseason knee injury.  Tennessee was thought to be the leader for Jarrett in the spring until he made a surprising commitment to LSU (no one knew at that point their offense would resemble the Greatest Show on Turf), and even a summer official visit to Knoxville wasn’t enough to flip him.  The Vols have continued to stay in touch and so far Jarrett hasn’t told them a final “no,” while at the same time taking a late October OV to Alabama, but that one looks like an uphill battle.  Similarly, Tennessee was 1B to Alabama’s 1A when Jones-Bell committed over the summer, with some actually thinking that he was going to announce for the Vols.  An unofficial visit to Knoxville for the South Carolina game was a great sign for Tennessee – now it will be about getting an official visit for the December signee.  He’s talked about taking his OV to Bama the second to last weekend before the early signing period and then to Knoxville for the last weekend; in theory that sets up well for the Vols but one can be sure that Alabama will do everything it can to shut that down when he’s in Tuscaloosa.  Volquest.com has hinted that Jones-Bell’s mother isn’t a big fan of the Tide and she did accompany him on that recent trip to Knoxville.  Ultimately it could prove too difficult to flip a Bama commitment who the Tide is all in on, but the Vols are very much in the thick of it for an instant impact pass catcher.  The final player on the board is arguably the most interesting, as Beckwith is not only a multi-positional player on the gridiron but also a high level basketball player.  He’s now been offered the chance to play both sports at Tennessee to go with his other top schools like Florida (arguably Tennessee’s top competition), Ole Miss and instate Auburn.  At 6-5, 215 pounds he shows uncanny agility playing part-time  QB for his high school team while also WR/TE and even RB.  He’d be a Swiss Army Knife kind of player for Chaney, capable of playing Wildcat QB (and passing, too) while also both running and catching the football.  Beckwith is probably the most likely of the three and the Vols would do well to add him to the collection of WR talent they already have committed.  Should they combine him with either of Jarrett or Jones-Bell the Vols would have hit a grand slam at the position in the timeliest manner possible.

TE

Current commitments: None

Prospect: Darnell Washington

We’ve made the argument that Washington is the only TE the Vols should attempt sign.  Since then he’s made an unofficial visit to Knoxville for the UAB game, making it close to a half dozen visits to Tennessee since last year.  He also took his Alabama official visit this past weekend, which by all accounts helped the Tide get back into the race.  Georgia is still considered one of his top choices, and he’s taking an OV to Oregon this coming weekend.  That will leave him one more OV, which the Vols will be fighting Miami for.  Indications from 247 Sports are that he’s more likely to visit Knoxville than Coral Gables, and if he does so you really have to like Tennessee’s chances here.  The Vols have had uber-recruiter Brian Niedermeyer on Washington from the get-go, and will have gotten not only Washington’s last official visit but two of his final four campus visits overall and the chance to make the final impression.  Washington is a certain Day 1 starter at Tennessee and would instantly help the Vols recoup some of what will be lost in the passing game with the graduation of Jennings and Callaway. em

The more I think about the pickup of OLB Jimari Butler the more I love it.  Yes, the loss of BJ Ojulari was a big blow to the class, particularly given Tennessee’s need for pass rushers both immediately in 2020 and when looking out vis a vis the current roster.  And yes, Butler is raw and relatively underrecruited (for now).  But like we’ve noted, Pruitt has a pretty darn good track record for talent evaluation, which should make Vol fans feel good about just about anyone Tennessee chooses to take.  Perhaps more importantly, when specifically looking at Butler what jumps out is his pure athleticism to go with his size.  Why was Roman Harrison relatively underrecruited last season as a future pass rusher?  Because he’s 6’1.  Why has Quarvaris Crouch, a bigtime player who’s a cornerstone of the future somewhere on defense, failed to get home to the QB multiple times despite getting good push on Offensive Tackles?  Because he’s 6’1.  And why is Darrell Taylor a likely 2^nd round pick at worst despite playing during a pretty darn bad stretch of Tennessee football?  Because he’s 6’5 and combines that length with top end athleticism to actually sack the QB.  Butler is also 6’5, and used that length as well as his elite athletic ability – he was clocked at a 4.6 40 over the summer and you can see his ability to bend around the corner on film – to get 18 sacks just this season, his first playing football since 7^th grade. That length is something that Tennessee just doesn’t have much of at the OLB/Rush DE spot, and it makes a huge difference.  I’m not sure he’s a 2020 contributor simply given his lack of experience – though I wouldn’t put it past Pruitt and Co. to get him there – but mark me down as saying Butler is a future star and will likely see a bigtime ratings boost before all is said and done. 

With Tennessee on a bit of a roll it’s obvious that things are stable in Knoxville.  And not only does winning help in general, but that stability, and the erasure of any talk about Pruitt’s job security that goes with it, is huge.  Combine that with the recent firings at FSU and Arkansas as well as real instability at places like South Carolina (likely to finish 4-8) and potentially other SEC programs like Mississippi State and Tennessee’s program has a real advantage.  That’s of course even before you get to the carousel that will come from FSU and Arkansas hiring coaches themselves and whatever other coaching changes are made at programs nationally. 

To that point, the opinion here is that Tennessee’s staff should resist the urge to go poach immediately from those programs and instead be picky and stick with its philosophy of only going after bigtime players (as defined both by recruiting services and more importantly the staff itself).  Right now there are limited spots left in the class and realistically many more options out there to fill them.  There will also inevitably be new players who come on the board, either because of coaching changes or because Tennessee sees something they like from senior/JUCO film or even in a postseason all star game and decides to make a move.  And given the above, there are going to be players that the Vols missed out on earlier in the process who are newly available and re-engaging with the Tennessee staff.  Guys like Arkansas DE commitments Blayne Toll and RB John Gentry, FSU OLB commitment Morven Joseph, Mississippi State OLB commitment Jevon Banks, or even a guy like RB/LB Len’neth Whitehead who was a heavy Gamecock lean but now may be feeling uneasy about what’s going on in Columbia.  Further, should Tennessee win out to get to 7-5 and play in a January bowl like the Taxslayer in Jacksonville, they very well may be able to regain traction with 5-stars like ILB Noah Sewell, OLB Sa’vell Smalls (a Washington commitment), and WR Rakim Jarrett (a LSU commitment) and keep momentum going with 5-star TE Darnell Washington and Alabama WR commitment Thaiu Jones-Bell.  As Pruitt says, it’s about the players you get, not the ones you don’t get.  But if Tennessee continues to win AND the staff plays its cards right (i.e., not just taking the first couple of guys looking for a lifeboat), the Vols could find themselves with the opportunity to actually choose from a host of really good players.  Having to make tough decisions is by definition difficult, but it’s always a better position to be in than being desperate and trying to fill spots. 

There are also positional needs to consider – the Vols need playmakers on offense, they need at least one more pass rusher, and they need at least one more LB.  One could also argue they need another DB if possible.  No matter what, with only 25 spots (although it’s worth wondering whether Tennessee got Melvin McBride’s 2019 initial counter back due to his medical condition and can sign 26) Tennessee will not be able to get exactly where it needs to be in terms of talent and depth with just the 2020 class, even if the class does move the program significantly forward in that regard.  It could come down to Best Player Available down the stretch, where Tennessee chooses to go with “another” player at a position that seemingly has been filled simply because he’s a significantly better football player than the best available player at a position of “need” in the class.  For example, would Tennessee take both Whitehead and ILB/RB Desmond Tisdol?  Would they take all of DL Tyler Baron, Octavius Oxendine, Omari Thomas and then a guy like Reginald Perry?  What if Jay Hardy comes to his senses and wants (back) in?  Would they take all offensive playmakers Jones-Bell, JUCO RB Zaquandre White, and ATHs Dee Beckwith and Jimmy Holiday?  Would they add a 5^th OL if it’s Chris Morris?  Again, potentially good problems to have to solve for, and I would wholeheartedly support the “BPA” decision especially if it comes on the backs of remaining patient.

Tennessee received a commitment from it’s 4^th OL in the 2020 class when Kyree Miller went public with his pledge on Tuesday.  Fresh off his official visit to Knoxville this past weekend, Miller didn’t need to wait any longer before jumping into the boat.  At 6’4 and ~360 pounds, Miller is a massive prospect who likely projects somewhere along the interior of the OL. 

The fact that he committed to Tennessee shouldn’t come as a huge surprise given that the Vols are far and away his best offer among the likes of SMU, Colorado State, and UTEP.  What may be surprising, and perhaps even disappointing on the surface for Vols fans is that Tennessee was willing to take him this relatively early in the process.  Having just hosted 4-star RJ Adams on an unofficial visit, just offered 3-to-play-3 JUCO Jeremy Flax, and presumably still in the mix for Memphis-native and Texas A&M commitment Chris Morris, taking Miller represents a calculation from Tennessee’s staff that not only is Miller a future SEC OL but also that the chances of landing one of those aforementioned OL wasn’t worth foregoing just taking Miller now.*

Is that the right approach?  Only time will tell.  What we do know about Miller is that he’s turned himself into a legitimate SEC prospect by dropping his weight by nearly 70 pounds since last season, when he tipped the scales at around 430.  That shows a pretty high level of dedication and discipline if nothing else, especially for a 17 year old.  When looking at his senior year film, it is clear that he moves incredibly well for that incredible size.  He’s not a sprinter by any means but he is used as a pulling guard quite a bit and you actually see him getting to the 2nd level quite a bit.  Combine that with a real nasty mentality (notably shared by all of his OL commitment peers) and that sheer size that he effectively turns into power when engaged with a defender, and he is a really nice looking longer-term prospect.  Particularly when projecting a few years out with college level coaching a more importantly Tennessee’s Strength & Conditioning program.  He’s pretty clearly not a Darnell Wright/Wanya Morris caliber prospect, at least early on, but the good news is that Tennessee don’t need that.  Frankly, he might not even be a prospect on the level of a Morris or Adams, though you never know until they get to college especially at a position as difficult to evaluate as OL.  But with the depth and talent that Tennessee has returning next season – it’s reasonable to say that all of Tennessee’s 2020 OL signees won’t be called upon and therefore will redshirt anyway. 

Another reason for optimism when it comes to Miller’s long-term future is the track record of Pruitt and Co’s talent evaluation.  As we’ve noted before, Pruitt’s recruiting philosophy revolves around two things: 1) bluechippers, for whom he’s willing to go head to head with the best of the best programs in the country, and 2) underrecruited prospects who he and his staff have evaluated and judged to be capable of helping Tennessee contend of championships, other offers be damned.  He’s landed his share of the former, many of whom are littered over the field this season as true freshmen, redshirt freshmen, and sophomores.  But he’s also not been afraid to pull the trigger on the latter, and so far the success rate is pretty darn high.  Guys like Kenneth George, Jahmir Johnson, Kurrott Garland, Cedric Tillman, Jerrod Means, Darrell Middleton, Roman Harrison, and Kenny Solomon were all either lightly recruited all the way through the process or discovered first by Tennessee before landing more big offers, and are now playing roles large and small for a resurgent program.  In the 2020 class, Tennessee took a commitment from 3-star Jimmy Calloway when his only other offer was from Georgia Tech as 247Sports’ #787 overall prospect. He’s now a 4-star, ranked the nation’s #203 best prospect, and the Vols are going to have to fight off Oklahoma and very possibly Georgia for him.  Point being, while Pruitt hasn’t batted 1.000 when it comes to under the radar evals, his track record makes you think he knows what he’s doing in this regard.  Whether Miller turns out to be that kind of prospect probably won’t be fully known for a full years, he brings a lot of traits that make one think the likelihood is high.  And in a program still just trying to get bigger and better in the trenches, this looks like a pretty good bet.

*It is not beyond the realm of possibility that Tennessee ends up with an extra spot at the 11th hour and takes a 5th OL as a Best Player Available.  It just seems unlikely at this point

With the flip of prized commitment BJ Ojulari to LSU over the weekend, Tennessee is now left with a large hole in what is otherwise an outstanding recruiting class.  With nine spots still remaining, the Vols have added 16 high quality players that will collectively will meaningfully improve the roster starting next season.  However, as potential All-SEC senior Darrell Taylor has only 5 games left in an Orange and White uniform (yes, I’m projecting a bowl game) and even likely backfills Deandre Johnson and Kivon Bennett – both of whom appear to be developing rapidly and look like good options in 2020 – being relatively near graduation, this class in particular needs impact pass rushers in the worst way.  The fact that Ojulari is actually the second decommitment in the class from a high quality player at that particular position of need after JUCO Jordan Davis flipped to Mississippi State over the summer quite simply stings.

That said, if we know anything about Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt it’s that he’s not one to cry over spilled milk but instead will roll up his sleeves and figure it out.  Especially in recruiting.  So where will the Vols look to now in order to add at least one pass rusher?*

*The assumption here is that Tyler Baron will commit to and sign with Tennessee but that considering he’s already 6-4, 250 pounds he’s more likely to end up as a SDE than a WDE or OLB 

Prospects Committed Elsewhere

Sa’vell Small (UW)

Simeon Barrow (MSU)

Khari Coleman (KU)

Brandon Williams (UVA)

Deontae Craig (Iowa)

Morven Joseph (FSU)

Jasheen Davis (WF)

Of that list, Smalls is the most highly coveted, and despite his commitment to homestate Washington the Vols are no doubt still trying there.  Some thought Tennessee actually led headed into the season, so he might be one that Tennessee and lead recruiter Brian Niedermeyer circle back on now that the season is on the upswing again.  Barrow is a 6-3, 250 pound DL who, like Baron, might in fact be destined to be more of an interior DL.  But he’s got some explosiveness off the edge and real functional strength that allows him to overpower OTs when he’s not blowing by them.  Importantly, he earned a Vol offer in February and though Tennessee was likely not ready to take him when he committed to Michigan State – known for their Defense – over the summer, the lines of communication have remained open.  Barrow is definitely not a Spartan lock, as he just took an OV to Virginia Tech and has a tentative official visit to Knoxville set for this weekend.  He could very well be one to watch down the road.  Coleman and Williams are both NOLA natives known for their pass-rushing skills.  Coleman has become his high school’s career sack leader this season and at 6’2-6’3 and closer to 220 pounds is more of a speed-rush type prospect with good length to go with his quickness of the edge.  He seems relatively firm in his Jayhawk pledge but if the Vols push one would think they could wedge themselves in there.  Williams is having a good season for Peyton Manning’s alma mater and was once a real target for the Vols.  Craig is a guy Tennessee liked earlier in the summer but seemed to back off a bit but again might come back to in order to see if there’s any interest.  Joseph was a Florida commitment who flipped to the Noles but had some interest in Tennessee at one point and has talked recently about taking other visits, to UT included, while Davis got an early season Vol offer but so far has remained solid to the Deacons.

Of all of those, Barrow seems to be the prospect with the highest chance of flipping to Tennessee while Smalls is of course the biggest prize.  The Vols will likely try and get back in the mix with as many of the above as possible in order to see what else they can shake loose.

Uncommitted Prospects

Jimari Butler

Johnathan Horton

Two prospects who share quite a few similarities: Gulf Coast area kids (Butler is from Mobile, Horton from Baton Rouge), both are new to the game of football after excelling on the hardwood, both are in the 6-5+, 210-220 pound range, and both have blown up on the recruiting trail after their respective films showing them terrorizing opponents off the edge got out.  The Vols were in relatively early for both, offering Butler in September before the likes of Nebraska, TCU, and Ole Miss have stepped to the table, and giving Horton just his 4^th offer in mid-October after Baylor, UVA, and Arizona had offered. 

These two arguably have higher upsides than most of the players on the “Committed Elsewhere” list, as their sheer measurables and athleticism combined with bigtime production despite lack of experience just screams massive ceiling.  Butler visited Knoxville unofficially for the UGA game and was just in Baton Rouge for LSU’s game against Auburn (who is also sniffing around) so there is clearly reciprocal interest between the two parties.  Horton seemingly has yet to really visit anywhere – his recruitment is that new.  These two are less likely to be instant impact players than some others on the board – though you never know – but both look like they have real potential to be devastating SEC pass rushers in due time.  It will be very interesting to see how their respective recruitments play out in general and specifically as it relates to Tennessee.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Vols circle back to multiple players on the lists above and even unearth new prospects who have that premium skill of getting to the quarterback.  But regardless of who they are, Tennessee needs to add at least one more if not multiple pass-rushers to its 2020 class. 

Sometimes it’s too easy to attribute strategic brilliance to things that happen to work out from multiple angles.  But when you look at how things have gone down with Tennessee’s recruitment of the Whitehaven Three – LBs Bryson Eason, Martavius French, and Tamarion McDonald – it’s hard not to be impressed with how many boxes Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt and Memphis-area recruiter David Johnson have checked in this process:

Get them on campus as younger prospects: Check

Target one in particular (Eason) as a high priority and recruit him accordingly: Check

Maintain relationships with the other two (via Johnson, especially) while monitoring their respective senior seasons: Check

Show a willingness to admit a “mistake” in not recruiting/offering French and McDonald earlier and course correcting when said film shows they are high quality SEC prospects: Check

Close the deal via intense recruiting both before and after hitting a homerun on their respective official visits: Check

Address a huge area of need while at the same time continuing to establish dominance in Memphis recruiting: Check

Further to that point, adding three players who are close with other coveted Memphis area prospects (OL Chris Morris and DL Omari Thomas): Check

These three prospects are, put simply, exactly the type of player Pruitt needs to continue rebuilding his defensive unit to look like the top-shelf SEC defenses he’s coached before at UGA and then Alabama.  Eason and French are both big, fast LBs and bigtime leaders at a program that is consistent winner at a state-title level.  McDonald is a different type of prospect than his teammates – lighter, faster, and rangier in the 220-lb range.  He’s a potential chess piece for Pruitt and DC Derrick Ansley to move all over the field depending on down and distance and likely a special teams stalwart right off the bat.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of landing these commitments and checking all of the boxes above.  The Vols won’t meet all of their positional needs in this class, but by adding these three Tennessee has certainly made serious headway at LB and without a doubt from a size/speed standpoint on defense.  LB prospects like 5-star Noah Sewell and others still remain on the board as well. Tennessee has With Thomas (among other important prospects) set to take his official visit to Knoxville this weekend – a fast-follow from visiting unofficially for the UGA game when the Whitehaven kids were on their Tennessee OV – the Vols have a chance to really keep that momentum going in the city of Memphis specifically and in the class of 2020 overall.

After the departure of upperclassmen Will Ignot and Shannon Reid via the transfer portal, followed by the dismissal of promising Sophomore RB-turned-LB Jeremy Banks – all within the span of the last two weeks – Tennessee now finds itself with a shocking lack of depth at Inside Linebacker.  To illustrate the point, starters Daniel Bituli (a senior who by definition won’t be returning next season) and Henry To’oto’to took every single one of the snaps against Georgia this past Saturday night, as little-used backups JJ Peterson (RSFr), Solon Page (RSSo) and Aaron Beasley (True Fr) were deemed to be unready by the staff.  As it pertains to the rest of the season, Coach Jeremy Pruitt and Defensive Coordinator Derrick Ansley will have to simultaneously get those three backups up to speed as much as possible in order for them to be able to hold up for even just a few plays a game while also finding some answers from other positions.  As for the latter, True Freshman Quarvaris Crouch, who practiced inside during the spring before being moved to OLB/DE this season – with some limited success – is the most likely option.  And that could very well be a strong solution both in the near and short term, as Crouch has unlimited potential regardless of where he lines up and frankly is built much more to play ILB than to play on the outside.  Peterson is a former borderline 5-star prospect who despite getting off the a rough start still very much has the belief of the coaching staff.  Were he to take a step as the season progresses that would be big news both immediately and for the future.  Regardless, when it comes to future roster building, the bottom line is that Tennessee is in dire need of LBs in the class of 2020, and ideally will sign multiple prospects who can step in and play right away in 2020.

To that end, the Vols have massively increased their efforts with the three 4-star LBs from Memphis’s Whitehaven HS: Bryson Eason, Martavius French (committed to Arkansas), and Tammarion McDonald (committed to Mississippi State).  The trio took their official visits to Tennessee this past weekend for the UGA game and by all accounts the Vols made a major move with each of them.  Interestingly, they each have very different body types and theoretically project to different spots on the defense, with Eason more of a pure ILB, French potentially a 3-4 DE, and McDonald (the lighter of the three) as a Nickel LB or even SS.  The Vols could use all the talent that all three possess, but it should be noted that landing them doesn’t cure all of what ails the Vols at the LB spot by itself. 

Tennessee is also still actively recruiting two longtime LB targets in Len’Neth Whitehead and Noah Sewell, but despite heading into the season as the presumed leader for Whitehead and as strong contender for Sewell, the Vols seem to have faded with both.  Whitehead, who took his OV to Tennessee for the season opening debacle against Georgia State, has been trending to South Carolina for the past few weeks after attending their moral victory 24-point loss to Alabama and then MASSIVE win over a Kentucky team whose Quarterback was playing with one arm.  He’s taking an OV to Wisconsin this weekend, which could theoretically throw a wrench in his recruitment since they are a) a very, very good program, and b) recruiting him solely as a RB and have quite the history to point to.  Assuming however that distance and relative familiarity end of working against the Badgers this will come down to the Vols and the Gamecocks, and if the Vols want to retake the lead here they’ll likely need to get him back to campus before he announces.  Whitehead is an incredibly athletic prospect with very good speed to go with plus-size, and despite a general lack of interest from hometown Georgia is a tremendous prospect who would likely get a lot of immediate playing time if he signed with Tennessee.  Sewell is a physical marvel who moves like a 225-pound LB despite being closer to 270 pounds.  After a very good unofficial visit to Knoxville over the summer the Vols had placed themselves in a position to be in his recruitment to the end along with Oregon, where his brother plays, and Georgia.  However, the 5-star perhaps has soured on Tennessee since the season began and now the Vols are just fighting to get an official visit.  Right now he appears to be a longshot, but perhaps with a strong rest of the season and persistence from recruiter extraordinaire Brian Niedermeyer Tennessee can keep itself in the mix.

A LB prospect who hasn’t yet been mentioned with Tennessee the #1 JUCO LB in the country in Tyrus Wheat.  He’s a Mississippi State commitment from Amite, LA who took an OV to South Carolina and also had an Auburn offer before he committed to the Bulldogs over the summer.  To be clear, there is no public indication that there is interest on either side, let alone mutual, but Tennessee will absolutely need immediate help at the position and this would be the ideal situation to add a JUCO player.  If the Joe Moorhead to Rutgers come to fruition all bets will be off with Mississippi State’s commitment, so it would behoove Tennessee to at least try to stay on Wheat’s radar should they opportunity to poach present itself. 

Finally, an incredibly intriguing option is Ole Miss commitment De’rickey Wright.  Wright is a former Alabama commitment from Gadsden who flipped to Ole Miss in June.  Featured in a 247Sports article titled “Five Potential Freaks in Alabama’s Class,” he’s listed at 6’4, 220 with a +10-inch wingspan.  He’s played all over the field in his high school career, collecting TFLs, sacks, forced fumbles and lots of INTS and touchdowns – 10 and 20, respectively, last season alone.  He competed as a DB at a handful of summer combines and more than held his own, showing his functional athleticism. He’s also a high-academic prospect (don’t let the Ole Miss commitment fool you) who has offers from the likes of Duke, Notre Dame, UVA and Vanderbilt.  Importantly, he’s been to Knoxville at least three times, including being a visitor for two of Tennessee’s home games this season – returning for the electric atmosphere this past weekend vs. UGA despite being in the house for the Georgia State catastrophe.  Ole Miss is recruiting him as a Safety, and apparently the Vols like him on offense – sort of recruiting him like they were with Dee Beckwith as a Jumbo Pass-catcher.  But, very notably, Alabama was recruiting him as a LB, projecting that upon getting into a bigtime S&C program he’d outgrow the defensive backfield.  Like the Whitehaven prospects, though, Wright is simply a guy with the kind of athleticism and measurables – and production to go with it – that Tennessee needs more of even if he either a) isn’t ready to contribute at LB immediately or b) ends up at a different position.  He’s a guy who, especially with his very clear interest in the Vols, the staff should be going all-in for.

Tennessee has clear needs at just about every position on the roster.  There simply isn’t enough talent or depth necessary to compete.  However, at ILB in particular the need is not just for quality but also for quantity.  The Vols are making moves to address that to a certain degree with the potential of Crouch from OLB to ILB as well as the new laser focus on the Whitehaven kids.  However, they likely need more than just them, and fortunately there are still options out there.

When looking at Tennessee’s current commitment list as well as the realistic targets on the board as of early October, what stands out is how heavily tilted towards the defensive side of the ball those lists in total are. Four of the top five commitments (of 14 in total) as ranked by 247Sports are defensive players, and, importantly, it is isn’t so difficult to find upwards of 8-10 realistic and high quality targets that the Vols could close with on defense, each of whom would upgrade their respective positions. 

On the flip side, as deficient at Tennessee’s roster is when compared to top flight SEC teams overall, what always stands out to the naked eye is the lack of dynamic playmaker the Vols have on offense.  Yes, Tennessee has a nice corps of WRs, but not only are a large portion of them seniors but also none of them are true gamebreakers.  Similarly, Tennessee’s RB room includes some good talent, but only Eric Gray is a) young, and b) realistically has gamebreaking potential.  One could argue Ty Chandler does too, but in the end he’s just not the kind of RB who is going to take over a game, and he’s also set to enter his final season in 2020.  When it comes to Tennessee’s 2020 recruiting class, there is some good news and some bad news when it comes to addressing this dearth of playmakers.  The good news starts with UT’s commitment from one of the top QBs in the country in Harrison Bailey, who projects  as the kind of triggerman that just makes an entire offense run and look better.  Further, the Vols also have commitments from three really good looking WR/ATH prospects.  Jalin Hyatt is a track star whose senior film is so strong that Alabama has started sniffing around.  Similarly, Jimmy Calloway’s performance has drawn an offer from Oklahoma.  And while Darion Williamson – the most likely of the trio to be cataloged as an “Athlete” due to his large size at 6’3 and over 200 lbs – hasn’t received that kind of recruiting attention, he’s nevertheless clearly a top-shelf athlete with outstanding potential as a big WR with good-to-great speed.  At the same time, Tennessee is firmly in the mix for two 5-star WRs in Rakim Jarrett (an LSU commitment who is taking an Alabama OV this month) and Arik Gilbert (for whom the Vols could be fading but won’t give up on until someone else sees a fax come through).  dpriority4

However, it must be said that the Vols will definitely have to fight to hold onto Hyatt and perhaps to a larger extent Calloway – noted as such because Hyatt’s parents have been public about him being a firm commitment while Calloway has made public comments that he’s less than 100% committed and is interested in taking other visits, to OU and even UK, although his presence at the UGA was a good sign.  At the same time, not only are the Vols potentially fighting an uphill battle for the aforementioned Jarrett and Gilbert, who are elite talents for sure, but both of them are on the bigger side and could potentially end up a more similar than not to a guy like Josh Palmer that’s already on the roster – big and physical with some real speed but maybe not a true threat to turn a 5-yard out and make it into an 80-yard TD.  Hyatt and Calloway do look like those kinds of players, but put simply the Vols need more of them, both at the WR spot as well as at RB, where their one commitment Tee Hodge is much more of a bruiser (and a potentially very good one, at that, which is why Wisconsin still isn’t giving up on him).  Unfortunately Tennessee’s board just doesn’t have a ton of that kind of player on there right now. 

That said, there are some players who the Vols have been recruiting throughout the process but as of yet haven’t pressed for that they could and perhaps should circle back on.  Each of them are the kind of player described above, and although some of them are committed elsewhere the Vols could potentially reinsert themselves into the respective recruitments should they turn up the heat: 0

ATH Jimmy Holiday, from Madison Central HS in Mississippi, is a TCU commitment who the Tennessee staff circled back on during its bye week.  Holiday, who the Horn Frogs are recruiting as a QB, is ~6’0, 180 pounds who put up the 7^th best overall SPARQ score at a Nike Regional event over the summer that included over 300 other prospects, running a sub-4.4 40-yard dash.  What do you think of when you think about a TCU offense?  Smaller, shifty WRs who are borderline unguardable and very difficult to get down when they have the ball in space – Holiday fits that bill.  With the Vols theoretically in the market for a 2^nd QB in this class anyway, a multi-purpose player who could have a package as a freshman QB and also help as a WR could be what Tennessee is looking for.  Expect the Vols to try and get Holiday, who has expressed a willingness to take some trips, to Knoxville for an official visit before the December signing period

WR Khi Mathieu is a Memphis commitment from New Orleans who received a relatively early Vol offer but ultimately chose the Tigers over fellow AAC schools like local Tulane, etc, who were truly pushing at the time.  Matheiu, the cousin of the famous Honey Badger, is a very good athlete who’s less known for elite speed and more known for his leaping ability and balls skills both in the air and after the catch.  While Memphis may be a Group of Five program just a few years removed from being alternatively a complete afterthought and also a laughingstock, under Coach Mike Norvell they have produced some explosive offenses built around this kind of playmaker.  Notably, he hails from St Augustine HS, where current Vols RB Coach David Johnson was the head coach in the not-too-distant past – this connection is what drew the two parties together initially and what could, should the Vols choose, get them back in it. 

RB Michael Drennen II is a 4-star All-Purpose Back from Ohio who right now has Kentucky and Ohio State as his top two choices.  The 5’11, 200 pound prospect has played multiple positions during his high school career and is an explosive playmaker all over the field.  The Vols were in a smallish top group he named not too long ago but so far haven’t gotten much traction.  From this vantage point Tennessee’s best bet is to have the Buckeyes be unwilling to take him due to space constraints and then turn up the heat in order to beat out a perennial doormat in Kentucky. 

Other dynamic offensive prospects the Vols could still get (more) involved with include WR Dazalin Worsham, a former Alabama commitment; WR Kris Abrams-Draine, an Ole Miss commitment who at one time had the Vols as his leader before they slowed things down a bit; and RB Jahmry Gibbs from Dalton, GA who’s in the middle of a ridiculous senior season that has drawn attention from college football’s biggest players but who to-date hasn’t seen much interest from Tennessee.  Tennessee could also look to the JUCO ranks later in the cycle, and of course could also dip into the grad transfer market later on.  However they go about it, the Tennessee staff simply must upgrade its roster from a playmaker perspective, and enlarging its board of prospects is the first step towards making that happen. lsdpriority50

The Georgia game was always the first home game that the Tennessee staff was targeting as a big recruiting weekend, but unfortunately it’s not as big of a game associated with the Vols were expecting or hoping for thanks to the disastrous start to the season.  At 1-3 Tennessee is over a 3-touchdown underdog to the Dawgs and has slipped with many of its elite-level targets.  The staff spent the off week broadening its board, and added a few more offers over the weekend in OT Alex Harrison and DL Tui Tuipulotu, two West Coast kids with multiple high level Pac-12 offers.  The Vols also checked back in with dynamic ATH Jimmy Holiday, a TCU commitment from Mississippi who got a Tennessee offer over the summer. Importantly, Tennessee went all-in for the Whitehaven Three of Linebackers Martavius French (an Arkansas commitment), Tammarion McDonald (a Mississippi State commitment) and longtime Vol target Bryson Eason. 

Despite the rough start, Tennessee will still be hosting a nice group of prospects in Knoxville over the weekend.  Notably, the three Whitehaven LBs will be taking their official visits, the timing of which is certainly interesting from Tennessee’s perspective.  Neither Arkansas nor Mississippi State can feel very comfortable with the state of their respective commitments at this point, nor can the Hawg staff like where this seems to be heading with Eason either.  All three were on campus together over the summer for a 7on7 event but this will be each of their first times seeing a game.  Expect the Vols to make a huge impression on all three, and even if none of them are on commitment watch this weekend it could be a matter of time.  And with the state of Tennessee’s LB corps – lacking in bodies though full of young talent between Henry To’oto’to, JJ Peterson, Jeremy Banks, and Aaron Beasley –adding these three would absolutely upgrade the position starting immediately in 2020. 

Bigtime DL target Omari Thomas also plans to join his fellow Memphians in tripping to Knoxville, though his will be a visit of the unofficial variety.  This will allow the Vols to have an OV in its back pocket in December when the early signing period gets closer, which is a big deal.  Thomas is reportedly close with the Whitehaven kids, particularly Eason, which makes them all being on campus together and even bigger deal.  Thomas would be an absolutely massive get at a position of annual need, and Tennessee currently sits in a good spot for him.  A successful weekend would go a long way toward locking him down.

Speaking of large DL, Alabama (soft) commitment Jayson Jones will be traveling to Knoxville for an unofficial visit after Vol TE Coach Brian Niedermeyer visited his school during the bye week.  Jones is a massive human being – think freshman Vol DL Elijah Simmons but 6’6 instead of 6’0 – and is incredibly talented.  The Vols will look to make a strong impression that convinces Jones to set up an return, official visit later in the fall.

The only other official visitor as of this writing will be Midstate native OLB Reggie Grimes.  It’s been since January that Grimes has been to Knoxville, and right now South Carolina holds the lead for him with Alabama lurking.  A Tide legacy, it’s well-known that were Alabama to give him the green light he’d commit there.  But if they don’t, this is a Vols-Gamecocks battle.  Interestingly, Tennessee’s staff has been wishy-washy when it comes to this recruitment, and though he’s a borderline 5-star ranked player based on his elite measurables he hasn’t exactly wowed people with his onfield performance.  That said, he’s got the kind of size and speed combination that the Vols simply don’t have enough of across the roster, so the possibility of Pruitt and Ansley molding that very talented clay is very appealing.

Although it hasn’t been confirmed, one can assume that the Vol staff is trying very hard to get as many of the Tennessee commitments to Knoxville for the game.  For one, it should be a great atmosphere and with it being a night game the entire day should be a great reminder of what is so special about Tennessee football.  So to the extent that any of them are feeling the slightest bit hesitant about their commitments being back on campus will be a good thing.  In addition, having Vol commitments do some peer recruiting with the uncommitted prospects on campus is always helpful. 

It’s likely that more names will end up on the visitor list.  Speculating at this point, but with the strong contingent of Memphians coming to town and with his OV to Texas A&M scheduled for the following weekend (although 3 are likely flying in for their OV), the Vols would love to get OL Chris Morris in for the game.   Pruitt stopped by his game last Friday night after attending the Whitehaven game, so it’s entirely possible that there could be a little momentum here for a prospect who’s been assumed to be an Aggie lean since the summer.  DL Jay Hardy has been at each of Tennessee’s home games so far this season and is as strong of a Vol lean as there is on Tennessee’s board – getting him here again for a big game will be important, especially since he could be close to making a decision in light of his injury suffered last Friday night.  LB/RB Len’neth Whitehead is fresh of his OV to South Carolina, which came off the heels of an UV he took to Columbia two weeks prior, and the Gamecocks have made a move there.  The Vols would love to get the Athens native back in town to see what presumably will be a much better atmosphere than he saw on his OV for the Georgia State game and in turn try to turn that recruitment back in its favor.  Finally, WR Arik Gilbert, for whom the Vols appear to have faded a bit thanks to the poor onfield performance so far this season, is probably a longshot to come.  But given that both of his presumed current leaders – Alabama and Clemson – are off this week and his two other finalists are playing in Knoxville, along with the fact that (hopefully) his two committed teammates will be driving up, perhaps Tennessee can convince him to visit.

Two other OVs to watch this weekend are bigtime Vol target OLB Tyler Baron visiting Ohio State – the Vols main competitor – and new OL target Harrison visiting Nebraska. 

It goes without saying that a strong showing on the field – just being competitive let alone winning – will go a long way towards showing recruits that Pruitt has this thing headed in the right direction.  For those that are in attendance it will be even more important, especially when it comes to the atmosphere and showing them that Vol fans stick with their team no matter what and don’t let opposing fans take over Neyland Stadium.  All of that remains to be seen, of course.  But while this won’t necessarily be the star-studded visitor list that the Tennessee staff probably envisioned before the season started – one can imagine them trying to get guys like LB Noah Sewell and OLB Sa’vell Smalls and the like to see what a gameday experience in Knoxville is all about – there will still be a strong group of players in attendance.  Making a move with all of them will go a long way towards securing Pruitt’s second straight recruiting class that significantly improves the roster for 2020 and beyond. n