Category Archives: Recruiting

Not much else to add on last week’s legitimately historic recruiting run other than that it appears that it’s not quite over yet.  The most important thing is not just the number of commitments and not even the rankings – though adding two 5-stars in one-week is incredible enough – but the competition Tennessee is besting to land these players.  We’ve talked ad nauseum about how Tennessee has to win more recruiting battles for elite players against elite programs in order to take the next step from 7-8 wins to being legitimately in the championship conversations.  And more than a few of the Vols commitments before last week were examples of those types of wins.  But to almost double your commitment total in one week with 100% of those players representing those types of recruiting wins is really something.  It’s the kind of thing that accelerates a rebuild from a step-by-step, multiple season sort of thing to something much quicker and more sustainable

Everyone who follows recruiting knows that even in a normal recruiting cycle there are always decommitments – guys who flip to another school and guys who are recruited over.  In this unique 2021 cycle, with Zoom calls and enhanced Twitter graphics replacing on-campus visits and coaches on the road, the odds of decommitments likely goes much higher.  Given that strong possibility, expect Coach Pruitt and Tennessee to continue to push the pedal to the metal when it comes to adding more and more elite talent.  From this perspective it wouldn’t even be shocking to see Tennessee have more than 25 commitments at some point in the cycle and then let the chips fall where they may.  Sometimes you just have to maximize your opportunity, and this appears to be one for Tennessee when it comes to recruiting momentum.  And for a coach who’s attempted multiple onsides kicks and likes to blitz regardless of down and distance, Pruitt simply strikes as someone who is going to make the most of this while he can, especially given that there remains a talent gap between Tennessee and the Alabamas and LSUs of the college football world.

All that said, there doesn’t appear to be much if any “fat” on the current commitment list, and it’s pretty clear that anyone being added from here on out will be an elite prospect.  So along with the question of how to continue to add bigtime commitments is the question of how to keep this class intact as much as is realistically possible.  With the caveat that Pruitt needs zero recruiting tips from anyone let alone the author, it seems prudent to be, in parallel with continuing to do whatever the heck he and his staff have been doing during this shutdown, planning for what happens when on-campus visits are allowed.  Contingencies will of course need to be made depending on when that exactly is, but the first priority should be getting as many of these commitments to Knoxville immediately.  That is, before they visit anywhere else.  Tennessee has had success with themed weekends over the last two summers, with a pool party and paintball tournament that both resonated with prospects.  Ideally the Vols will be able to host something similar before the season starts, but whatever it is the staff should be trying to lock down dates for these commitments to visit, perhaps even for an invitation-only commitment-only type event.  There are already text chains, and probably Zoom calls too, among the commitments.  But getting them to campus, particularly if it can be done all together with a bunch of hype, would go a long way towards making these guys even firmer in their respective commitments. 

With today’s commitment of Colby Smith, the Vols now have their first pledge from an Offensive Lineman in the class.  After signing two 5-star OTs in the 2019 class – both of whom project to be starters in 2020 after getting a ton of playing time their freshman season – Tennessee went Interior OL heavy in the 2020 class.  There is of course always a need for high quality OTs, and Smith is definitely that, which makes him a great start.  At 6’7 and 300 pounds he’s got perfect size for an OT to go with high level athleticism, and the presence of a veteran group of OTs will enable him to ease his way into the rotation in the future. But the Vols – who theoretically don’t have a ton of spots remaining (caveat: see 2^nd paragraph above) – definitely need to fill out the rest of the OL and DL class.   Tennessee is in solid shape for instate OL Dietrick Pennington from Memphis and William Parker from Nashville, and is also battling for bigtime Peach State native Dylan Fairchild. Diego Pounds, an OT from North Carolina, is also very much in play. And Tennessee has also tendered an offer to OT Hugh Laughlin, who hails from the same high school in Athens, GA as 2020 signee Len’neth Whitehead. So the Vols have options on the OL.  On the DL,  top targets include Jahvaree Ritzie, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Payton Page, Jamond Gordon (a JUCO early enrollee), Leonard Taylor, and Katron Evans.  Tennessee is deep in the mix for that entire list of players, with Taylor being the longest shot at the moment.  Evans is tentatively set to commit this coming Sunday along with his teammate 4-star LB Aaron Willis, both of whom hail from Baltimore’s St Frances Academy from which 2020 signee Dominic Bailey just graduated.  Tennessee appears to be in very good shape for both Willis and Evans, a 4-star interior DL at 6’4 and 320 pounds.  So, yeah, the Vols have set themselves up to meet needs on both lines of scrimmage, too.

Quickly from a future facing perspective, not only could the Vols land two or maybe even three players from St Frances in 2021 (the third being 4-star LB Jamon Dumas Johnson) to go with Bailey, but Tennessee has also already offered 5 players at the school from the 2022 class. TE Coach Joe Osovet, who has been working the DC/Maryland/Virginia/Pennsylvania area incredibly hard, is not only starting to see success in 2021 but could be setting the Vols up for even more success down the road in what is simply put, in the most complementary way, a football factory.

Vol fans are going to have to navigate Mother’s Day a little carefully this year, as not only are Willis and potentially Evans scheduled to commit but so is 4-star and 247 Sports Top 100 player QB Kaidon Salter. All signs point to Salter picking the Vols, so between those three (at least!) Tennessee fans will have to be sure to not offend anyone by checking their phones throughout the day 🙂

Would it be surprising to see the Vols go without another commitment between Colby Smith today and the Mother’s Day Three this Sunday? At this point…yep.

What else can be said about the week that Tennessee has had on the recruiting trail?  Statistical analysis shows that there is no such thing as momentum in sports.  Well, since Sunday, when 5-star LB Dylan Brooks decided on the Vols, he’s been joined by the following:

4-star DB Kamar Wilcoxson

4-star WR Julian Nixon

#1 JUCO RB Tiyon Evans

5-star LB Terrence Lewis

Further, Tennessee appears to have serious juice – as in possibly impending commitments – with 4-star RB Cody Brown, 4-star ATH Kaemen Marley as well as 4-star QB Kaidon Salter, 4-star LB Aaron Willis, and his high school teammate 4-star DL Katron Evans, the three of whom have commitment dates set for May 10^th. 

The Vols still have needs in this class, for sure, even if they sweep the group above.  Those are particularly clear on the OL and DL, where the class currently has zero and two commitments, respectively.  In particular, at DL an emphasis likely needs to be put on bigtime JUCO prospects like Jamond Gordon, Marquis Brown, and Zykevious Strong given the fact that the Vols are set to lose at least seven DL after the 2020 season. But the boards at both positions have a multitude of bigtime prospects on them, and at this point every single elite recruit in the country is taking notice.  At the same time, with 15 commitments on board already, in theory there are only 10 spots left in this class, which means maybe the Vols have to be slow down this commitment rush.

Prediction: Pruitt and Co. are going to ride this momentum as long as it lasts. I expect them to be position agnostic (i.e., not say, well we’re full at this spot so we won’t take another elite talent there).  I also expect them, to a large degree, to not care about “the numbers” either.  It is of course only very late April, and we all know how things can change in recruiting even in normal years.  There will likely be decommitments from the current Tennessee list, and at the same time there will be players Tennessee covets that are currently committed elsewhere who will shake loose over the next several months.  So don’t expect Pruitt, who plays the recruiting game as well or better than any Head Coach in America, to hamstring himself by worrying about positions and the 25-scholarship rule.  He knows that in order to win at the highest level you have to collect as much elite, future NFL talent as you can.  Then of course you have to develop them and coach well during the games, but he and this staff have proven they can do those two things already in his first two seasons in Knoxville.  So just like Jeffrey Tambor tells his future son-in-law in The Hangover, you never walk away from a heater.  Expect Pruitt and Tennessee to follow that advice and keep putting on more steam. 

Offensive Lineman Hugh Laughlin from Athens Academy in Athens, GA received an offer from Tennessee last week, capping off a month in which he added double-digit offers from the likes of Florida State and Ole Miss among others. We had a chance to catch up with him and get a sense of where he is in his recruitment and what he thinks about the Vols:

Q: What’s your current height and weight?

A: “I’m 6’6, 285.”

Q: And what weight did you play at last season?

A: “ I played at around 260.”

Q: You’re new to the Offensive Tackle position, right?  Talk about that transition and how you think your experience at Tight End helps.

A: “Yes sir, I transitioned over recently.  First, blocking at Tight End is almost all going forward, so blocking as an Offensive Lineman involves very different movements.  So I’ve been working on my pass drops a ton.  But when I was a Tight End I was always blocking on the end of the line so I guess I was used to that a little bit already.”

Q: Do you feel like you’re going to be a leader for your team?  If so, what kind of leadership qualities do you bring?

A: “Yes sir, I do. I plan on being a positive leader who loves on everyone but expects the best from them as well.  I’m not the most vocal guy so I lead by example, but I am working on being a more vocal leader too.”

Q: You play basketball too, right and compete in track and field too, right?  Talk about those and how you think competing in multiple sports helps you on the gridiron.

A: “Just competing year round. Basketball was actually my first love – I even thought about not playing football my freshman season but the coach talked me into coming out for the spring and I fell in love with football and have loved it ever since.”

Q: What have you been doing workout wise during the shutdown?

A: “I’ve been working with a trainer on my pass drops and footwork.  I’ve also been doing a lot of body weight workouts.  You’ve just got to keep grinding.”

Q: You’ve got some high-level academic schools after you.  Talk about what you’re interested in studying in college.

A: “I’ve been taking a genetics class and that really fascinates me, so that’s something I’m interested in.  I’m actually looking into enrolling early.”

Q: Where have you visited so far, and which schools do you plan to see after the shutdown ends?

A: “I’ve been to Georgia Tech a few times, it’s just right down the road. I went to Oklahoma this spring.  And I visited Tennessee for the Vanderbilt game this past season.  I’ve also been to UGA as a recruit a few times, but not in a while.”

Q: Did you grow up a fan of any school? 

A: “I grew up a UGA fan.  Their stadium is just a mile from my house.”

Q: Are you hearing much from them?  Would they be able to get involved if they offered soon?

A: “A little, but not much.  I’m still open to all schools right now so yes sir I’d be open to them too.”

Q:Are you close with Class of 2020 Tennessee signee Len’neth Whitehead from Athens Academy?  What has he told you about Tennessee?

A: “Yes I’m very close with Len’neth.  He’s just told me it’s a great school and a great place to go.”

Q: What about WR Deion Colzie?  He’s also a high level recruit…other than Tennessee are there schools recruiting you both and have you guys shared any thoughts on schools?

A: “I’m very close with Deion too.  Other than Tennessee, UCF is probably the only school recruiting both of us.  It’s great to have him to talk to about recruiting, especially when it comes to thinking about where to take official visits.  That’s the most stressful part right now.”

Q: Who at Tennessee gave you the offer and how did they deliver the news?

A: “Coach Niedermeyer.  He texted me and asked me to call him.  He said ‘We watched your film as a staff and want to offer you a scholarship,’  It was very exciting.”

Q: Where are you in your recruitment, and what schools are standing out at the moment?

A: “I’m taking it slowly right now and am open to all schools at the moment. Right now I’m planning on a December decision but if I go somewhere and just love it I might change my mind on that timeline.”

Q: Lastly, anything else fans should know about you?

A: “Just that I’m a very aggressive player.  I love physicality and the game of football.  I’m really grateful for all of the opportunities and can’t wait to play at the next level.”

Laughlin is an outgoing and confident young man with a lot of the physical tools schools are looking for in an Offensive Tackle.  He’s clearly wide open right now and getting used to being a recruit who’s got offers from the likes of Tennessee.  Given that he’s just recently moved to OT from Tight End, he is the kind of prospect who probably would have multiple other SEC offers had he been able to go on more campus visits and participate in camps, etc.  But the Vols have made the move to offer and that seems to mean a lot to him.  UGA could definitely end up a factor if they decide to get involved, and Georgia Tech with its proximity to home and strong academics could be a player too.  But the Vols do have an interesting tie beyond just Whitehead.  Laughlin told me that he was about to jump on a call with Tennessee OL Coach Will Friend, whose daughter was a preschool student of Laughlin’s mother a few years back.  We joked that it always pays to be nice to your children’s preschool teacher, so assuming Coach Friend lives by that rule the Vols might have an in with that prior relationship.  Laughlin’s recruitment does seem to be one that won’t be over soon, and with the Vols having a big need at OT and having extended a relatively early offer one can expect them to stay involved until the end.

Along with TN, GA, FL and the Carolinas, you can officially add the state of Alabama to Tennessee’s prime recruiting area.  Many have scoffed at the idea that the Vols could consistently go into the Yellowhammer State and land bigtime talent, but after signing no players from Alabama in his first two recruiting classes and then three in the class of 2020, Coach Jeremy Pruitt – himself a former high school coach in the state and famously the Defensive Coordinator for the Crimson Tide – has himself five commitments from Alabamians now.  And while some of them have been players who the two instate powers didn’t go hard for, a) even those players were pursued by other bigtime programs, and b) Dylan Brooks is NOT one of those.  Between Pruitt, DC Derrick Ansley (a former Tide assistant), OL Coach Will Friend (same), and Tee Martin (a MOB legend), the Vols simply have tons of ties in that state.  And with the program clearly on the upswing after the way the 2019 season ended, it’s starting to pay real dividends

Tennessee very much hopes to not be done in Alabama this cycle either.  The Vols are also fighting instate powerhouses Alabama and Auburn for fellow Pass Rusher Jeremiah Williams; ILB Ian Jackson; and TE

Trinity Bell.  One can be sure that to any degree those schools felt comfortable keeping Tennessee outside of their border they no longer think that is the case, so keep an eye out for both the Tide and the Tigers to redouble their efforts with those prospects in particular.  One would also not be surprised to see both schools circle back on Tennessee’s other four commitments from the state and try and apply some pressure to the Vols there

This obviously take Tennessee’s recruiting during the COVID-19 imposed shutdown, already arguably some of the best in the country outside of Ohio State, to another level.  Brooks also represent a true win in terms of landing the kind of elite player that the Vols have worked themselves into the mix for.  Momentum is a very real thing in recruiting, and the Vols have a lot of it right now.  Look for them to try and capitalize on that, both in terms of simply trumpeting it via social media, etc, but also in terms of perhaps applying some pressure to other prospects and urging them to get in the boat now.  One such prospect that will likely see a renewed push in light of Brooks’ commitment is LB Junior Colson, for whom the Vols are playing catchup to Michigan at the moment and who as an instate prospect the Vols definitely don’t want to lose

When watching Tennessee’s defense over the last two seasons, what’s jumped out is that other than recent 2^nd Round NFL Draft pick Darrell Taylor the Vols have simply not had anyone who could consistently get to the quarterback.  Tennessee may have signed a couple of bigtime passrushers in the 2020 class in 4-stars Morven Joseph and Tyler Baron, but that remains to be seen.  But Brooks is a bonafide stud and not the kind of prospect one has to do much squinting to see making an immediate impact off the edge

Speaking of Taylor, it could not have hurt Tennessee’s cause with Brooks to see the Seattle Seahawks trade up to take DT19 in the 2^nd Round on Friday night.  Nothing speaks more highly of Pruitt and Ansley than the work they did with Taylor to get him to that spot.  And of course Pruitt doing a full court PR press to stump for Taylor had to resonate with Brooks and other high school prospects.  Pruitt is of course known for being a coach that players just love, but when you see a head coach go to the mat for a player and then see the results in the form of a high draft pick that’s simply a big deal

Shelton Felton may, along with Joe Osovet, be emerging as yet another stud recruiter on Jeremy Pruitt’s staff.  We know that Pruitt is one of if not the best recruiting Head Coach in the country.  And we know that his staff already had two prior 247 Sports Recruiters of the Year in Tee Martin and Brian Niedermeyer.  The other thing we know is that the trade of DL Coach Jimmy Brumbaugh for former DL Coach Tracy Rocker was going to be an upgrade by default simply because of how insanely bad Rocker was on the trail for the Vols.  And that’s before the fact that Brumbaugh has a solid rep himself as a recruiter as well as a strong talent development track record to sell.  What we didn’t know was how Felton and Osovet would translate coming from a much smaller pond and the JUCO/QC ranks, respectively.  Well, so far so good for both, and that sets Tennessee up to potentially have a dominant recruiting staff

This goes without saying, but neither Alabama nor Auburn nor LSU – who was also recruiting Brooks hard – are going to give up here.  Pruitt and Co. will need to continue to recruit him as if he’s not committed until National Signing Day arrives and his fax comes through.  But, and this is not to discount the seriousness of the previous sentence, Brooks’ commitment did not come out of nowhere.  He’s been to Tennessee’s campus nearly ten times.  He’s been to multiple games in Neyland Stadium.  He’s been to Junior Days.  And he’s been up for random unofficial visits.  He clearly has a strong affinity for Pruitt, the Vols staff, Knoxville, and the UT campus.  Again, the Vols will 100% have to fight tooth and nail to sign Dylan Brooks.  But from now on they’ll be playing from a position of real strength, which was not the case when Brooks was uncommitted.

Yesterday we wrote about newly offered instate Linebacker Prince Kollie.  We subsequently had a chance to interview him about his recruitment below:

Q: What’s your current height and weight, and how old are you?

A: “6’1, 200 pounds.  I turned 17 in March.”

Q: You play all over the field for Davy Crockett.  What side of the field and/or positions do you feel are your best and which would you prefer to play in college?

A: “I feel like right now my best position is Safety, but I’ve gotten more and more comfortable with the idea of playing in the box as a LB.  Really though I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help the team and get on the field”

Q: Do you feel like you’re a leader for the team?  If so, what kind of leadership qualities do you bring?

A: “Yes sir, I’m expecting to be a leader for my team this upcoming season.  I’ve got lots of great examples of leaders, from my older brother who was a leader on an undefeated team here at David Crockett a few years ago as well my Head Coach.  He always says, ‘You have to lead from the front, not from the back,’ and I try to take that to heart”

Q: You’ve got an impressive GPA and some high-level academic schools have offered you.  Talk about why school is so important to you.

A: “My family emigrated here from Liberia and both of my parents are teachers.  Our family puts God and academics at the top, and I know that sports won’t last forever and that you’ve got to have a back-up plan.”

Q: Where have you visited so far, and which schools do you plan to see after the shutdown ends?

A: “So far I’ve been to a Tennessee for last season’s game against Mississippi State and I also visited Virginia and Wake Forest this spring before the shutdown.  I would like to take some more visits when I can but I don’t have any planned at the moment.”

Q: Did you grow up a fan of any school? 

A: “No sir, not really.  More a fan of certain players.”

Q: Any Tennessee players in particular?

A: “The Linebacker that just graduated (Daniel Bituli).  I like the way he plays the game.”

Q: Who at Tennessee gave you the offer and how did they deliver the news?

A: “Coach Derrick Ansley contacted me and told me he liked my film, then gave me his number and asked me to call.  That’s when he told me about the offer.”

Q: How did it feel to get an offer from the instate team?

A: “Oh, it was big.  That was the one I and some people around me have been waiting for.  My Mom is ‘Go Vols’ all the way.  She’s a big Titans fan, too.”

Q: Do you feel any instate pull to the Vols now that you have that offer? 

A: “Absolutely.  I really like the love the fanbase has shown me, it’s been overwhelming.”

Q: Where are you in your recruitment, and what schools are standing out at the moment?

A: “I’m still open.  I don’t have a Top 10 or anything like that at the moment, but there are some schools standing out like Tennessee, Georgia, a couple of other SEC schools, and then some ACC schools like UVA and Wake Forest.  Those guys were the first to offer and believe in me.  I also like the smaller campuses since my high school is pretty small.  I do have an idea of schools that the top though.  I’d like to narrow it down with my family and my coach by the end of May”

Q: Given your academic prowess, are you familiar at all with the success guys like Josh Dobbs and Grant Williams – high profile professional athletes – also had off the field while at Tennessee?

A: “Yes sir, I’ve heard about both of those guys from friends and family, and they’re both great examples of how to get it done on and off the field”

Q: Lastly, anything else fans should know about you?

A: “Just that I and my family are very God oriented and our faith is extremely important to us.”

As should be obvious, Prince is an outstanding young man.  Incredibly respectful and with a good head on his shoulders and family support system, he’s going to be an asset for whichever program he chooses.  It does seem like Tennessee is in a good spot at the moment, though he wasn’t willing to come out and explicitly name any leaders.  But the Vols do have his mother in their corner, and Tennessee being the homestate school definitely matters to him.  Right now he’s not in any hurry to do something, but as we all know in recruiting things change by the minute, and we’ve seen throughout the last month or so in particular recruiting has become wilder than ever.  What we do know is that Kollie’s stock has taken off, and with good reason.  His will be a recruitment to watch as the Vols look to continue to stock their Linebacker room with dominant athletes while keeping the best Tennessee talent in Knoxville wearing Big Orange.  

Tennessee made an interesting offer on Sunday, letting instate LB Prince Kollie know that he has a spot in Knoxville.  Kollie, a 3-star prospect on 247 Sports (unrated by Rivals), plays for David Crockett High School in “Tennessee’s Oldest Town” of Jonesborough, near the Tri-Cities and the Virginia border. 

Listed at 6’2 and 192 pounds, Kollie projects as an ILB in Tennessee’s 3-4 system and has seen his recruitment go from a steady burn to a boil in the last week.  The Volunteers’ offer follows those from Oklahoma and Georgia and builds on the likes of Kentucky, Mississippi State, and a six  ACC schools including relatively nearby Virginia Tech (which is not only close but has a tie, as the Hokies DC Justin Hamilton coached Kollie’s high school coach in college) among others.  Obviously the offers from the Sooners and Dawgs stand out and possibly got the attention of the Tennessee staff, but when you dig deeper you can see why the Vols would be very interested.

Start with the stats.  Last season, playing both ways and multiple positions on each side of the ball, Kollie made 78 tackles with 4 TFLs, 3 forced fumbles, 2 sacks, 1 INT and 1 fumble recovery, all the while catching 68 passes for almost 1,100 yards and 9 TDs to go with a rushing TD.  Second, and with the caveat that David Crockett is in Tennessee’s 5A classification so isn’t the best football in the state (but far from poor), check the film.  Kollie is aggressive, goes after contact, appears to have an outstanding vertical jump, and gets sideline to sideline.  Finally, as one might expect with offers from schools like Virginia, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt and Tulane, Kollie is also an excellent student, with a 3.8 GPA. 

Kollie adds to Tennessee’s LB board, and joins a group of two other offerees in Kaemen Marley and Raheim Sanders who share similar builds –  in the 6’2-6’3 and 200-210 pound range –  and athleticism along with their ability to play all over the field.  Of the three, Marley is more highly rated by both 247 Sports and Rivals, but at this point all three have strong offers lists that include Tennessee as well as other powers like Ohio State, Georgia, Oklahoma and Auburn.

While the Vols are in a dogfight for instate stud ILB Junior Colson with Michigan (who has family ties working in its favor), and are heavily involved with studs like 5-stars Terrence Lewis and Smael Mondon as well a few other guys with bigtime offer lists like Greg Penn and Ian Jackson, UT wouldn’t be considered at the top for any of them. One wonders if Marley, Sanders, and Kollie concentrated on not just one side of the ball but one position (in this case, LB) if they’re respective rankings wouldn’t be meaningfully higher, because even though they all play a lot of WR they really jump off the screen when they play defense with their explosiveness. In fact, Marley in particular was just downgraded by 247 specifically due to it being “hard to nail down a position for him.”  All three have the look of dudes we’ve all seen flying all over the field for bigtime defenses like Auburn, LSU and Florida for years, and are the kind of guys that in the end you get into your program and find a place for them so they can make gamechanging plays for you instead of those programs.

Kollie adds to a growing number of instate players the Vols are chasing in a crop that is perhaps stronger than the popular narrative.  With commitments from WR Walker Merrill, ATH Elijah Howard, and potentially guys like Colson and OL William Parker sooner rather than later, Tennessee has a chance to once again build its class around instate prospects.  And with some momentum during COVID-19 imposed shutdown and the and a need for athletic playmakers all over the field, Kollie is an intriguing offer for a variety of reasons.

After landing RB Jaylen Wright, WR Walker Merrill and WR/ATH Roc Taylor in between March 30th and April 10^th,  the Tennessee Volunteers have shot to the edge of the Top 10 nationally with its current 11-man 2021 class.  During this time the Vols have also worked their way into multiple top schools lists and have also firmly established themselves as real players for an unprecedented number of elite prospects.  Other than Ohio State, one could easily make the argument that Coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff have done more to advance their 2021 class than anyone in the country during the shutdown. 

So with that momentum, and with the possibility that the restrictions on campus visits and in-person recruiting could extend for even longer, the question is who could be next to pop for Tennessee? Below we look at fiven(+1) who could like the most likely:

WR Julian Nixon

This one is obvious.  Nixon has been almost over the top with his love for the Vols on Twitter over the last couple of weeks, and has even declared Tennessee to be his leader.  While there is talk that some close to him are trying to get him to slow down – likely due to some pro-Auburn sentiment in his camp – there are a few reasons why that might not work.  For one, like everyone, Nixon is in limbo due to COVID-19, so he may decide that since it’s impossible to know when he’s going to be able to take other visits he might as well just go with what feels right.  Secondly, and more importantly, he might feel a little bit of a sense of urgency in terms of spot availability.  As strange as it sounds considering Nixon is a unique talent due to his size/speed/skillset combination, Tennessee might not have a spot for him forever.  With Taylor’s commitment following Merrill’s, the Vols now have commitments from three pass catchers including Jordan Mosley.  Tennessee ideally would like 3-4 WRs and 2 TEs in this class, and they’re highly prioritizing instate stud TE Hudson Wolfe, who’ll have one of those TE spots as long as he wants it.  The Vols are also quite possibly at the top for TEs Miles Campbell and Trinity Bell, both of whom profile more as pass-catching TEs – the position at which the 6’3, 230 pound Nixon could ultimately profile along the lines of 2020 signee Dee Beckwith.  So what happens if Campbell (who, funny enough, is listed ten pounds lighter than Nixon) or the 6’7 Bell want in?  Does the fact that Roc Taylor is in the same mold factor in at all?  What happens if the Vols make a move with a stud true WR like Deion Colzie or Donte Thornton?  Who knows, but if Nixon truly loves the Vols as much as it appears he might be wise to secure his spot

LB Junior Colson

Colson has set a tentative commitment time for sometime in May, which makes his inclusion on this list fairly easy.  The Midstate stud is near the top of the Vols’ LB board and profiles as an everydown ILB in Tennessee’s 3-4 scheme with the ability to use his speed against the run and in coverage.   With offers from Michigan, LSU, Auburn and Oregon to go with his Tennessee offer, Colson – a consensus  4-star prospect – is clearly an elite talent and the kind of prospect the Vols must keep at home.  So far they’ve done an excellent job in his recruitment, getting him on campus for multiple game visits and junior days and ensuring he knows he’s a high priority for them.  Michigan, where he has some family ties, appears to be Tennessee’s chief competition at the moment, which should give Vol fans some comfort given the fact that Pruitt has dominated Jim Harbaugh in head to head recruitments highlighted by Quarvaris Crouch and Eric Gray (a onetime Wolverine commitment).  That and the fact that Colson is very close friends with Merrill.  A commitment from Colson would give the Vols two bigtime gets in the Midstate and also potentially give Pruitt and DC Derrick Ansley the heir apparent to Henry To’oto’to as the next great Tennessee LB

OL William Parker (used to be Griffin)

Although Parker has his share of bigtime suitors such as Alabama and Ohio State, one gets the sense that the Midstate standout likes the Vols a great deal.  With three visits to Knoxville in the last 6 months –both the South Carolina and Vanderbilt games as well as the February 1^st Junior Day – he’s easily most familiar with UT’s campus and vibe.  With what we’ve seen nationwide in terms of prospects choosing to select instate schools or schools close to home during this time, Parker would make sense.  Coaches Chaney and Friend are certainly selling him on being the first OL commitment in the class who would not only be the foundation of Tennessee’s this cycle’s big uglies but also another bigtime instate prospect to (hopefully, along with Colson) choose the Vols, and that pitch could resonate during this prolonged shutdown

OT Colby Smith

While Parker could play Offensive Tackle, he’s probably better suited as a road grader inside.  And after the Vols signed three interior OL in the 2020 class and no true OTs, Tackle is a high priority in the 2021 class.  Enter Smith, a 6’7, 295 pound true tackle from Reidsville, NC.  A 4-star prospect with offers from the instate schools UNC and NCSU, the Vols jumped to the top of Smith’s list after a late January offer and subsequent campus visit and have continued to press hard for him since then.  Notably, that February 1 visit to Knoxville was Smith’s final campus visit before the virus-imposed shutdown. Along with OL Coach Will Friend and NC recruiter extraordinaire Jay Graham, Pruitt himself seems to be heading up this recruitment, which has not gone unnoticed by Smith.  While the Vols are trying hard for 5-star OT Nolan Rucci and have local developmental tackle J’Marion Gooch as well as rising prospect Diego Pounds on the OT board, landing Smith – who looks like he could play in the SEC in year two or three –  would go a long way to ensuring that Tennessee meets it needs at the position

RB Cody Brown OR RB Tiyon Evans

Tennessee will be looking to add at least two RBs in this class and already has one commitment in the aforementioned Wright, a speedster with sneaky size and ability between the tackles.  But while Wright is absolutely a bigtime prospect given his world class speed, the Vols would like to pair him with a truly elite back, something that so far Pruitt has not yet been able to sign in his time at Tennessee.  Brown, a 4-star RB from the Atlanta suburbs, is that, with offers from Georgia, Auburn and other schools like Florida to prove it.  Much more of a bruiser than Wright (or Evans), Brown is also an excellent track and field (shot put, discuss) athlete and showcases that functional athleticism with incredible strength and balance when he runs.  He’s not a burner (again, more Wright and potentially Evans’s department) but he rarely is caught from behind in his film and fits the big back profile that Pruitt so famously loves.  In terms of his recruitment, Brown came to Knoxville for a game last season and then again for the February 1 Junior Day and is also a priority for Auburn but perhaps less so for Georgia.  The homestate Bulldogs recently picked up a RB commitment and assuming they do want to sign two they seem to have a couple of other RBs ahead of Brown.  With the Vols also only having one spot left but having Brown higher on their board, he has an opportunity to jump in Tennessee’s class that might be too good to pass up. 

Evans might play into Brown’s calculus as well.  The JUCO product from Hutchinson C.C. by way of Hartsville, SC, Evans is a high priority for the homestate Gamecocks and the consensus is that after South Carolina offered Evans in late March that he is destined to spend his college career (in mediocrity) in Columbia.  That said, the Vols, who offered Evans almost two months earlier, are also recruiting Evans incredibly hard.  People certainly think that Evans is a Gamecock lean, and he’s never been to Knoxville, but Tennessee RB Coach Jay Graham has a longstanding relationship with him along with deep ties in the state from his stint on the South Carolina staff, so the Vols are in deeper than some might expect and the Vols are pushing hard here. 

In theory the Vols would take whoever wants to commit first, and in theory there is only one RB spot left.  That could cause one of them to go ahead and make a move in the coming months.

With the momentum Tennessee has on the recruiting trail it seems inevitable that the Vols land another commitment in the coming weeks. Who do YOU think it will be?

Tennessee picked up its third commitment of the COVID Shutdown Period on Good Friday when 3-star ATH Roc Taylor tweeted out his commitment to the Vols.  Taylor is a Jumbo ATH at 6-3/4, and ~215 pounds who profiles as a Dee Beckwith/Kyle Pitts-type TE/WR hybrid.  He was incredibly productive last season for Oxford HS in Oxford, AL, with 71 catches for over 1,300 yards and 17 TDs. 

What Taylor is, simply put, is big and athletic, and that functional athleticism is showcased on the hardwood with some nasty dunks as well as on the gridiron where he uses his physicality and frame to box out defenders on jump balls and somewhat shocking speed for that size when beating defensive backs deep.  While he doesn’t currently hold offers from either of instate Alabama or Auburn (who appeared to be close), Taylor does have them from the likes of Florida, South Carolina, Georgia Tech and others.  Given his production, size, and speed, he’s likely a prospect who would have picked up more offers if there had been more campus visits and camps allowed this spring, but after getting him on campus right before the shutdown the Vols took advantage.

How he fits in this class is obviously very interesting.  Is he one of likely two TEs that Tennessee is likely to take, or is he the 3^rd WR in this class along with 4-star Jordan Moseley (another AL prospect) and Walker Merrill?  Or, does the staff like him so much regardless of what position he ultimately ends up that they felt like they had to pounce when he wanted to commit?  Size wise he obviously looks a lot like 4-star Julian Nixon, for whom Tennessee presumably has a big lead, so how does he impact Nixon’s spot?  The guess here is that the Vols would still take Nixon at WR but the staff feels like they’re not close enough with top WR prospects like Deion Colzie and Donte Thornton to turn Taylor down; AND that they’d still take a TE like Hudson Wolfe but perhaps a pass-catching TE like Miles Campbell or Trinity Bell might no longer have a spot.  There’s also always the possibility that a guy like Taylor could project as a LB down the line and just be an ATH in this class.  Time will tell of course, but it appears that the Vols landed a bigtime athlete and put another stake in the ground in Alabama, where they’re still chasing hard after Yellowhammer studs like Dylan Brooks, Jeremiah Williams, Anquin Barnes, and the aforementioned Bell.

Having built Tennessee’s roster to the point that some are talking about the Vols as a darkhorse in the SEC East in 2020, it’s clear that Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt has done an outstanding job recruiting since taking over just weeks before the inaugural Early Signing Period in the 2018 recruiting cycle.  Now that he’s accomplished that task, the next step, as we’ve spoken often of, is for Tennessee to step up its success in landing more and more elite players.  To refresh, we’ve (arbitrarily) defined elite players as those with offers from at least one of the following programs: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon and Penn State.  These programs have at least one College Football Playoff appearance and/or at least one NY6 bowl game AND multiple recent recruiting classes that consistently land in the Top 5-10 nationally. 

As we all know, the NCAA’s ban on in-person (i.e., on campus) recruiting – at first through April 15^th and since extended to at least May 31^st – has thrown the entire college football recruiting world for a loop.  Prospects who planned to tour multiple college campuses can no longer do so, schools who planned to host prospects for spring practices and/or spring games can no longer do so either.  Therefore, schools have been limited to phone calls and electronic communication via texting, video chats, and Twitter messaging and graphics.  As almost all of that is done in private and very little of it is announced by prospects, any traction that schools have gained (or lost) with particular players is somewhat unknown to the general public.

That said, over the last week or so there have been quite a few prospects putting out lists of their top schools, as well as other intel that various recruiting services have been able to gather.  And the upshot for Tennessee is that Pruitt and his staff seem to have made quite a bit of headway with a relatively large number of players, most of whom fall into that “elite” category and some of whom haven’t even yet made it to Knoxville for a visit. 

As we noted back in late February, new Tennessee Tight End Coach Joe Osovet has gotten the Vols involved with an inordinate amount of high level prospects in general and particularly in the DMV region along with PA and NY.   And although the Vols (at least temporarily) lost out to Maryland for the commitment of bigtime Pass Rusher Demoiun Robinson, Tennessee just this past week made the latest round of cuts for four(!) players from Maryland, including Robinson’s high school teammate 4-star DL Marcus Bradley (Top 6: Tennessee, Texas A&M, LSU, OSU, USC and Maryland), as well as three teammates at Baltimore’s St. Frances Academy (where newly signed Vol DL Dominic Bailey just graduated from) in four star ILB Aaron Willis (Top 7: Tennessee, Alabama, LSU, Texas, Michigan, Maryland and Arizona State); four-star defensive tackle Katron Evans (Top 8: Tennessee, Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, TCU, and USC), and 4-star OLB Jamon Dumas-Johnson (Top 10: Tennessee, Auburn, Ole Miss, Michigan, Florida, Maryland, Georgia, Penn State, Texas A&M and Arizona State).  Few notable things from all of those lists are that Maryland is so far of doing a good job of staying involved with the massive amount of top-tier talent in its state thanks to the recruiting prowess of Head Coach Mike Locksley and that Texas A&M and LSU are going to be the out of state programs against whom the Vols will be battling for this region’s talent. 

Another longer-term target for the Vols from Baltimore who Osovet got the Vols involved with when he was an off-the-field coach, WR Donte Thornton, released a Top 12, which in and of itself is rather meaningless.  But the scuttle continues to be that Tennessee is a big player in this recruitment.  Thornton, along with top-shelf WRs like Deion Colzie, Julian Nixon – who named the Vols his leader over the weekend- and perhaps longtime instate target Adonai Mitchell are the types of talent that the Vols likely could not turn away despite having less of a need at WR this cycle and with the recent commitment of instate star Walker Merrill giving Tennessee two commits at the position already. 

Incidentally, Merrill’s commitment can do nothing but help with his good friend and fellow instate bigtimer, 4-star LB Junior Colson.  The Vols have made a big move for Colson during this time period and now that he’s moved up his commitment timeline to May it feels like good news is coming for the Vols.  Michigan, in particular, won’t go down without a fight for him.  But between having ace recruiter Brian Niedermeyer in charge of his recruitment as well as his position coach as well as the instate pull and location being particularly important to him, the Vols seem like they’ll be in a good spot whenever this dead period end.

At the QB position, one where logic says programs should take at least one every cycle, the Vols find themselves in the top groupings for two high-end talents.  Top 100 overall player Kaidon Salter released a Top 11, with the chatter being that the Vols are right at the top of his list along with Auburn.  Longtime target Christian Veilleux (another Osovet guy!), who has been to Knoxville multiple times, released a Top 4 of Tennessee, Clemson, Penn State and Duke.  The Vols probably could have had Veilleux’s commitment had they pushed in the January/February time period, but since then Clemson has come through with an offer after a campus visit and PSU and The Fightin’ Cuts have also made their moves.  There is an ongoing debate as to whether Tennessee should eschew signing a QB in 2021 and instead go 100% balls to the wall for instate 2022 phenom Ty Simpson, leaving themselves the opportunity to go get a graduate transfer QB for 2021 should the need exist.  That’s a subject for another time, but it does seem like the Vols would take Salter right now and at the same time that they continue to evaluate Veilleux and hope that his timeline is such that they have an opportunity to push before he makes a decision.

The Vols have also made themselves very big factors for two(!) 5-star players from the Sunshine State.  ILB Terrence Lewis released a Top 6 that included the Vols along with Texas A&M, LSU, Alabama, Penn State and Nebraska.  Importantly, the Florida native doesn’t have any of the Big 3 homestate schools, including Florida where he used to be committed.  The thought is that Texas A&M is his leader at the moment, but at the same time the Vols are believed to be nipping at the heels for the elite defender.  Although Florida is thought to be the leader for fellow 5-star Leonard Taylor, 247 Sports named Tennessee as “a darkhorse of sorts” in the DL’s recruitment, with UGA is a factor as well.  Considering Taylor has yet to visit Knoxville, in contrast to a game visit along with a spring trip to Gainesville, the fact that a) he hasn’t committed to UF yet, and b) the Vols are so deeply involved speaks volumes.  Landing either of these superstar prospects out of Florida would be a major coup for the Vols, an step up even from landing 4-star OLB Morven Joseph over the Gators and Florida State in the 2020 class. 

With the March commitment of RB Jaylen Wright from Durham, NC, the Vols still have a desire to land one more RB in the class.  And while the Vols are very much in it for bigtime RBs like Cody Brown and Lovasea Carroll, Tennessee has made a big recent move for Tiyon Evans, the #1 JUCO RB in the country.  Originally from Hartsville, SC, Evans is thought by some (mainly Gamecock fans) to be a shoe-in to land in Columbia now that he has an offer from his hometown school.  However, new Tennessee RB Coach Jay Graham has the Vols very much in play here.  With relationships in Carolina after a stint as the RB Coach for Steve Spurrier in Columbia as well as his overall reputation as a recruiter, Graham has developed a close bond with Evans that will have the Vols in play until the end.  Oh, guess who else is helping tag team with Graham in this recruitment…none other than Joe Osovet, who’s using his experience as a former JUCO Head Coach to relate to Evans.

Lastly, a random note to tuck away: Although many consider Penn State (where he’s a legacy) and Clemson to be the favorites for 5-star OL Nolan Rucci, the Vols made a huge impression when he visited Knoxville in March.  Importantly, along with being a first round NFL draft pick, etc, Rucci wants to be an aerospace engineer.  Vols fans of course know the story and career of all time great QB Josh Dobbs and his success in Tennessee’s aerospace engineering program.  As we made the case over a year ago for Rick Barnes’s program, it seems like a no-brainer to leverage Dobbs’ experience as the highest profile athlete on campus who also excelled in this very specific program that Rucci would be a part of.  Hopefully that’s a massive part of the sell for Pruitt and Tennessee and hopefully it resonates with the kind of franchise OT that not only would be a cornerstone for the Vols’ 2021 class but also the next generation of future NFL OL that Pruitt and OL Coach Will Friend have brought into the program.