Author Archives: DylanVol

Vol Hoops Recruiting: Barnes Should Keep Looking for 2019

After signing his first 5-star at Tennessee in G Josiah James, along with Wing Davonte Gaines and Stretch-4 Drew Pember, it appeared that Rick Barnes was finished recruiting for the 2019 class.  After all, the Vols have one scholarship open during the 2018-19 season and have only two seniors in Admiral Schofield and Kyle Alexander. However, as this season has progressed it has become a much more realistic possibility that there will be more scholarships open when all is said and done.  For one, Junior F Grant Williams is having yet another outstanding season and is on his way to becoming the first back-to-back SEC Player of the Year since Corliss Williamson.  He’s therefore earning more and more first round NBA Draft buzz as he’s not only expanded his game to include more outside shooting but at the same time the NBA itself continues to evolve in a way that no longer labels someone with Williams’s body type and game a “tweener” who can’t play at a high level in the league.  His classmate, Junior PG Jordan Bone, is also having a breakout season and has cemented himself as the premier lead guard in the SEC and one of the best in the country.  At close to 6’4 he’s got workable height for an NBA PG and his athleticism and speed are elite.  His shot has continued to improve as well, both in terms of catch and shoot and even off the dribble, and as the Vols continue to rack up wins and see their national profile surge it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see Bone’s name start to garner some buzz as well.  Finally, without naming names, there is at least one player on the current roster who could decide that having seen essentially zero minutes in two seasons at Tennessee that a transfer is the best thing for him. 

With all of these possibilities, it stands to reason that Tennessee should be continuing to recruit not just for 2020 and 2021, where the Vols already are in great shape for some elite prospects, but also for 2019.  Especially since the program’s national profile has never been higher – the Vols are now the #1 team in the country and are set up to win back to back SEC championships and have a deep March run – and Tennessee already has a 5-star in James it can tout to potential classmates.  As Tennessee Basketball stamps itself as an up and coming premier program – see this outstanding post by one of the best and most knowledgeable hoops posters on Volquest.com – it needs to take advantage of any opportunity it has to add more and more great players that fit its culture.

After the November signing period the pickings are relatively slim in terms of no-doubt high level players, and when considering the kind of character/fit filter that Barnes places on potential recruits that field narrows down even further.  However, there are a few potential avenues that Tennessee could pursue should more scholarships open up.

Unsigned 2019 Recruits or Signed 2019 Recruits Who Could Get Out of LOIs

Although the Vols don’t find themselves in the mix for any of the top unsigned prospects in the 2019 class, that’s largely a function of the staff having originally targeted a small number of players and then landing three of them.  However, there are still multiple high level 2019 players who have yet to sign/commit – 11 of the Top 47 players in the Rivals Top 150 are in fact undecided – and again as Tennessee both becomes a more desirable destination and also finds itself with an opening(s) the Vols could find themselves back recruiting multiple new 2019 players.

At the same time, every year when coaches get fired or leave for greener pastures players who signed LOIs in the fall signing period are released.  That will shake itself out over the course of the next two months or so, but one can be assured that the Tennessee staff is well aware of who is on the hot seat and what players signed to those schools the Vols might want to target.

Grad Transfers

A new trend is the massive amount of transfers in college basketball every offseason, many of whom are immediately eligible as graduates from their prior school.  Tennessee could use one of its theoretical open scholarships on such a player as a way to add a veteran player to what no matter what will be a talented and experienced roster. Tennessee hit it relatively big two offseasons ago when they beat out Ohio State for James Daniel III, a high-scoring guard from Howard Universitywho was a graduate transfer.  “JDIII” ended up being a meaningful contributor as a 3rd guard and great locker room presence on an SEC Championship team.  This past offseason however, the Vols were burned when they couldn’t get Richmond transfer guard Kwan Fore into school and ended up having the aforementioned open scholarship.  This is likely the route that Barnes will take should the Vols end up with only one scholarship open AND they can’t get a high level 2019 prospect or 2020 reclassifier (see below) AND they want to hold that scholarship open for what looks like it could be a monster class in 2020.

2020 Reclassifiers

Another relatively recent phenomenon that Tennessee freshman DJ Burns just took advantage of is for basketball players to reclassify into the class ahead of theirs and graduate/enroll in their school of choice a year early.

Walker Kessler is a 5-star 2020 Tennessee target who has mentioned reclassifying enough times to make one thinks it’s a real possibility.  Both Kessler’s brother and uncle played at UGA so the Dawgs are a strong contender, but the Vols are also fighting with the likes of Duke, Virginia, Michigan and UNC for the multi-skilled Center.  However, Rob Lewis from Volquest, who has more knowledge of what at least the Tennessee staff thinks about where they are with recruiting than anyone, seems to think that Tennessee is in better shape here than most national analysts do.  Tennessee will have to get him to campus to give itself a chance though, and the good news is that with the new official visit rules they can bring Kessler in for an official visit this season and if he does decide to stick in 2020 they can get him back officially again.

RJ Hampton and Jalen Green are Top 5 recruits in the 2020 class who to this point have not shown much interest in the Vols.  However, should the Vols indeed have a dream season they could find themselves in the mix for these two, among other future reclassifiers. 

The bottom line is that Barnes and Tennessee could be in the enviable position of having open scholarships when their stock has never been higher, and should be looking to take advantage.  Again, they are going to be picky when it comes to not just talent but also character, but just because they have at least 8 players returning next year from this year’s squad plus their 3 signees doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be looking to add bigtime talent when and where they can. 

The Wise Move for the (Possible) Last Spot

As Tennessee hits the home stretch of the 2019 class it has an incredibly limited number of spots to add more players, and despite what was a very successful Early Signing Period haul there are still needs at virtually every position.  The Thursday night addition of Georgia transfer Deangelo Gibbs – a former 5-star prospect who will boost the talent on the roster regardless of whether he’s eligible in 2019 or not until 2020 – reduces that number even further to likely only 3-4 spots.

OL Darnell Wright (1) and LBs Henry To’oto’to (2) and Chris Russell (3) probably have a spot available to each of them, respectively, and Wright appears to be a Vol lock while Tennessee is in good shape with instate Russell for whom they’re primarily battling Arkansas.  After an outstanding OV to Knoxville and the departure of Alabama DC Tosh Lupoi To’oto’to appears to be strongly trending to the Vols, but Saban (and likely new DC Pete Golding) and Alabama will fight for him until the end.  But with the Vols in good shape there too that seems like 3 of the max 4 spots are reserved and likely taken. 

Then there is WR George Pickens, the Auburn commit for whom the Vols are battling not just the Tigers but also UGA (where he’s OV’ing this weekend) and LSU.  Pickens has some grade concerns and of course is going to be a tough pull regardless.  He’s planning on going back to Auburn next weekend for an unofficial visit and you can bet that Malzahn and Co. are going to do everything – and I mean everything – they can to get him to shut down his recruitment.  Were Pickens to come out of that weekend wanting to take his last visit the Vols will still be in a battle with UF and Miami just to get that.  So there are quite a few obstacles to landing Pickens signature before you even get to qualifying and enrolling.  Regardless, Tennessee would make room for him if he decided he wanted to sign with the Vols.  He’s that good.

The Vols do have quite a few other prospects on the board, and in an ideal world would like to add another DL as well as another DB, but right now there won’t be room to add both and maybe not one of either.  Interestingly, Tennessee does in fact have a DL and a DB committed – DL Leddarius Cox and S Anthony Harris. 

Below we take a look at the options at both positions.

Defensive Line

Cox visited last weekend and came away saying he wants to sign with Tennessee.  However, both sides are clearly evaluating all of their other options, as Cox will OV to Auburn this weekend and Ole Miss the next, while the Vols are bringing in DL Wisdom Asaboro this weekend and are also recruiting DL Charles Moore and Kristian Williams (committed to Minnesota) as well.  Moore has yet to finalize an OV to Knoxville and lists Florida (OV’d last weekend) and Auburn (OV’d in December) as his Top 2 with the Vols in the third spot, while Mississippi State, where he was long committed, is also still trying.  The staff seems to be keeping Williams warm and might bring him on an OV the last weekend.

Defensive Back

At DB, Tennessee is bringing in CB/Nickel Jammie Robinson this weekend and also has Kenney Solomon (offered this past weekend on an UV) and Jamal Hill to go with Harris on the board.  Robinson is relatively undersized but is a dynamic playmaker and had an outstanding senior season.  He’s coming off a good OV to Auburn last weekend after visiting South Carolina and Kentucky before the Early Signing Period.  It seems like Kentucky would take him today, and likely South Carolina as well.  Auburn likes him a lot but, like Tennessee, would take him if numbers were not an issue but simply might not have room.  It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that another school swoops in between now and Signing Day because Robinson will have one more OV remaining. Solomon is a sleeper prospect who I don’t see Tennessee signing and Hill, while a really good prospect who looks to have a lot of potential, appears to be getting more love from among others Oregon, where he’s visiting this weekend.

Harris is an excellent prospect who shined during the NC/SC Shrine Game week after an outstanding senior season leading his team deep into the playoffs as a QB.  However, he’s got grade and other potential off the field issues (nothing scandalous, from my understanding) and at this point it seems unlikely that he signs with Tennessee in February.

So What Should Tennessee Do?

Let’s make one thing clear: No one other than Coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff knows exactly how much room Tennessee has to sign players.  There are rules and then there are loopholes, and that’s why the Tennessee program employs administrative people who are experts at this sort of thing.  What we know is that the SEC says a school can only have 25 initial counters for each year, but that schools can both backcount and forward-count players.  We also know that Tennessee signed 19 in February and have enrolled the aforementioned Gibbs, who must count towards this year’s class.  Further, we know that Tennessee has to count 2019 grad transfers Keller Chryst and Madre London towards this class.  And finally, we know that Michigan transfer Aubrey Solomon could be counted towards the 2020 class as he did not take an official visit (unlike Gibbs).

Point being, if Pickens wants in and Tennessee has already landed the Wright/To’oto’to/Russell trio the Vols will make it work one way or the other. But what if they don’t land him?  Do they still have a spot, and would they want to use it on a DL or a DB?

This is where I think the Vols should, like they have with the additions of Solomon and Gibbs – both of whom could possibly have to wait until 2020 to play – think towards the future and perhaps a bit out of the box.  Which player on the board has the most size, positional flexibility, and upside?  Easy, that’s Wisdom Asaboro.

The brief background on Asaboro is that via the Access to Sucess program, which also brought fellow Nigerian Chris Akporoghene to the US, Asaboro accepted an academic scholarship from Christ School in North Carolina in September 2016 and then after a brief return to Nigeria enrolled at Covenant Day School this year as the school was fielding its first varsity football team.  He’s 6-foot-8 and 280 pounds and has a 7’4″ wingspan.  Please make sure you read that last part again as you watch these highlights of him not just dominating at the line of scrimmage – table stakes for a kid that big against the kind of competition he was facing – but also chase down plays well past the line of scrimmage and play running back.  Those highlights are why, even though it was unclear up until a few weeks ago whether he was going to be a 2019 or 2020 signee – it turns out he’d already graduated from high school in Nigeria so 2019 became a late option – he got offers from the likes of not just Tennessee but also UGA and other bigtime programs. That athleticism has also been shown as he has competed on both the basketball and track and field teams.

He’s raw for sure, and to the degree that either of Moore or Cox or Williams at DL or any of those DBs could help next year, most of them, particularly the DL, are more likely to do so than Asaboro.  However from here all of those prospects, while solid in their own right, project to be future rotational players at their respective positions.  On the other hand, Asaboro has the kind of rare size and athleticism combination that projects to a bigtime college career and even an NFL future on either side of the ball with the right development. 

Assuming Tennessee does in fact land Wright/To’oto’to/Russell they’ll have themselves an outstanding and borderline Top 10 class even if they don’t add anyone else.  And that ranking won’t take into account the additions of Solomon and Gibbs, two former 5-star talents who have both been in elite college programs and will each immediately take the roster to another level talent wise whenever they respectively become eligible.  But if Tennessee is looking to get back to being an elite program, which it certainly is, it needs more elite talent.  And from here it looks like of all the prospects left on the board that Asaboro far and away has the potential to be just that.  So the recommendation here would be for Tennessee to go full bore after Asaboro this weekend and given themselves a shot at having another blue chip player on its roster. Further, wait to see if Harris can get qualified after National Signing Day and have him enroll in the summer (ala Bryce Thomson last year) and count towards the 2020 class. He’s good enough to use that spot on him as he’d be another foundational piece for that class to go with QB Harrison Bailey and JUCO DL Jordan Davis.

Relative to 2019 Opponents, Vols Big Winners as NFL Early Entry Period Closes

With the NFL early entrant deadline having come and gone, we can now take a look at the landscape as it relates to Tennessee and its 2019 opponents. 

The Vols were able to avoid any significant losses to the NFL.  LB Quarte Sapp, who briefly quit the team midseason before returning and basically not playing, has decided to leave early.  More importantly, however, WR Jauan Jennings has chosen to return to Tennessee for his 5th season instead.  His return provides a boost both on the field, where he’ll surely be a starter out wide for Jim Chaney’s new and improved offense, but also off the field with his leadership and work ethic. 

The Vols have had a few transfers announced, including 3-4th string QB Will McBride, depth TE Eli Wolf, and starting OT Drew Richmond.  While Richmond has started a lot of games at Tennessee it’s been on some of the worst OL’s in the program’s history, so while it wouldn’t have been a bad thing at least for overall OL depth for him to stay, this does not appear to be a huge loss.  We certainly wish him and the other transferring Vols the absolute best.

The bottom line is that while there has to be more attrition from the current roster, Tennessee has avoided losing meaningful players from the existing roster while at the same time its 2019 recruiting class is already set to inject a massive talent boost.  Further, the coaching staff changes – mainly the swap of Jum Chaney for Tyson Helton – has been a no-doubt upgrade for the Vols. 

Below we take a look at the to-date attrition for Tennessee’s main 2019 opponents, most of whom have been harder hit than have the Vols.

BYU

While I won’t pretend to have anywhere as much familiarity with BYU’s roster as those of Tennessee’s counterparts (including the comings and goings of missionaries, something unique to the BYU program), the Cougars have suffered a good deal of attrition so far this offseason. 

RB Riley Burt, DB Isaiah Armstrong, TE Dallin Hollker, WR Akile Davis, DL WayneTei-Kirby, LB Christian Folau, DT Tevita Mounga, and OL Jacob Jimenez have all announced their intentions to transfer. That’s nearly 10% of the roster, and while most of those players were not topline contributors, that’s meaningful no matter what.  Additionally, Burt in particular is a big loss, as departing seniors accounted for a third of the total rushing yards for the team in 2018 and Burt, was a lead contender to fill those shoes after rushing for 110 yards on 13 carries in BYU’s bowl game. 

Finally, OL Coach Ryan Pugh left the program to become the OC at Troy, so they’ll be starting over at that position too. 

BYU should be a win for the Vols in Pruitt’s second season no matter what, and defeating the Cougars in Neyland would likely have the Vols at 3-0 headed to Gainesville.  But this kind of attrition can only help Tennessee’s cause.

Florida

I know, I know, we go through this every year.  Florida loses players to the NFL and yet Tennessee cannot seem to – outside of 2016 – beat the d*mn Gators.  Regardless, DL Jachai Polite, OL Jawaan Taylor, RB Jordan Scarlett, S Chauncey Gardner, and LB Vosean Joseph leaving early for the NFL depletes the Florida roster, and that’s good for Tennessee.  Did the Gators have more talent than the Vols in 2018?  Arguably.  But between respective recruiting classes that have more immediate impact players for Tennessee than UF – even with the addition of Louisville transfer DL Jon Greenard – and losing five legitimate NFL talents that weren’t seniors – that gap should be narrowed significantly.

Georgia

Like Alabama, Georgia currently has so much more talent than Tennessee on its roster that even with massive NFL/transfer losses as well as significant coaching staff turnover it’s hard to imagine the Vols getting a win here in 2019.  However, those losses are in fact significant for the Dawgs, especially on offense, as RB Elijah Holyfield, TE Isaac Nauta, WRs Mecole Hardman and Riley Ridley, TE Luke Ford, and QB Justin Fields have all departed.  On defense, Georgia has seen DBs Deangelo Gibbs and Tray Bishop leave the program as well.  And finally, Kirby Smart is still looking to replace DC Mel Tucker after replacing new Tennessee OC Jim Chaney with an underwhelming inhouse hire. 

To reiterate, UGA still has better talent and depth than Tennessee does.  However, after these personnel losses that talent gap is meaningfully narrowed in 2019 from just last season.  And their coaching staff won’t have as much continuity as it’s had in the past.  Both of those things will help the Vols as they try to spring the upset in Neyland in 2019.

MSU

Mississippi States comes to Neyland this season having lost arguably its best overall player, DL Jeffrey Simmon, to early NFL entry.  The Bulldogs have also lost backup WR Keith Crouch to transfer, although that’s nowhere near as big of a deal.  All in all, despite the expected loss of Simmons State came out ok.

Alabama

See above on Georgia and how Bama still has a massive talent advantage over the Vols and that no one on here is predicting that despite all of the talent and coaching being lost Tennessee will beat Alabama in 2019. 

That said, the Tide lost seven (!) players to the NFL: OL Jonah Williams, TE Irv Smith Jr, DL Quinnen Williams, RB Josh Jacobs, DBs Deonte Thompson and Savion Smith, and LB Mack Wilson.  Additionally they’ve lost QB Jalen Hurts and backup OL Richie Pettibon to transfer.  Finally, they’ve lost almost the entire offensive staff, starting with OC Mike Locksley and including OL Coach Brent Key, WR Coach Josh Gattis, and QB Coach Enos.  There could also be more coaching attrition, as specifically DC Tosh Lupoi is rumored to be looking elsewhere.

South Carolina 

The Cocks came out relatively unscathed, as they lost nobody to NFL early entry and only backups DL Shameik Blackshear and DB Javon Charleston so far to transfer.  However, between homefield advantage and knowing that they should have won in Columbia in 2018 Tennessee will absolutely be pointing to this game as one to flip from an L to a W in 2019.

Kentucky

The Wildcats only had one early NFL entry in RB Benny Snell, one of the best to ever play in Lexington.  That’s a big loss though, and with the Vols increasing their talent advantage over Kentucky with the respective 2019 classes there is no reason to think Tennessee can’t start another streak over the Wildcats in 2019.

Mizzou

The Tigers also did well for themselves when it comes to attrition, losing only RB Damarea Crockett to early NFL entry.  This may, however, speak to the relative lack of top-end talent in Columbia, but regardless it’s good news for the Tigers as they look to beat the Vols for the 3rd year in a row in 2019

Vanderbilt

Although the Commodores lost their best defensive player in CB Joejuan Williams to the NFL draft, they did manage to hang onto two very good offensive players in RB Keshawn Vaughn and TE Jared Pinkney. 

There have been other departures, including S Zaire Jones, RB Josh Crawford (which leaves them pretty thin at the position behind Vaughn), and backup OLs Ean Pfeiffer and Jared Southers.  Additionally, OC Andy Ludwig has left to take the same job at Utah, so combined with also losing arguably the best QB in its history in 4-year starter Kyle Shurmur there will be some rebuilding to do on that side of that ball.  Vandy did add transfer quarterback Riley Neal, a three-year starter from Ball State, so they will at the very least have some experience there if not comparable talent. 

Tee Martin’s Instant Recruiting Impact

The return of Tee Martin to Tennessee to the Tennessee staff is a big deal both in terms of perception – he’s a former National Championship winning QB with a street named after him on campus and most recently was the Offensive Coordinator at Southern Cal – as well as recruiting.  Martin is known as an elite recruiter, having been named the 247Sports Recruiter of the Year in 2016 and consistently ranked among the Top 20 recruiters in the country.  Between his two-year stint at Kentucky and his most recent seven years at USC he landed, among others, 11(!) 5-star and 22 4-star recruits for the Wildcats and Trojans, including 9 non-Cali signees. 

Where Martin might immediately help is for 5-star WR George Pickens from Alabama’s Hoover High School as he likely has at least some ties there.  However, his impact will be much more immediately felt beginning with the 2020 class, which Tennessee has already started out extremely strong with the additions of 5-star QB Harrison Bailey and former Alabama signee and current JUCO DE Jordan Davis. He has incredibly strong ties all over the Southeast and specifically in the talent-rich Atlanta area.  He’ll also likely be a major asset as well as in his native Alabama and of course throughout Tennessee, where Pruitt and his staff have made it clear they are very keen on the 2020 instate class.

Tee got his coaching career started in the Atlanta area high school ranks, and has deep connections across the Metro area.  Tennessee’s existing staff already has strong ties in Georgia generally – see the 9 of 19 2019 signees being from the Peach State – and Atlanta specifically, and Vols already have their jewel of the 2020 class in Bailey who is from Marietta HS in suburban Atlanta.  However, Tee will take that to another level as the Vols look to go head to head with the hometown Bulldogs as well as the likes of Alabama and Clemson for elite talent

RB Tank Bigsby

RB Jo’Quavous Marks

RB Mecose Todd

WR Javon Baker (Bama commit)

WR Ze’vian Capers

WR Kobe Stewart

TE Arik Gilbert

OL Quatavious Leslie

OLB BJ Ojulari

DL Andy Boykin

DL Nazir Stackhouse (UGA commit)

OLB Zakevious Walker

OLB Phillip Webb

LB Kevin Swint

S Rashad Torrence (UF commit)

CB Jalen Huff (OU commit)

CB Javier Morton (Bama commit)

Current 2020 Tennessee targets in Alabama

Tennessee’s current staff has also made the state of Alabama a priority, which makes sense given Pruitt’s background as well as that of more than a few other staffers.  Martin, being from Mobile, has both name recognition and ties in the state and will only bolster those efforts.  Tennessee has gotten a good number of 2020 Alabama prospects to campus already, and this effort could also be a factor in what Tennessee decides to do with its final DL spot in the 2019 class, as current commit Ledarrius Cox is from Mobile.

Acknowledging that Alabama and to a certain extent Auburn are always going to be extremely difficult to beat out for homestate kids that they want, the fact that the Tide has experienced so much turnover on its coaching staff this offseason could give the Vols yet another edge in this coming cycle as so many AL kids have seen their Tide recruiters depart.  For example, former Alabama OL coach Brent Key, the new Georgia Tech OC, is a Hewitt-TrussvilleHS who recruited his alma mater and was directly responsible for two 2019 Alabama signees and more importantly two 2020 commits (Dazalin Worsham and Malachi Moore) from the school. 

ATH Jordan Ingram

ATH Kristian Story (former UT commit)

WR Dazalin Worsham (Bama commit)

WR Eddie Williams

WR JJ Evans

DL Eric Taylor

DL Jah-Marien Latham (Bama commit)

CB Malachi Moore (Bama commit)

Obviously 2020 is a long way out, as the Vols are still looking to close out their 2019 class with a bang.  However, it is going to be a pivotal class for Pruitt as he looks to build on a solid 2018 class and what looks like a very strong 2019 class and take it to another level in 2020.  The addition of Martin to a recruiting staff that already features studs like TE Coach Brian Niedermeyer, DC Kevin Sherrer, Safeties Coach Charles Kelly, OL Coach Will Friend, DL Coaches Tracy Rocker and Chris Rumph, as well as the largest support staff in the history of Tennessee football, is a tremendous boost.  It shows yet again that Pruitt and AD Phillip Fulmer know what it takes to get the kind of players to Tennessee that the Vols need to get back on top.  Further, and maybe more importantly, it shows that they are both willing to do and spend whatever it takes to make that happen. 

Grateful for the Dead Period to be Over

With the December 2018 Early Signing Period in the books, the recruiting world will get cranked back up this weekend after the dead period ends.  And after watching last night’s National Championship Game one can be sure that Coach Jeremy Pruitt is chomping at the bit to do everything he can to get the Vols back to that kind of meaningful game.  There is no doubt that the class he’s assembled thus far is a step in the right direction, having the kind of top-end talent as well as depth that immediately and significantly improves the roster.  However, Tennessee has anywhere from 3-5 spots to fill in the class depending on how they can/want to work the numbers, so they have a chance to further improve the program by adding more elite players. 

He’ll Flip Ya For Real?

After putting together an incredibly strong core of his second class, Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt set his sights on an exceptionally large number of high level prospects that were committed elsewhere, trying to flip some longstanding commitments to elite or least very strong and stable programs.  However, none of them signed with the Vols after each sticking with their respective schools:

DL Justin Eboigbe (Alabama)

LB Owen Pappoe (Auburn)

WR Jaylen Ellis (Baylor)

Akeem Dent (FSU)

DL Bill Norton (UGA)

DL Zion Logue (UGA)

LB Trezeman Marshall (UGA)

OL EJ Ndoma-Ogar (Oklahoma)

DL Joe Anderson (South Carolina)

DB Kenyatta Watson (Texas)

That list, along with RB Noah Cain who Tennessee got involved with very late before he ended up signing with longtime leader PSU, obviously represents a very large investment in time and resources that came up with nothing to show for it. 

Conversely, in the 2017 class, Pruitt and Co. signed multiple bigtime uncommitted prospects, in a very short time after being hired, for whom they had to beat out the nation’s elite:

Dominick Wood-Anderson (beat Alabama)

Jerome Carvin (beat Alabama)

JJ Peterson (beat Alabama)

Alontae Taylor (beat UGA)

S Treveon Flowers (Clemson)

And following that up, Pruitt’s 2nd class is ranked in the Top 15 nationally after the 2018 ESP despite missing on so many potential flips.  That’s because of the sheer number of blue chip recruits Tennessee signed and beat out top-tier programs for, with more than 50% of the 19 signees ranked as 4 or 5-stars – not even including former 5-star Michigan DL transfer DL Aubrey Solomon.

So as the Vols look to finish out their class with a few more elite players, there is no doubt that Pruitt and his staff can go head to head with the top programs in the country.  However, what is still to be proven is whether Pruitt can flip that elite kind of player who is committed to another power program.  Because while the Vols are undoubtedly going to go hard after uncommitted studs, such as OL Darnell Wright and LBs Henry To’oto’to (again, head to head with Alabama) and Chris Russell, they are also spending quite a bit of time trying to get in the door with FSU Defensive Back commitment (and Tallahassee native) Travis Jay, along with Auburn WR commitment George Pickens and even DB Maurice Hampton (LSU) who can’t seem to tell Pruitt know strongly enough.  One could also equate Tennessee’s attempt to get in with DB Kair Elam, who not only is the nephew of former Florida Gator Matt Elam star but also has never been to Knoxville while visiting both UF and UGA campuses multiple times, with that of the aforementioned Noah Cain.  The Vols might end up getting him to campus for an OV, and you can never count Tennessee out when a kid visits Knoxville, but that one in particular looks to be a massive longshot.

To be clear, none of this is to say that recruiting the likes of DBs Jay/Elam/Hampton is mutually exclusive to recruiting the likes of DBs Robinson or Jamal Hill (mentioned in this space as one to watch and now having set up an OV for 1/25).  It’s also not to say that the recruitments of all committed prospects are the same.  For example, Pickens is seemingly much more open to Tennessee than Jay, Elam, and Hampton, and Pickens has already been to Knoxville while neither of those DBs have.  Further, Pruitt’s ties to Pickens’ Hoover HS in Alabama give Tennessee another in with that recruitment that distinguishes it from others. 

The question is, especially given the above track record of this staff in terms of signing elite prospects who are committed elsewhere vs. top uncommitted players, which prospects remaining on the board should Tennessee focus on.  Because outside of Wright and maybe LB Chris Russell, Tennessee isn’t the odds on favorite for anyone left on its board. 

Final Board

Below is Tennessee’s likely final board of players headed into the final few weeks, although the Vols could certainly also get a couple of prospects not listed to campus.  Tennessee will hope to add as many from the “Elite Tier” as possible, but could dip into that “Tier II” and still feel good about the kind of prospect it’s getting.  What I don’t think Pruitt will do this cycle, unlike at the end of the 2018 cycle, is settle for clearly lesser prospects if he misses on the large majority of his preferred prospects.  Both because they have fewer spots to fill than they did last year when they did ”reach” for a few guys at the end and because they appear to be in good enough shape with enough of the targets below to avoid needing to do so

Elite Tier

No doubt players who would instantly upgrade the talent on Tennessee’s roster at their respective positions and also could play at programs currently competing for championships

OL Darnell Wright – As close to a Vol lock as there can be, even if he takes OVs elsewhere (UGA, UNC, WVU) in January.  Wright, along with Wanya Morris, could find himself pushing for immediate playing time in 2019 and will instantly upgrade the size and talent on the all-important OL

WR George Pickens (AU commit) – Pickens was in an earlier iteration of Tennessee’s “Tier II” targets mostly due to their lack of traction with him.  But while LSU is considered by many to be in the strongest position for a flip, and UGA is also heavily in the mix (and will receive an OV this weekend), the Vols do appear to have a real chance here for this bigtime WR.  Tennessee has strong ties to his Hoover HS and he took a secret visit to Knoxville for the Missouri game.  Tennessee should get him back for an OV and, especially with the right OC hire, could find themselves in strong position.  Stealing Jim Chaney from UGA especially could at the same time hurt the Dawgs in this one and also help the Vols.  The fact that he’s already OV’d to AU and LSU is also a good thing for Tennessee. I might be more sanguine about Tennessee’s chances than most, but this one just has the feel of a Pruitt pull, and Pickens is the kind of WR who would have felt right at home in the Clemson-Alabama game

DL Charles Moore (MSU commit) – Perhaps strange to have him in this tier given that the Vols backed off Moore due to a subpar senior season. However, he was one of the best DL on the Mississippi side all week leading up to the AL/MS All-Star game, looking more like the prospect he was his junior year.  He then followed that up with a great week at the UA Game. Auburn is a very strong contender, as his good friend Jared Handy signed with the Tigers already, but the Vols absolutely can get him to campus and make a big push should they choose to.  Everyone needs as many talented DL as it can get, so expect Tennessee to do just that

OLB Khris Bogle (Alabama commit) – News came out on Monday that Bogle had actually decided on Tennessee as little as an hour before committing to Alabama on national TV.  Given that he’s not signing anything until February it will certainly be interesting to see how hard the Vols push.  Pruitt has already used his inhome, so that’s not available, but Bogle is a bigtime passrusher so expect Tennessee to do all it can to get him back on campus unofficially and land his signature

ILB Henry To’oto’to – Elite LB who is basically down to Tennessee and Alabama with some West Coast schools fighting to keep him in the region.  He’s currently scheduled to be in Knoxville this weekend and then at the Poly Bowl (with Tennessee signee Jackson Lampley and some Bama commits as well) and then will visit Bama the weekend of 1/25 before announcing on Signing Day

ILB Chris Russell – Instate LB with tremendous measurables and senior film to match, the Dyersburg native is a huge need given the lack of bigtime LBs on the roster as well as his being from the Volunteer State.  The Vols are scheduled to get his final OV, so they’ll be sweating out trips to College Station, Auburn, and Fayetteville between now and then but right now it feels like Tennessee is in good shape

DB Anthony Harris (Vols commit) – Incredibly talented player who didn’t sign in December for unknown reasons.  Harris is a great athlete who starred at QB for his high school team, taking them to the state title game in NC, and could project to either side of the ball in college.  The instate Tar Heels are trying to make a push but right now it’s an incredibly quiet recruitment.  More clarity should come in the next couple of weeks as he takes visits, but it does appear the Vols will push to keep him in the fold

CB Travis Jay (FSU commit) – Showed out at the UA Game practices and proved himself to be a bigtime CB with great size. Jay is scheduled to visit Knoxville the 1/19 weekend; however, he’s going to be a very tough pull away from the Seminoles, so while he and Elam (below) are Elite Tier talents they are the least likely of this bunch

DB Kair Elam – Although he’s uncommitted Elam is a longshot for the Vols unless and until something changes with his frontrunners UF and UGA AND the Vols blow his visit out of the water should he actually make it to Knoxville

Tier II

Solid prospects who project to be good college players and would likely help the Vols sooner rather than later.  Will end up at very good programs should they not sign with the Vols

WR Arjei Henderson (UF commit) – Sitting on his 3rd commitment, he says he’s going to take an OV to Tennessee in January.  Florida will certainly try and shut that down when he’s in Gainesville this weekend, so that’s TBD.  He’s a very good WR but I’m not sure if he’s a no-doubt take for the Vols given other positional needs

DL Ledarrius Cox (Vols commit) – How hard they Vols want to keep him will be determined this weekend when he OVs, but Cox, like Moore, had a strong week of practices at the AL/MS Game.  The major determining factor could be how Tennessee feels about where they sit with Moore as well as what’s going on at other positions 

DL Kristian Williams (Minnesota commit) – Williams is a very solid DL who looks like he could help an SEC team in a couple of years and would also be another nice pickup from Memphis.  The Vols can probably land him should they choose to push.  They question is, do they like him more than both Cox and Moore and players at other positions?

ILB Eugene Asante – A new offer for the Vols (and a bunch of other schools) since December, Asante has already taken an OV to instate Virginia Tech and will be deciding between the likes of the Hokies, UCLA, Nebraska, and a few others along with the Vols.  It’s unlikely the Vols take two LBs if To’oto’to isn’t one of them, so Asante is likely is a backup to Russell for now

DB Jamal Hill – Hill tore up the 2018 camp scene, picking up offers from the likes of Alabama and Michigan among many others and then earned a spot on the Georgia All-Region 4-AAAAAA team after his senior season. Although he likely projects as a physical, hard-hitting safety in college, he has underrated coverage ability and 10.96 100-meter dash speed.  At that length and with that speed, he fits the mold of a Pruitt CB, and the Vols are in his Final 4 with USC, Oregon, and Colorado.  Colorado is in there due to Mel Tucker having recruited him while at UGA, but obviously USC and Oregon are very good programs which reflects Hill’s ability.  He’ll OV to Knoxville the 1/25 weekend, at which point both sides will have a better feel for which way they want to go

DB Jammie Robinson – Robinson has been on the board since midseason, with his tie being his former high school head coach Shelton Felton who was a QC coach for the Vols.  However, Volquest.com reported that Felton is leaving for a fulltime position elsewhere, which might close the door between the two parties.  Robinson is a dynamic player but is much shorter and perhaps not as fast as Hill, so his ultimate ceiling isn’t as high.  He’s likely going to end up at South Carolina or Kentucky

Visits to Watch this Weekend

As the dead period ends and OVs get started back, the Vols will be hosting a handful of prospects (TBD) while watching a good number of its top targets who are visiting elsewhere.

LB Chris Russell (Texas A&M), WR George Pickens (UGA), and DL Charles Moore and DB Travis Jay (UF) are the main ones to keep an eye on, while LB Eugene Asante (UCLA) and DB Jamal Hill (Colorado) are Tier II targets taking OVs as well.

Friday Recruiting Musings

As next week brings All-Star Games, each game includes Vol signees and targets as well, with OL Darnell Wright and ILB Henry To’oto’to the prime prospects at the Under Armour All-America Game and All-American Bowl, respectively.  Tennessee signees OL Wanya Morris and S Jaylen “Tank” McCullough will represent the Vols at the UA Game, while RB Eric Gray, WR Ramel Keyton and OLB Quarvaris Crouch will carry the Tennessee banner at the All-American Bowl, each looking to raise their own respective profiles as well as doing as much peer recruiting as possible.

While Wright is considered to be a Vol in everything but the signed LOI, the battle for To’oto’to is likely down to Tennessee and Alabama, and he plans on taking OVs to both in January.  Greg Biggins of 247 Sports reported this week that there is buzz that, contrary to prior consensus opinion, the Vols could be in front at the moment.  However, the Tide will certainly have its share of signees in his ear just like the Vols will, as they have 5 of their own at the game. 

What will be newsworthy coming out of interviews and rumblings during the week at both games is what kind of traction Tennessee really has with targets like WR George Pickens and CB Kair Elam in particular.  Both are 5-star level talents at positions of need for the Vols, especially WR, and the Vols appear to be in position to at least get an OV from each of them.  However, Elam is the nephew of former Florida Gator Matt Elam star and has been to both UF and UGA campuses multiple times while to my knowledge never having been to Knoxville.  So he seems like a severe longshot.  With Pickens, while he is a longtime Auburn commitment for whom may think LSU is at worst a very strong 2nd place, the Tennessee staff obviously has strong ties to his Hoover HS and that recruitment is more of a wildcard, especially with him having already used his OVs to AU and LSU.  Notably, both Pickens and To’oto’to will also be at the Polynesian Bowl (January 19th) along with Tennessee signee Jackson Lampley.

Perhaps the more likely WR possibility who will be at the UA Game is Arjei Henderson, the 4-star former OU (and Oregon) commitment who the Vols visited during the contact period and appears to have real interest in Tennessee.  Henderson has good size at 6’1 and while he has a relatively slender build he possesses the kind of speed lacking in the WR room for Tennessee right now.  is only OV currently scheduled is to FSU the 1/25 weekend, so what he says about the Vols will be illuminating.

FSU DB commitment Travis Jay and Mississippi State DL commitment Charles Moore are the two other prospects to watch at the UA Game, as Tennessee has tried to get involved with Jay and Moore has been an on-again off-again target for the Vols throughout the process.  Odds favor both sticking with their respective commitments come February, but Moore in particular has been quoted as saying that among other January visits he is looking hard at Tennessee for one.  Notably, it has been thought that the Vols backed off Moore due to a subpar senior season; however, he was one of the best DL on the Mississippi side all week leading up to the AL/MS All-Star game, looking more like the prospect he was his junior year. Auburn is probably a stronger contender at the moment though, as his good friend Jared Handy signed with the Tigers already.

Another name to watch as January rolls around and the Vols try to add to their board is DB Jamal Hill.  Hill tore up the spring/summer 2018 camp scene, picking up offers from the likes of Alabama and Michigan among many others.  He also shined at an OSU summer camp despite not earning a Buckeye offer.  However, the chiseled 6’2, 190 lb player’s recruitment seemed to stall out a bit during the season despite a year-long performance that earned him a spot on the Georgia All-Regin 4-AAAAAA team alongside players like Alabama signee Justin Eboigbe and FSU signee Derrick McClendon, as well as Vol WR signee Jerrod Means. Although he likely projects as a physical, hard-hitting safety in college, it was noted by OSU writers that at the Buckeye camp he impressed with his coverage ability, showing the ability to break on the ball as well as closing speed. The speed is real, too, as Hill ran a 10.96 in the 100-meter dash during the spring.  At that length and with that speed, he does fit the mold of a Pruitt CB, and having visited Knoxville for the UF game there is a bit of history in this recruitment.  We’ll see if anything comes up here, but Hill could be an intriguing target and someone whose recruitment heats up in January (Oregon offered last week, for example).

While the odds of Tennessee signing current JUCO LB commitment Lakia Henry look increasingly slim, what happens with the other two unsigned Vol commitments – S Anthony Harris and DL Ledarrius Cox – will play a big role in not only how many spots are available for new additions to the Vol class but also which positions the Tennessee staff prioritizes. 

Harris is a very talented prospect who showed put at Carolina Shrine Bowl practices but elected not to sign with Tennessee in December despite it being unclear which if any schools are pursuing and/or he might have interest in.  Harris has not, however, received an inhome visit from Jeremy Pruitt, nor has he yet taken an OV to Tennessee.  Therefore he could be a blueshirt candidate, making that recruitment that much more interesting.

Cox is a player whose commitment to Tennessee has been viewed as soft since the day he pledged, and many think he is very unlikely to ultimately sign with the Vols.  However, he has maintained as recently as during the AL/MS Game week that he is solid to the Vols despite having January OVs scheduled to both Auburn – long thought to be the #1 flip candidate – and Ole Miss.  He does also has an OV scheduled to Tennessee though (1/18 weekend), so the Vols have a chance to hang on should they want to.  Like Charles Moore above, there have been questions about his senior season and how much Tennessee really does want to keep him; however, he did finish the season strong and earned first team 7A All-State honors and followed it up with multiple noteworthy performances during the aforementioned week of AL/MS Game practices. Given the need at DL for Tennessee it seems likely that the Vols staff will at the very least keep themselves involved here and then decide how hard to push pending what’s going on with other prospects, either DL or otherwise.

Holiday Weekend Recruiting Thoughts

Tennessee’s Early Signing Period class ranks #13 in the country and #6 in the SEC.  These respective rankings of course do not count the addition of the Aubrey Solomon, who was a 5-star DT in the class of 2017 and has played in both of his seasons at Michigan – the equivalent of the bluest of blue-chip JUCOS is probably understating it.  They do show both the strength of the SEC as well as the difficulty of the league overall (SEC teams hold the Top 4 spots!!!) and the latter ranking could perhaps cause one to view the class as a slight disappointment in a league of 14.  However, a deeper dive gives one more reasons for optimism, especially when viewed from the prism of “How can Tennessee take a big step forward not just in the SEC but more importantly in the SEC East and relative to teams against whom it has struggled mightily of late.”  The Volunteer class is #2 in the SEC East, behind UGA (who sits at #2 overall) and one spot ahead of Florida.  The Gators are the team that Tennessee should expect to compete with in the East, along with UGA, who for now everyone is chasing.  But of course that’s an expectation not based on current rosters or results, as the Vols find themselves looking up in the standings at the likes of South Carolina (#21 overall); Kentucky (#31 overall) , Missouri (#34 overall), and even Vanderbilt (#49 overall).  The fact that that – again even ignoring the addition of Solomon – before what promises to be a fruitful Late Signing Period for the Vols they sit ahead of all of the other SEC East teams is a promising sign.  Digging a bit deeper, the Vols actually signed only one fewer 247 Composite 5 and 4-star players (8) than the rest of the non-Florida SEC East team combined

Another reason to be excited about Tennessee’s early signees is the impressive depth of class.  While you undoubtedly need 5 and 4-star studs like OLB Quarvaris Crouch and OL Wanya Morris (and Solomon) – and 11 of the 19 signees are rated 4-star or higher by one of 247 or Rivals – when you’re rebuilding the roster like Jeremy Pruitt is in Knoxville you also have to have quality all the way down to the bottom of your class’s individual player rankings

Tennessee’s class has, unsurprisingly, no players lower than 3-stars.  But that belies the fact that among Tennessee’s 3-star signees there are players who held legitimate offers from the likes of Clemson (TE Jackson Lowe); Michigan and Texas (OL Chris Akporoghene); Auburn (TE Sean Brown, CB Warren Burrell and LB/S Aaron Beasley); FSU (OL Melvin McBride); and Georgia and Alabama (DL Darrel Middleton).  Tennessee’s 3-star QB signee Brian Maurer – an early enrollee – had West Virginia as his other finalist.  Further, arguably the class’s biggest sleeper is WR Jerrod Means, a prospect who clocked a 4.4 40-yard dash at a UT summer camp at 6’2, 200 lbs and won a spot on Georgia’s All-Region 4-AAAAAA team.  A cursory glance at his HUDL gives one a hint at why other than UNC he might have been fairly lightly recruited – he plays Safety half the time, and among his offensive highlights are a bunch of handoffs for a 7-5 team that was likely trying to get one of its best playmakers the ball any way it could regardless of his future college position.  And finally, NG Elijah Simmons is a 350 pound wrecking ball with the athleticism to dunk a basketball, throw the discus, javelin, and shot put, and return an INT 55 yards for a touchdown.  It’s simply a deep, deep class that has the kind of star power you need at the top but solid-at-worst players all the way down, exactly what Tennessee’s roster needs

At this point the only Defensive Back on the board for Tennessee is Jammie Robinson. Assuming the Vols do want to add another DB to the class and don’t want to put all of their eggs in that basket, don’t be surprised if Tennessee kicks the tires on CB DJ James from Spanish Fort, AL.  James is a Mississippi State commitment who didn’t sign in the early period after getting a late offer from instate Auburn.  He also got offers on Friday from Oregon and Nebraska, indicating that not only do people smell a soft commitment but also might think that the Tigers aren’t necessarily going to be unbeatable.  James visited Tennessee back in the spring and picked up a Vol offer on that visit, and he has a prior relationship from having visited Alabama a few times while Pruitt was the DC there. James has 4 OVs left to take, with his one having already been to Mississippi State.  Expect Bama to also get involved in what could end up being one of the most heated Late Signing Period recruitments of the year

Another player that could be an interesting add to the board should Tennessee wish to add a 5th OL to the class – assuming they land Darnell Wright – is OG Kamaar Bell. Bell, from the same Colquitt County HS in South Georgia that produced DL Ja’Quain Blakeley and 5-star 2018 LB JJ Peterson, is an interior mauler much like OU signee EJ Ndoma-Ogar, who the Vols coveted and made a run at until the end. He holds offers from all of the other SEC big boys including Alabama, Auburn, and Florida, and this past weekend received a tender from FSU and immediately set up a visit for the January 25th weekend, his only one so far. The needs elsewhere could ultimately mitigate the Vols’ interest level, but given the close ties between Tennessee and his high school you might see the Vols throw their hat in the ring and see what transpires

Speaking of former targets that didn’t sign last week, DL Kristian Williams had somewhat surprisingly committed to Minnesota but elected not to sign.  Williams, a 4-star DL on 247 Sports, was a standout at both a major LSU camp last summer (where he dominated one-on-one matchups including vs. 5-star OG Kardell Thomas) as well as at a combine in May where he showed out as one of the most athletic defensive players.  Williams is also a city champion in shot put and at 6’2, 275 has really good strength and quickness.  Depending on how things shake out both on the DL – and the addition of Solomon could make the addition of another DL a luxury – as well as at other positions, Williams could be a nice find for the Vols come February

Scratch WR Xavier Legette off of Tennessee’s February list after he signed on Friday with homestate South Carolina when the Cocks came through with a full scholarship.  Legette was a Tier II target for the Vols but it is notable that their WR options are now one fewer

Could Bama be filling up, and could that help with stud LB target Henry To’oto’to?  The Tide exited the early signing period with 23 signees, 3 unsigned commitments, and room for ~4-5 more signees.  They are in the Top 2-3 (at worst) for DE Khris Bogle (for whom Tennessee is likely 3rd but perhaps within shouting distance) and CB Marcus Banks, both of whom are set to announce on January 5th at the Army All-America Game.  They’re also major players for DT Ishmael Sopsher; DT Nathan Pickering (another MSU commit); CB Noa Pola–Gates; DT Jaquaze Sorrells; and DE Jared Harrison-Hunte.  The consensus opinion is that they’ll make room for To’oto’to, and they likely won’t land all of their other targets in the first place.  However, this situation is firmly in play and will be one to watch into January

Tennessee Got Better on Wednesday, Has a Chance to Get Much Better in February

The Wednesday that kicked off the Early Signing Period was on the one hand disappointing, as Tennessee swung and missed on all of its 50/50 targets.  On the other hand it was also satisfying, as the Vols inked 18 signees and didn’t lose a single commitment.  To its existing commitments the Vols also added WR Jerrod Means, a former UNC commitment who camped in Knoxville during the summer and earned an offer on the spot after running a 4.4 40-yard dash at 6’2. 

On Thursday, Memphis native RB Eric Gray signed with the Vols. Had he signed with most of the class on Wednesday, one can be assured that Vols fans would have felt very differently about how the day went, even though most knew that Gray was coming the very next day.  Gray smashed state records this season while winning his third Tennessee Mr. Football award – the first ever three-time winner.  He’s not a “big” back, but he’s not small at 5’11 and just under 200lbs, and he’s electric with the ball in his hands despite good but not great speed. Gray was a longtime Michigan commitment and had offers from elite programs across the country, and as an early enrollee, he brings the kind of playmaking ability to the Tennessee offense that is sorely lacking.  His signing will also allow the Vols to start ATH Aaron Beasley, who played both RB and S in high school, on defense where his speed and hitting ability will be put to immediate use.

We’ll do a deeper dive on the class once it’s complete in February, but the 19 signees, 10 of whom are early enrollees, without a shadow of a doubt improve the talent on the roster in every respect, from size, speed, and simply overall depth.  Tennessee beat out fellow big boys for most of their signees, further showing the overall quality of the class so far.

Once the fax machines got quiet on Wednesday, the natural question becomes: What’s next, and where do the Vols turn in order to have the kind of finish necessary to consider this the kind of class that takes the program forward?  Below we take a look at the road to early February.

All-Star Game Season

With the first week of January comes both the Under Armour and Army All American Games.  Practices for these present prospects with both a chance to test/prove themselves against the best players in their respective classes – and potentially improve their rankings in the process – all the while doing some peer recruiting.

The Under Armour game will feature two of Tennessee’s top signees and best peer recruiters in OL Wanya Morris and S Jaylen “Tank” McCullough.  In terms of unsigned top Vols targets, OL Darnell Wright and DB Travis Jay highlight the list.  Wright is, as everyone knows, considered to be a heavy Vols lean, to the point that he was cited by a handful of uncommitted prospects this past weekend as unofficially part of the Tennessee OL class.  That said, it can’t hurt to have his close buddy and potential future bookend spending time with him all week.  Jay is an FSU commitment who chose to not sign in the early period and has seen Tennessee coaches before the dead period.  It’s unclear where he sits on Tennessee’s overall board, and at the same time how real his interest in the Vols is (most think he will eventually sign with the Noles), but again just being around two Vols commitments can’t be anything but good for Tennessee.

The Army game will have two current signees, and potentially three.  Gray and WR Ramel Keyton will be there, as will OLB Quarvaris Crouch.  While it’s unclear at this very moment what Crouch’s signing plans are, all signs point to him being at worst a strong Tennessee lean and potentially someone who could have signed with the Vols by the time he arrives at practices.  Either way, he will announce on January 5th at the game, which should give the Vols some big-time national publicity were he to announce for Tennessee.  All 2-3 Tennessee signees will most certainly be peer recruiting big-time LB target Henry To’oto’to and OLB Khris Bogle.  The battle for To’oto’to is likely down to Tennessee and Alabama, and the Tide will certainly have its share of signees in his ear as well.  Same for Bogle and Alabama and Miami, his two main contenders, but again just having a presence at the game will be helpful for Tennessee.

February signees: Tier I

With 19 signees Tennessee has anywhere from 4-8 spots depending on room under NCAA regulations that only Jeremy Pruitt is aware of.  The Vols also have three unsigned commitments – DL Ledarrius Cox, LB Lakia Henry, and S Anthony Harris – how hard the staff pursues each of them, and how receptive they each are – will also play a role in how many spots are available for “new” commitments.

That said, there is a clear hierarchy in terms of prospects that Tennessee is currently pursuing, with the seven below making up the first tier:

  1. OLB Quarvaris Crouch
  2. OL Darnell Wright
  3. OLB Khris Bogle
  4. ILB Chris Russell
  5. ILB Henry To’oto’to
  6. DB Jammie Robinson
  7. DB Travis Jay

As mentioned above, Crouch will announce on January 5th and could even have signed by then.  His has been a mercurial recruitment and so it’s not smart to assume he’s a Vols lock until he’s signed his LOI, but right now things look good.  Crouch is an incredibly high-ceiling athlete who could be a terror off the edge.

Wright is also a very heavy Tennessee lean who would give Tennessee five OL signees, two of whom are 5-tars and ranked among the top 20 players in the country. 

Bogle is an edge rusher like Crouch, but he’s someone who, despite having taken multiple visits to Knoxville, is going to be a very tough pull for the Vols.  Hometown Miami is the likely favorite and Alabama is also heavily in the mix, but he definitely likes the Vols so they aren’t totally out of it.  His current plan is to announce at the Army game on January 5th, so we’ll know one way or the other very soon.

Russell is an absolutely imperative add in the late signing period.  An in-state player at a position of immediate need, Russell will get as much attention from Tennessee as the rules allow.  He plans on taking an OV to Tennessee for sure, and Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Auburn are schools we know that will be recruiting him hard until February. 

To’oto’to as mentioned above will be an Alabama-Tennessee battle despite being from California.  Although there are going to be some numbers issues for both schools, it seems that he has a spot at either.  He’s an instant impact player at least for Tennessee given the dire need at the position, so expect him to get a ton of attention from the Vols over the next six weeks.

Robinson is a dynamic playmaker and would add a ton of speed and athleticism to a Tennessee secondary that needs it in spades despite a strong group of DB signees. UT’s tie here is his former high school coach Shelton Felton who is on Tennessee’s staff.  Robinson took a summer OV to South Carolina and one to Kentucky this past weekend, so he’s got three more.  Tennessee will likely get one, and depending on how things go with other top targets he could be someone the Vols push hard for in an effort to simply add another super-talented player regardless of position

Jay is an FSU commitment whose plan all along was to take other OVs in January, and after some of the Vols staff visited him in December he stated that at least both Tennessee and UF would get visits. FSU isn’t giving up here though, so this will be a battle for the Vols should they continue to try and remain players here.

February signees: Tier II

Tennessee made an effort to add to its board over the course of December, offering a handful of other players that might be second or even third options at their respective positions:

  1. LB Octavius Brothers
  2. WR Arjei Henderson
  3. WR George Pickens
  4. WR Xavier Legette
  5. WR Dywan Griffin
  6. WR Javonta Payton
  7. RB A’Montae Spivey

Brothers, a former UCF commitment, is a good-looking prospect and plans to OV to Tennessee the weekend of 1/19.  His spot will depend on the status of Lakia Henry’s commitment as well as what’s going on with Russell and To’oto’to.

The fact that there are four WRs on this list shouldn’t be a surprise, as Tennessee only signed two WRs and likely would prefer to add one more if the right one wants to jump in the boat.  Pickens is an Auburn commit who is easily the top prospect of the four, and even though he says he is solid to AU, he also says will take OVs in January, with Tennessee strongly in the mix to get one. Of the four, Payton seems the least likely given that it sounds like he was set to sign with the Vols but due to concerns about his academics – unclear if it’s his inability to be a January enrollee or to actually graduate in May – Tennessee elected not to sign him. 

Spivey is an Arkansas commitment from Alabama who had an outstanding senior season and has gotten additional SEC attention, including at least a little from Tennessee, in December.  It’s unclear how serious the Vols might be about him, but we know that they were trying to add a second RB to go with Gray but just couldn’t get traction with DJ Williams (AU signee) and were too late to the party with Noah Cain (PSU).  

It should also be expected that Tennessee tries to get involved with some prospects who didn’t sign anywhere, whether they are technically committed elsewhere or not.  The Vols staff visited 5-star FSU CB commit Akeem Dent during the open period.  DL Byron Young (from MS) and LB Christian Williams (from AL) are unsigned Alabama commitments who the staff could at least make a call on.  Mark Anthony-Richards and Jamious Griffin are two 4-star RBs who are unsigned, in Griffin’s case despite his commitment to NCSU.  Finally, Tennessee could look further into the JUCO ranks, specifically for DL. Chester Graves is the #2 overall JUCO in the country, and while the Kansas City native is considered a Missouri lean he obviously didn’t sign with the Tigers on Wednesday.  Tony Fair is a former Nebraska DT commit who wasn’t able to sign because of grade concerns, but should he get those in order (sounds like NU couldn’t take the chance that he didn’t pass a ton of hours in one semester) he could be another to look at.  All of the above except Dent – who is likely a longshot – are 100% speculative, but one can be sure that Pruitt and the staff won’t leave any stone unturned.

One other interesting note is that of the four available official visit weekends in January/February, Tennessee will have two afternoon home basketball games, against Alabama on January 19th and against West Virginia on January 26th.  Tennessee will certainly take advantage of what will likely be near sold-out crowds in Thompson Boiling Arena by bringing official visitors to see what kind of fan support Vol Nation brings.  Those kinds of things aren’t going to swing a recruit’s decision one way or the other on their own, but they definitely contribute to a prospect’s enjoyment of his visit.

Much will be cleared up between now and January 5th when Crouch and Bogle, among others, commit.  From there it will be a sprint to the finish for Tennessee to use its remaining spots in this class to take it from good to great and really jumpstart the rebuild for Jeremy Pruitt.

Three Days Before Early Signing Day: What We Know, What We Don’t Know, and What We Think

From when we took a look at things headed into this past weekend, things certainly have changed.  And when it comes to who showed up in Knoxville and who didn’t, and the overall vibe coming out of the weekend, it was pretty much 100% good news for the Vols.  The only no-show was Dyersburg LB Chris Russell, who had to reschedule his OV because he had an ill family member; however, he reaffirmed his initial plan to sign in February, so for Tennessee to be able to save that OV until January that should turn out to be good news. 

In terms of unexpected arrivals, suffice it to say that the weekend went from good to great pretty quickly.  5-star OL Darnell Wright made yet another trip from West Virginia while 5-star LB Quarvaris Crouchdrove in from Charlotte to spend more time on campus after what must have been a grand slam of an in-home visit from Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt and much of the staff late last week.  In addition, longtime JUCO WR target Javonta Payton, a Mississippi State commitment, was convinced to take an OV to Knoxville.  And finally, RB Eric Gray, who Volquest.com had hinted at possibly eschewing an OV to Texas A&M and instead driving yet again to Knoxville, did in fact visit Tennessee.  Those four, along with the visitors already scheduled, made for a star-studded weekend at just the right time mere days before the Early Signing Period begins on Wednesday.

What We Know

At this point the hay is in the barn in terms of the work Pruitt and Co. have done with the early signees.  Here’s what we know as of Monday morning December 17th:

We know that a least 16 of Tennessee’s 19 existing commitments (not counting Jalil Clemons who will not be a Vol), if not 17 (apparently there is some uncertainty with DL Darrel Middleton), will be signing this week.

We know that the remaining two commitments are DL Leddarius Cox and LB Lakia Henry.  Cox has seemed like a soft commitment almost from the day he pledged to the Vols, and although he has maintained all week at the AL/MS All-Star Game practices – where he’s performed pretty well by all accounts – that he is solid to the Vols, the fact that he’s not signing this week speaks volumes.  He’s got an OV scheduled to Ole Miss in January and in-state Auburn is still involved to some degree.  The picture with Henry is somehow even muddier than Cox’s, as he’s already taken his Tennessee OV back in November and along with an OV to Arkansas – who feels pretty good about their position – he just took an unofficial visit to Florida State this weekend with his family and landed an offer.  He’s obviously far from solid at this point and the guess here is that the Tennessee staff is planning accordingly.

We know that LB Ke’Shun Brown and DL Kristian Williams are off the board, committing to Texas A&M and Minnesota, respectively, over the weekend.  While Williams was a bit of a fall-back target who Tennessee was hoping would hold off on committing/signing anywhere until February, Brown was a legit target who the Vols hosted the previous weekend.  With Trezeman Marshall reaffirming his longstanding commitment to UGA over the weekend, that leaves Russell and Henry To’oto’to as major February targets at ILB.

We know that Tennessee had very successful official visits this weekend with DL Nick Figureoa, RB Noah Cain, and WR Jaylen Ellis, putting itself firmly in play for all three prospects.  Figureoa was admittedly leaning toward staying out West to play at USC before the visit, but he raved about his trip to Knoxville to the point that it’s clear the Vols are a real option.  Similarly, Cain said himself that he didn’t know what to expect coming in but that both he and his mother were blown away.  Ellis similarly had a great experience and looks to be a coin flip

What We Don’t Know

We don’t know if Wright is going to sign next week or continue to wait despite clearly being a massive Vol lean.

We don’t know if either Oklahoma commitment OL EJ Ndoma-Ogar, OLB Khris Bogle, or DB Jammie Robinson – who took an OV to Kentucky over the weekend – are going to sign on Wednesday or wait until February.  If Bogle signs this week it’s likely local favorite Miami.  If he waits the Hurricanes will have to sweat, among others, Alabama and Tennessee all the way to February.

We don’t know what WR targets Payton and Jadon Haselwood, who was at UGA over the weekend, are going to do.  While Haselwood appears to be a longshot for Tennessee, the fact that Payton took the last-minute OV to Knoxville (and apparently tried to hide it from MSU coaches and media) means that he is at worst very much considering flipping to the Vols.

We don’t know why Darrel Middleton signing this week is newly uncertain.  Is it grades?  Something else?  That’s unclear, but the situation certainly bears watching as he was presumably a December graduate who would enroll at Tennessee in January and be ready to get a spring practice in before contributing immediately next season.

Perhaps most importantly, we don’t know how many signees Tennessee can actually fit into this class within the NCAA mandated guidelines.  All along the thought has been that if the Vols want to get as many players into this class as possible there would need to be some mathematical gymnastics.  But at this point there don’t appear to be any blueshirts available among current commitments and top targets.  And with the Vols taking a full class last cycle no one outside of the staff knows how much room there really is.

What Do We Think?

We think that if the Vols land Figureoa, a 3-to-play-3 JUCO DL with good size and a great West Coast offer list, Tennessee will move on from Cox.  Figureoa will have simply replaced Cox and the Vols will still be sitting with the same number of commitments, yet they’ll have upgraded at the position with an instant-impact contributor on the DL.

We think that current commitment Aaron Beasley, 6’1 220 already and listed as a safety, is going to end up playing LB at Tennessee.  And we think that the Vols are in good shape with Russell.  And we think that Tennessee’s main competition for To’oto’to (Alabama) could simply run out of room regardless of whether they can beat the Vols straight up for him.  Therefore, we think that there will be a “mutual parting of ways” with Lakia Henry if Tennessee likes where it sits with the rest of its board at other positions.

We think that Tennessee needs at least one more WR in this class to go with stud Ramel Keyton but that they won’t have room for both Ellis and Payton, so whoever jumps in the boat first will get the spot.  We also think that Ellis is not going to have a spot at Michigan as the Wolverines look set to land their other major target for their final WR spot in Cornelius Johnson, so it is going to come down to staying closer to home and sticking with Baylor or getting instant playing time in the SEC for him.

We think that if one considers it to be very unlikely that Clemons, Cox and Henry end up signing with the Vols that leaves at most 8 spots for the following Baker’s Dozen of targets:

  1. OL Darnell Wright
  2. OL EJ Ndoma-Ogar
  3. RB Eric Gray
  4. RB Noah Cain
  5. WR Jaylen Ellis
  6. WR Javonta Payton
  7. WR Jadon Haselwood
  8. DL Nick Figureoa
  9. OLB Quarvaris Crouch
  10. OLB Khris Bogle
  11. ILB Chris Russell
  12. ILB Henry To’oto’to
  13. DB Jammie Robinson

We think that at this point Wright, Gray and Crouch are leaning toward the Vols, with Gray likely having given his commitment to the coaches and simply waiting until his scheduled Thursday announcement to go public.  Wright also seems likely to have committed to the coaches.  And while Crouch won’t announce until January 5th at the All-America Game, right now Tennessee has all the momentum. More will clear up about both Tennessee’s needs, spots, and who’s actually left once Wednesday rolls around.  Same for the schools who are recruiting those that won’t sign until February, and others who might jump in if they unexpectedly miss on other targets.  And there are other prospects who the Vols have put themselves in position to circle back to in January should the need arise, such as LB Octavius Brothers and DB Travis Jay among others.  Obviously not all 13 of those “no-question in a vacuum” takes are going to call Pruitt and want in (with Haselwood and Bogle being the least likely), but the Vols have absolutely swung momentum towards Knoxville at the best possible time.

The Final Countdown: Early Signing Day Approaches

With the Early Signing Period beginning next week, Tennessee has a very strong class of 2019 recruiting class.  However, especially with the large need for both talent and depth across the roster, the Vols still need to add more pieces. Below we take a look at how things could shake out between now and next week, as well as what awaits the Vols after the Early Signing Period into January and February

Update on Tennessee Commitment Signing Plans

Tennessee commitments ATH Aaron Beasley, DL Elijah Simmons and OL Melvin McBride, all of whom had previously planned on waiting to February to sign, have both now decided to sign on December 19th, meaning 17 of Tennessee’s 19 current commitments (not counting Jalil Clemons, who won’t be a Vol and pending JUCO DL Darel Middleton’s plans) will be in the boat when Tennessee moves on to fill out its class in February. 

The Vols are trying to get Lakia Henry to change his mind and sign next week as well.  He’s OV’d to both Tennessee and Arkansas – who seems to feel like it has some momentum – and FSU is flirting as well.  We’ll see if he changes his plans, which would be a relief for UT coaches as he’s currently the only LB commitment and looks like he could be an instant impact newcomer at a position of real need. 

Another commitment who is currently planning to sign in February is DL Ledarrius Cox.  Cox’s commitment has been considered to be pretty soft, and at some points it’s been unclear how hard Tennessee was trying to hold onto him.  But Vol coaches have been to see him a couple of times during the contact period, so they at least want to keep him on the burner.  He’s had a strong few first practices this week at the AL/MS All-Star Game and that could cause the Vols push even harder for his signing in February.  He’s stated this week that he’s solid to the Vols and is only waiting to sign because he wants/needs to take the ACT again (potentially a reason Tennessee has asked him to wait) but he does an OV to Ole Miss planned for late January and Auburn also remains an option.

A Look at This Weekend’s Visitor List

The Vols will have a large group of official visitors this weekend that includes a mix of current commitments as well as a handful of high level targets. 

WR Ramel Keyton, QB Brian Maurer, TEs Sean Brown and Jackson Lowe, CB Warren Burrell, DL Roman Harrison and Beasley (both fresh of GA state championships) and McBridewill be officially visiting their future home this weekend as they look to continue to bond as a group and likely do a lot of peer recruiting as well.  Additionally, OL Wanya Morris will be in town to hang out and do some peer recruiting of his own.

In terms of prospects the Vols are still fighting for, Tennessee has done a nice job of getting some very important players on its board to campus the weekend before the Dead Period begins and leads into Early Signing Period next week.

WR Jaylen Ellis will be making his long-awaited first visit to Knoxville.  The Army All-American from Texas – a fairly wide open Baylor “commitment” – has been a major target for Tennessee for months and actually had a few planned UVs to Knoxville this season that never panned out.  But WR Coach David Johnson has seen him a few times during the contact period and Pruitt has been inhome as well.  Ellis doesn’t plan on signing until February; however, he is planning to announce his decision at the Army All-American Game on January 5, so this will be his last OV before then.  At this point, despite not having yet decommitted from Baylor, he seems to have Michigan and Tennessee at the top.  He OV’d to Ann Arbor a few months ago, and while Michigan has continued to pursue Ellis heavily they are actually hosting their other top WR target Cornelius Johnson officially this weekend.  Johnson will announce his decision next week, so along with what should be a great visit in Knoxville there could be some further clarity in Ellis’s recruitment next week either way.  With the news of WR Khafre Brown’s commitment to UNC last weekend (more on that below) Ellis has become an incredibly important target for the Vols so expect them to really roll out the red carpet this weekend.  He’s got the kind of speed that doesn’t exist in the current UT WR corps and would be an incredible addition to the class.

RB Noah Cain from IMG Academy in Florida emerged this week as a new target on the board, as RB Coach Chris Weinke’s efforts to secure Cain’s last OV proved successful.  Cain is an elite RB, as evidenced by his other major suitors: Penn State, UGA, Auburn and Texas being the final contenders.  All four other schools have at one time felt good about their position with Cain, but Texas, UGA and Auburn in particular have other major RB irons in the fire at the moment (DJ Williams, Mark-Antony Richards, and Jamious Griffin among others) which could allow Tennessee to sneak in here.  The Nittany Lions are actually the perceived favorites going into the weekend, but the Vols feel like a potential darkhorse.  Cain’s IMG teammate Chris Akproroghene, who also helped the Vols land an OV from future UGA signee (and #1 overall player) Nolan Smith, seems to be helping with Cain as well.  This could turn out to be nothing, but the Vols absolutely would love to add a RB the caliber of Cain to go with (hopefully/likely) Eric Gray.

LB Chris Russell from Dyersburg, TN has emerged as a coveted recruit for multiple SEC schools in the last month or so, picking offers from Auburn and Texas A&M to go with one from the Vols in the last month or so. Arkansas has been involved here as well.  Russell has good size and speed – he tested very well at a Tennessee camp this past summer – and his senior film is outstanding.  As Tennessee has rejiggered its LB board in the last few weeks Russell has become a major target, and Pruitt was inhome this week ahead of the OV.  Currently Russell has said he plans to wait until February to sign, which would allow him to take his other OVs.  Should that happen Tennessee could find itself at a major disadvantage given that they have used their two most valuable visits, so expect the Vols to really press hard for at least a commitment as well as a signature next week.  While from a rankings perspective he’s a step down from someone like Owen Pappoe, Russell looks like a really fine prospect and frankly more of a true LB.  The Vols would be thrilled to add him to Lakia Henry.

DL Nick Figureoa is a very intriguing JUCO DL prospect who TE Coach Niedermeyer has done yeoman’s work with to get to Knoxville this weekend.  Figureoa is a big-bodied player who looks like he can play multiple positions across the DL, and is a rare JUCO player who’ll have three full seasons to play.  He’s a California native who’s got offers from, and has taken OVs to, both USC and UCLA, and the odds are that he ends up staying on the West Coast.  However, he’s clearly got enough interest in Tennessee and enough of a relationship with Niedermeyer to make the cross-country trip this weekend.  The Vols could absolutely use another DL in this class, let alone a highly recruited JUCO who will enroll early and would likely help immediately and happens to have three seasons to play.  This would be a big win if Tennessee could pull it off, and we’ll know next week.

WR Jerrod Means will also be in town officially.  The former UNC commitment from GA is a solid looking prospect who earned a Vol offer at a camp back in the summertime before he committed to the Tar Heels.  As a February signee he’s likely a secondary option while the Vols wait on other targets higher on the board.

Tennessee offered JUCO Rush End Everitt Cunningham late Tuesday night, and the early-enrollee from East Mississippi C.C. (home of UT commitment Darrel Middleton) could be one to watch if the Vols get him on campus this weekend.  He’s got a so-so offer list (UCF, Indiana, etc) but was a standout for the national champion EMCC team after going to JUCO winning the MVP of the national championship game.  At 6’5, 230 is the kind of prospect currently missing in this class (and, frankly, except for longshot Khris Bogle, on the entire board), so if the Vols do bring him to Knoxville and like what they see (and by all accounts he’s a great kid with a big motor who went JUCO not due to grades but to get better collegiate opportunities) he could end up filling a major need.

LB Jamie Pettway is another Alabama linebacker prospect who the Vols have been involved with for some time.  Pettway plans to sign next week, so if the Vols want to get back into the mix they’ll need to bring him in for an OV this weekend.  His other contenders include Louisville, Georgia Tech and Missouri.

It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see Tennessee have more visitors than the list above.  In fact, Volquest.com has been reporting that despite reports that Gray would be taking his final OV to Texas A&M this weekend he will not take that visit and could in fact come back to Knoxville for the fifth time since the fall.  Obviously that would be a great sign for Tennessee in his recruitment, and assuming he’s all Vol he could be another peer recruiter for fellow offensive playmakers Ellis and Cain as well as Russell (a fellow West Tennessean).  There’s also been talk of either 5-star OL Darnell Wright coming to Knoxville, which, despite the longtime thought that he’s a major Tennessee lean, would be huge for the Vols whether he signs next week or sticks with his current (stated) plan to wait until February.  And finally, Volquest has also floated the idea that the Vols might have convinced WR Javonta Payton, a Mississippi State JUCO commitment, to come to Knoxville this weekend.  We’ll see who shows up, but the expectation here is that a handful of guys who aren’t confirmed as of this writing end up visiting Tennessee this weekend.

Weekend Visits to Watch Elsewhere

LB Ke’Shun Brown will OV to TexasA&M this weekend, one week after somewhat coming out of nowhere to take an official visit to Knoxville.  Brown is a 4-star LB from Alabama who got offers early in his recruitment from the likes of Alabama (when Pruitt was the DC), LSU (where he took an OV this summer) and others.  For whatever reason his recruitment stalled out a bit, but when the Vols and Aggies came calling – both at least in part due to losing out on LBs higher on their respective boards – Brown jumped at the opportunities.  Coming out of last weekend’s visit to Knoxville the Vols appear to be in strong position but the Aggies will surely make a push this weekend.    Pruitt was in his home early this week so Brown certainly he knows a priority for the Vols, and Brown is planning on signing next week, so Tennessee will know one way or the other here.

WR Jadon Haselwood was a somewhat surprising unofficial visitor in Knoxville last weekend.  The 5-star WR is a former UGA commitment who will be taking his final OV in Athens this weekend.  Miami and UGA appear to be the frontrunners, but Tennessee saw him this week so they must feel like they are in it at least a little bit.  Haselwood isn’t an EE but will announce at the Army All American Game on January 5.  It goes without saying that landing him would be a massive coup for Tennessee but at this point that appears unlikely.

DB Jammie Robinson is an underrated playmaker on both sides of the ball who visited Knoxville for the UF game after which the Vols became a serious contender.  Robinson has previously said that he would wait until February to sign despite having officially visited South Carolina (the current perceived favorite) and planning on OV’ing to Kentucky this weekend.  UT’s tie here is his former high school coach Shelton Felton who is on Tennessee’s staff, and at this point Robinson is one of a very few DBs who are legitimate targets.  He’s a dynamic player and would add a ton of speed and athleticism to a Tennessee secondary that needs it in spades despite a strong current commitment list.

LB Trezeman Marshall is a UGA commitment who the Vols have made a major push for.  However, he’ll be back in Athens this weekend and the smart money appears to be on him signing with the Dawgs next week despite his strong relationship with Tennessee DC Kevin Sherrer.

Falling Off the Board

Since last weekend it has become apparent that a handful of Tennessee targets will not be signing with the Vols:

WR Khafre Brown committed to home state North Carolina.  While the Vols seemed to slow-play him over the past few months, the staff had picked up its recruiting intensity such that it seemed like Brown was actually a Tennessee lean.  However, after taking yet another unofficial visit to Chapel Hill and meeting with new coach Mack Brown, Khafre elected to pledge to the Tar Heels, where his older brother is already on the team. 

 LB Owen Pappoe not only did not take his previously scheduled OV to Knoxville last weekend but instead was back on the Plains for another visit to Auburn.  Despite it looking not that long ago that Pappoe was certain to flip to the Vols this one appears over.

DB Kenyatta Watson, Wanya Morris’s (and Pappoe’s) teammate and Texas commitment appears to have shut down his recruitment and will sign with the Longhorns despite the Tennessee staff’s best efforts.

DL Keonte Schad took his OV to Minnesota last weekend and appears to have “fully committed” to the Golden Gophers after taking a handful of OVs elsewhere.  Tennessee never ended up getting him to campus.

Rush End Niadre Zouzoua took an OV to Baylor this weekend instead of his previously scheduled one to Knoxville, and the buzz is that he’s likely to commit to the Bears soon.  He hasn’t done it yet and it remains to be seen how hard the Vols are pushing here, but right now he doesn’t look like a future Vol.

WR George Pickens, another Auburn commitment, and Tennessee at one time seemed to have some mutual interest but that no longer appears to be the case.

DL Gabriel Hall was actually a late add to last weekend’s official visitor list for Tennessee, but despite what sounds like was a really nice time it appears the Baylor commitment is likely to stick with the Bears.

Adding to the Board, Laying the Foundation for February

Tennessee plans on signing upwards of 17-18 of its current 19 commitments and hopes to land a few more signees as well (Gray, Cain, Brown and potentially Ellis and Russell).  Regardless of how many more spots are remaining, the Vols will look to finish out their class with as much quality as possible.  The below are longtime Tennessee targets who plan to wait until February to make a decision:

OL Darnell Wright (pending a change)

OL EJ Ndola-Ogar

LB Henry To’oto’to

DE Khris Bogle

CB Travis Jay

DB Jammie Robinson

These five prospects are elite players for whom Tennessee will be fighting with other bigtime programs.  Wright is considered a heavy Vol lean but could still take OVs to Georgia and likely to Alabama in January as well.  To’oto’to is also a Tennessee-Alabama battle, while Bogle and Jay have the Tide along with the major Florida schools contending for their respective services.  Robinson’s situation will be worth watching next week. 

In order to have a full board to work from for January and into the February Signing Day, Tennessee has been offering new prospects. At WR the Vols have gotten fairly heavily involved with Arji Henderson, a recent OU decommitment from Texas who is a near 5-star prospect.  Henderson seems to be feeling the Vols and plans on OV’ing Knoxville in January.  Xavier Leggette is another WR on the board, and the South Carolina native has an OV scheduled to Knoxville in late January with the instate Gamecocks currently being the other contender.  Additionally, Tennessee recently offered Dy’wan Griffin, a New Orleans native who flew under the radar a bit but has a really intriguing size/speed combination and has only played one year of high school football.

Tennessee has also circled back with DL Kristian Williams from Memphis.  Williams, a 4-star DL on 247 Sports, was at one time planning to sign next week but has now pushed that back to February, potentially at Tennessee’s behest.  He’ll take an OV to Minnesota this weekend, and the Gophers are among his Top 4 with Indiana and Memphis.  In contrast to his rather lackluster offer list, Williams was a standout at both a major LSU camp last summer (where he dominated one-on-one matchups including vs. 5-star OG Kardell Thomas) as well as at a combine in May where he showed out as one of the most athletic defensive players.  Williams is also a city champion in shot put and at 6’2, 275 has really good strength and quickness.  Depending on how things shake out both on the DL as well as with other prospects, Williams could be a nice find for the Vols come February.

LB Octavius Brothers is a former UCF commitment who has recently gotten offers from Tennessee, Auburn, UNC and Syracuse among others.  He plans on taking an OV to Knoxville in January pending how things go at LB for Tennessee between Russell/Brown next week as well as To’oto’to.