Category Archives: Football

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

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

Anthony Grant is a Really Good Football Player

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

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

This Class Could Use a Second RB

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

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

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

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

Yesterday, we took a look at Tennessee’s early offensive signees. Now, let’s examine the five defenders who the Vols desperately need to come in and provide some immediate help.

With defensive-minded head coach Jeremy Pruitt, defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer and long-time SEC assistants Tracy Rocker and Chris Rumph, along with former Vol Terry Fair leading the charge on defense, players should be able to get plenty of coaching.

Let’s take a look at the guys who we know will be Vols in 2018, based on them signing last week.

Greg Emerson 6’3″ 280-pound 4-star defensive lineman; Jackson, Tenn. (North Side HS)

Tennessee has long had success recruiting in the Jackson area, and after that city yielded stud offensive lineman Trey Smith a year ago, the Vols highest-rated prospect hailed from there this year, too.

Emerson — who broke his fibula and fractured his ankle with a gruesome injury at The Opening that cost him his senior year — stayed true to his pledge through the coaching change, and he is one of the prospects who could benefit most from the Pruitt regime. Emerson wanted to stick at defensive end, anyway, and now he appears to have the perfect body type to play that spot in a 3-4 base defense.

The Jackson native has violent hands and is extremely strong. His first step may not be good enough to stay outside in a 4-3, but he’s ideal for this new base. He is a great athlete for his size, and he is a consistent weapon when healthy. Since he’s a bit raw, he’ll need to be coached up on a variety of moves, but he has very moldable assets with which Tracy Rocker can work.

Brant Lawless 6’3″, 285-pound 4-star defensive tackle; Nashville, Tenn. (Nashville Christian HS)

Lawless was the first of the “Big Three” defensive line prospects in Tennessee to commit to the previous regime, and D’Andre Litaker and Emerson followed. It’s unclear whether Litaker will be part of this class, but Lawless signed quickly after it was clear Pruitt wanted him.

Lawless looks like he will be able to add 15-20 good pounds and play inside in a 3-4 scheme. He isn’t fast enough to play on the exterior. He still needs work to be able to be a difference-maker in the SEC, but he, too, has plenty of traits that will be enough for a good DL coach to help mold. Lawless will have the opportunity to come in and play right away with all the holes UT has in the trenches, but he may be best-served with a year in the weight room and with a redshirt.

It’s going to be interesting to see how Lawless is ultimately utilized. If it’s on the interior, he needs to put on some weight and also to gain some strength. Perhaps the biggest improvement from the Jones era could come on the defensive line, where it wasn’t uncommon for Vols to get pushed around and opponents to dominate UT running the football.

It’s up to big guys like Lawless to make sure that doesn’t happen in the Pruitt era.

Jordan Allen 6’4″, 230-pound 3-star weak-side defensive end/outside linebacker; San Francisco (City College of San Francisco)

The last of the Early Signing Day commitments for Pruitt came late Wednesday night, but it wasn’t the least of the pledges.

That’s when pass-rushing outside linebacker Jordan Allen of City College of San Francisco decided to choose Tennessee over schools like TCU, Michigan State and Arizona State. This is after he told the Vols “thanks but no thanks” when they initially reached out to him to try to get him to visit on that final weekend before the dead period. Once Pruitt called and got involved, Allen decided to visit.

He ultimately signed.

Yes, Allen is raw, but he also possesses the size and speed needed for Tennessee to transition as smoothly as possibly to the 3-4 base. He’s a big, athletic kid who can play with his hand down but also standing up, and he’s expected to step right in and play for the Vols on the second level. It’s going to be interesting to see where Darrin Kirkland Jr., Will Ignont, Shanon Reid, Solon Page III and Quart’e Sapp fit in this offense, but it looks like — at least on the surface — that players such as Sapp, Austin Smith and Allen can play a “Jack” style pass-rusher.

If that’s the case, Allen is a necessity. Can he step right in and provide meaningful snaps? Any time you swing at a JUCO kid, it’s a crap-shoot. But when schools like TCU and MSU want you, you’re obviously a guy who a lot of defensive-minded programs believe can play. You don’t recruit JUCOs to stand on the sideline.

Kingston Harris 6’3″, 285-pound 3-star defensive lineman; Orlando, Fla. (IMG Academy)

One of the most puzzling pickups for Pruitt in his first few days was IMG Academy defensive tackle Kingston Harris, who had a difficult time cracking the rotation at one of the most loaded high school programs in the country. But that doesn’t mean he can’t play.

Harris was recruited by schools such as Maryland, Rutgers, Central Florida and others, but when Pruitt offered him and Harris visited the weekend before the dead period, he ultimately decided he wanted to play SEC football. The question is: How soon can he play?

Tennessee severed ties with former commitments like Jamarcus Chatman, and Litaker’s status remains in the air, but Pruitt actually laid eyes on Harris, who has the type of big body needed to clog up run lanes up front in a 3-4, and there was obviously something Pruitt and Co. saw in Harris that they loved and believed they could unlock. It would be a surprise if Harris was able to step right in and play, but he probably won’t be needed to.

Tennessee is going after a lot of guys it believes can provide depth in ’18 on the defensive line, but Harris more of a piece to the future. He needs to work on his body and especially his technique, but he looks strong and has the size and frame to pack on weight. This is a project Pruitt deemed worthwhile. With the defensive staff he’s assembled, the Vols won’t have to take too many “projects” in the future.

Paxton Brooks 6’5″, 170-pound 3-star punter; West Columbia, S.C. (Airport HS)

Tennessee once picked up a commitment from punter Skyler DeLong, who visited the Vols and committed on the trip. He flipped to Alabama almost immediately when he visited the Crimson Tide.

But UT moved onto Brooks, and he is an ideal prospect to take “Punter U” into the next generation post-Trevor Daniel. He is rated as the nation’s No. 2-rated punter and a 5-star prospect by Kohl’s Professional Kicking Camps, and he is the type of player who has the opportunity to step right in and play. The Vols may need for him to because Daniel is out of eligibility, and he was one of the best punters in the country a season ago.

He chose Tennessee over offers from several schools, including North Carolina State, and he’ll punt in the Under-Armor All-American Game. This could be the player who makes the biggest impact from this class on the field in 2018.

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

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

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

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

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

QB

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

RB

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TE

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

OL

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

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

DL

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

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

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

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

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

LB

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

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

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

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

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

DB

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After Deeply Thinking About The Biggest Decision Of My Life With My Family, I Proudly Signed My Letter Of Intent And Will Be Continuing My Journey At The University Of Tennesse!🍊 #VolNation #GBO pic.twitter.com/hG9hXbMBiE

— 16Reasons (@TheRealYungDom) December 20, 2017

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

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

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

What wound up being a surprise visit from a “mystery” quarterback last weekend appears as though it will manifest itself as a Tennessee quarterback commitment.

JT Shrout, a 6’3″, 190-pound quarterback from William S. Hart High School in Newhall, California, and a one-time California Bears commitment was going to choose between UT and Cal tomorrow.

On Tuesday night, he officially decommitted from coach Justin Wilcox’s Bears, according to his official Twitter account. This seems to be good news for Tennessee.

After much thought and prayer I have decided to de-commit from from Cal. I would like to thank Coach Wilcox and his staff for giving me this opportunity, but I feel this is the best thing for me to do. I will still be signing tomorrow during the early signing period. Thank you.

— JT Shrout (@JT_Shrout16) December 20, 2017

Though Shrout threw for 3,064 yards as a senior, he tossed an eye-popping 25 interceptions to go along with 27 touchdown passes. He’s still the No. 26 pro-style quarterback in the nation, according to 247Sports.

After an injury forced him to miss much of his high school career, this season was his first to start. Yes, he threw far too many interceptions, but folks everywhere are enamored with his upside, too.

Back in July, Yahoo.com’s Pete Thamel — he of the Tennessee bashing during the Greg Schiano debacle — wrote about the unheralded prospect:

But it’s safe to project Shrout, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound rising senior, as one of the biggest steals of the 2018 recruiting class. That was the consensus of coaches at the QB Collective, including one NFL coordinator who told Yahoo Sports that Shrout was by far the most polished prospect there. Shrout wowed all the coaches with his technical precision, polished footwork and smooth throwing motion. “I think of all the quarterbacks who were here, if I were an NFL general manager or quarterback coach, [he’d be] the guy who could step in on day one and fundamentally work within an NFL system,” said Sage Rosenfels, a longtime NFL backup who works as private quarterback coach in the Omaha area. “His drop was smooth. His fundamentals were very efficient and he throws a great ball.”

That’s a testament to the type of offense the Vols want to run under offensive coordinator Tyson Helton. It’s obvious this will be a pro-spread style that will utilize multiple receivers in West Coast route trees, feature running the football and downfield passing. It’s time to get back to real football, folks.

This is a vital piece to Tennessee’s puzzle, and the Vols really need him to pull the trigger, especially after Adrian Martinez flipped to Nebraska and UT cut Michael Penix loose to sign elsewhere. Shrout would be the only quarterback in Tennessee’s 2018 class, and he will be able to step right in and compete with Jarrett Guarantano, Quinten Dormady and Will McBride.

Shrout is an unfinished product, but he is the type of moldable piece for Helton. If he winds up choosing the Vols tomorrow, it will be a nice pickup. He has all the tools.

Don’t look at the recruiting rankings right now.

No, I mean it. Don’t. Please.

A Tennessee recruiting class that once climbed as high as third nationally before coach Butch Jones’ fiefdom came crashing down, the lull in leadership broke down relationships and the administration botched the coaching search [though may have landed the hire] is currently in shambles.

If you’ve patronized the message boards lately or read Twitter, you’d think Tennessee’s class has collapsed around new head coach Jeremy Pruitt. That’s not so. At all. Local writer Mike Griffith even went as far today as to say Pruitt is “struggling.” That’s laughable.

It’s not a great look yet again for UT that it had favorite son and recruiting organizer extraordinaire Austin Thomas stole from LSU before a deal fell through. It was unfortunate for the Vols that Chris Weinke was set to leave Alabama with Pruitt to come to UT before his alma mater Florida State came calling.

But don’t look at this incomplete recruiting class and judge Pruitt’s body of work. It’s very much a work in progress. He couldn’t develop relationships before this early signing period where players can sign tomorrow, and he couldn’t help that some of the elite players who were once committed have a frontrunner mentality and dropped the Vols.

It’s been a perfect storm that’s caused the Vols to plummet out of the recruiting rankings.

When Tennessee was recruiting under Jones, the Vols enjoyed highly ranked classes yet failed to develop that talent. It’s not uncommon to look at UT players as seniors who didn’t progress much from their freshman seasons. We all know now Jones struggled to elevate players’ talent once they arrived on campus.

Did you ever think part of that was the type of player Jones recruited, though?

I’m not knocking any of the current kids on Tennessee’s roster, but it’s clear that Jones recruited to a certain system — a system he called “infallible” — and that system failed famously, especially once Joshua Dobbs left for Pittsburgh. When Pruitt came in [finally] to coach the Vols, he took one look at UT’s class and basically gave a metaphorical shrug and a “meh.”

Then, the culling ensued.

Yes, Tennessee absolutely would have loved to land 5-star offensive lineman Cade Mays, a Knoxville Catholic player whose father was a standout. But he decided to go in a different direction, no matter how much Pruitt and UT coach Phillip Fulmer tried to sway him otherwise. It’s going to hurt seeing him playing for Clemson or Georgia next year, but nothing Pruitt could have done would sway him.

Absolutely, the Vols were happy with 4-star quarterback and Cali prospect Adrian Martinez coming to Knoxville, even though he didn’t play at all last year and isn’t an ideal fit for the pro-style offense coordinator Tyson Helton wants to run. But when Scott Frost arrived at Nebraska and made Martinez a priority, he fell in love with that new system in Lincoln. Honestly, he’s a better fit for what they want to do, even though he would have been a heck of a quarterback at UT potentially.

The rest of the players were guys Pruitt just didn’t think fit the system. Florida quarterback Michael Penix will land at a quality program, but he is more of a dual-threat kid, and Tennessee didn’t prefer him. Better to be up front and honest with guys than have them take up a scholarship spot that can be used elsewhere, have them unhappy and quit. Who wants that?

Do I understand Pruitt cutting a guy loose like Jamarcus Chatman and then getting a commitment from Kingston Harris, a defensive lineman who struggled to find the field as a senior at prestigious IMG Academy? Nope. But I know he’s a big body with a bunch of potential, and if anybody knows the kind of players he needs to run the type of 3-4 defense Pruitt employed at Alabama, Florida State and Georgia that won championships, it’s the man who shaped those units.

Why are we grinding our teeth that Pruitt saw a Jones class and disassembled it? Last I checked, Pruitt is coaching in the College Football Playoffs; Jones is sitting at home after his team went 4-8. And Mays [as well as Jaycee Horn, who just committed to South Carolina] are guys who decommitted on Jones’ watch, long before Pruitt came into the picture.

The Vols already went after another quarterback — California commitment JT Shrout — who will choose between UT and the Golden Bears tomorrow. If you look at his senior season stats, you will cringe. He threw 27 touchdowns and 25 interceptions. Yikes. But he is 6’3″, a traditional dropback passer with pristine mechanics that have NFL scouts already excited, according to Yahoo.com’s Pete Thamel.

Tennessee will be watching instate offensive lineman Jerome Carvin, his teammate 4-star running back Jeremy Banks and Shrout, among others, tomorrow. If a couple of those guys pull the trigger, it could set the stage for a big finish for Pruitt and the Vols.

Pruitt had exactly one recruiting weekend to prepare for [remember, he was announced mere days before getting Alontae Taylor back on campus, and he recommitted]. With a week to prepare for that day, Pruitt went JUCO-heavy on the visits, and we’ll see if any of them pay off with pledges tomorrow. UT certainly needs immediate help, especially on both lines and in the secondary.

Pruitt’s staff believes it can get in on some big names after the early signing period. The nation’s second-ranked outside linebacker J.J. Petersen has had Alabama at the top of his list forever, but Pruitt is his lead recruiter with the Crimson Tide. He told SEC Country this week that UT now leads. If Pruitt can convince some of those guys he’s already built relationships with when he was with the Tide to follow him to Tennessee, the Vols could land a few.

Also, it remains to be seen who Pruitt will hire in his last three assistant spots. Will one of them be South Carolina wide receivers coach and elite recruiter Bryan McClendon, as rumored? Pruitt knows recruiting is the name of the game in the SEC, and he’ll get somebody who can be relentless on the trail. Whoever that is could bring with him targets, too.

And [hold your nose, Vols fans] if Alabama looks good in the playoffs and Pruitt’s defense shines, it will be good publicity for UT, and some positive vibes could come the way of Tennessee’s recruiting class still. There’s still a month-plus for Pruitt to build relationships once he gets on campus for good. That’s not a ton of time, but it is enough with some preexisting relationships to get some guys on campus and signed.

This class isn’t going to wind up a high-riser in the least, but the Vols could fill some needs, and if it gets in the top 20 with all the turmoil that’s transpired, it’ll be OK. Pruitt is going to build things his way. We don’t know if that’s a winning way because he’s never led a program, but he has won a lot of championships as an assistant.

So, tomorrow, when all the excitement is happening and Mays makes his choice to go somewhere other than Knoxville and the Vols wind up with some guys who weren’t even on the radar a week ago, don’t get down. This is only the beginning of the Pruitt era, and with what Jones left UT, it isn’t an overnight fix.

Pruitt is going to do it his way. And as he said in his press conference, Vols fans shouldn’t worry about the guys they don’t get but the ones they do.

Aight?

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

RB

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

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

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

WR

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

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

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

TE

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

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

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

OL

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

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

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

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

DL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LB

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

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

DB

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

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

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

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

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

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