Author Archives: Joel Hollingsworth

Gameday Today: Vols’ National Signing Day recap

The general consensus on National Signing Day for the Vols is that although the day was a bit of a clunker, Tennessee still ended up with a good class, especially along the defensive line.

Here are the guys the Vols signed yesterday:

The Vols were in the running for several others but just couldn’t reel them in. Here’s a list of everybody who was on Tennessee’s board yesterday morning and where they ended up.

If you want to risk it, we also have a Twitter timeline of just the guys who were on the board yesterday so you can see what they’re saying this morning.

If you haven’t yet watched the Vols’ National Signing Day event, you should. It’s not just an opportunity to hear more about the new guys in the Class of 2018, it’s an opportunity to get to know the almost entirely new coaching staff. You’ll be glad you did.

Hoops

Jimmy Dykes mentions the phrase “1-seed” when asked about the Vols:

And VFL Josh Richardson had a career night:

WATCH: The Tennessee National Signing Day Event Video

If you haven’t had the chance or the inclination to watch last night’s National Signing Day event, do yourself a favor and carve out some time. I meant to just scroll through to see what was going on but ended up watching nearly the whole thing despite an incredibly busy day on tap.

The main reason to watch is that it’s our first chance to really get to know the staff. Each guy took some time with the microphone and talked not only about the guys they signed in this class but also about their particular roles on the staff and the philosophy they’ll use to accomplish their goals.

Have a look and listen. It’s a recorded stream, so the actual event doesn’t start until about 10 minutes in.

A couple of the most notable highlights:

  • Pruitt likes this class, and he says that every guy they signed fits their criteria, but he was also adamant that this day next year will be different once his guys are given an entire year to work.
  • The Vols still have room and actually aren’t done recruiting for this year’s class.

Tennessee signs 3-star defensive tackle Kurott Garland

This one sort of came out of nowhere, but 3-star defensive tackle Kurott Garland of Conyers, Georgia has signed with Tennessee.

Relying again on the 247Sports Composite rankings, Garland is the nation’s No. 60 strongside defensive end and the No. 117 player in the state of Georgia. He had offers from Tulane, Coastal Carolina, and Eastern Kentucky.

Regardless of the offer list, Jeremy Pruitt is apparently high on the guy:

 

 

4-star defensive tackle Emmit Gooden signs with Vols football

Just before Jeremy Pruitt’s National Signing Day press conference, 4-star JUCO defensive lineman Emmit Gooden signed with Tennessee to play for the Vols.

Gooden is, according to the 247Sports Composite, the nation’s No. 17 JUCO prospect overall, the No. 7 JUCO defensive tackle, and the No. 4 JUCO player in the state of Tennessee.

Gooden was highly-coveted by a number of notable schools and held offers from the following:

  • Alabama
  • Georgia
  • USC
  • Florida
  • Arkansas
  • Mississippi State
  • Missouri
  • West Virginia
  • Arizona State
  • Louisville
  • Oklahoma
  • TCU
  • UAB
  • Texas-San Antonio

It appeared to come down to Tennessee and West Virginia, and at Gooden’s announcement ceremony, everybody with him had only one hat and chose the school represented by their hat. Gooden had only a West Virginia hat on his table, but when his turn arrived, he pulled a Tennessee hat out from under the table.

 

 

Joseph Norwood signs with Vols

Just like with JJ Peterson, Tennessee hasn’t officially announced the signing, but 247Sports is reporting that 3-star wide receiver Joseph Norwood has in fact signed with the Vols.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Norwood is the nation’s No. 75 athlete, and the No. 30 player in the state of Tennessee. He has a full offer sheet, although most of them are from lower-level schools.

 

Check out the quick interview with Norwood by Stephen Hargis.

Elite linebacker JJ Peterson signs with Vols football

No official word from Tennessee at the time we’re writing this, but 247Sports and Rivals are both reporting that the Vols have signed 4-star linebacker JJ Peterson despite a late push by Alabama.

Update: It’s official:

According to the 247Sports Composite, Peterson is the nation’s No. 48 player overall, the nation’s No. 3 outside linebacker, and the No. 7 player in the state of Georgia. As you’d expect, his offer sheet is impressive:

  • Alabama
  • Georgia
  • Auburn
  • Florida State
  • Clemson
  • Florida
  • Arkansas
  • South Carolina
  • Michigan
  • North Carolina
  • Georgia Southern
  • Georgia State
  • South Alabama

 

Great job by Jeremy Pruitt and Tennessee to hold on to Peterson in the midst of a wild day.

3-star safety Trevon Flowers signs with the Vols

Trevon Flowers, a 3-star safety from Tucker, Georgia, is officially a Tennessee Volunteer.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Flowers is the nation’s No. 87 safety in this year’s class. He chose Tennessee over Clemson, Kentucky, Illinois, Western Kentucky, and Appalachian State.

 

Welcome to Rocky Top, Trevon Flowers.

Under-the-radar Cedric Tillman signs with Tennessee

Cedric Tillman, a 3-star wide receiver from Las Vegas, has officially become a Tennessee Volunteer.

Tillman is one of the under-the-radar guys that Tennessee discovered late in the recruiting process, and although 247Sports has awarded him three stars, he doesn’t appear on any national, positional, or state rankings. His offer list includes Hawaii, UNLV, and Weber State.

 

According to Rivals, Tillman grew four inches and put on 25 pounds between his junior and senior seasons, and he signed with the Vols without ever having stepped foot on campus because he appreciated the coaches taking a chance on him.

Word around the Twitters is that Tennessee has now also offered wide receiver Joseph Norwood, which might mean the other receivers higher on their board are going elsewhere. We’ll see.

3-star defensive end John Mincey chooses Tennessee over South Carolina

John Mincey, a 3-star defensive end from Homerville, Georgia, has spurned the South Carolina Gamecocks to become a Tennessee Volunteer.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Mincey is the nation’s No. 38 strongside defensive end in this year’s class. He chose Tennessee over South Carolina and Arkansas and also had offers from the following schools:

  • Georgia
  • Florida State
  • Florida
  • Auburn
  • LSU
  • Kentucky
  • Mississippi State
  • Ole Miss
  • Georgia Tech
  • Indiana
  • Maryland
  • Cincinnati
  • Colorado State
  • Georgia Southern
  • Troy
  • Tulane
  • USF

 

Mincey is the 15th player in this year’s class and joins Greg Emerson, Kingston Harris, and Brant Lawless as the new guys on the defensive line.