Category Archives: Recruiting

Gameday Today: Is Butch Jones immune to the legion of the miserable?

Butch Jones stiff arms the negative talk and keeps building an awesome class, a bunch of Tennessee baseball players get drafted, and VFLs just keep making us proud, all in today’s Vols link roundup.

Football

This headline from Gridiron Now makes a really interesting point: 

Tennessee recruiting booms despite Butch Jones speculation

You’d think that recruiting would be even more difficult when rumors begin to swirl about your imminent demise, but Jones is instead putting together one of his best classes. Chest bump to Jones for that. Maybe players just understand that relentless optimism better than fans do.

And yet Jones seems to be learning to season that optimism with a pinch of reality when talking to fans through the media. He’s “proud of [his] players, but not yet satisfied.” He says in one breath that Tennessee-Alabama is a “great, great rivalry,” but in the next that “we were very disappointed when we played them last year.” Basically, he’s still being himself but also learning to keep his foot out of his mouth.

There’s little danger in this statement, though, in which Jones says that he is pleased that his veterans are leading and his freshman are following.

Mike Griffith has an excellent feature on incoming running back Ty Chandler that you should go read now. Speaking of Mike, here he is saying interesting things on the SEC Network:

And again, GoVols247 entices you to bear the indignities of a 16-click slideshow by promising Vols football’s best moments against the Georgia Bulldogs. Yes, it’s a pain, but this one’s worth it. (You can also see the whole thing on one page if you are a subscriber.) 

Recruiting

Offensive line coach Walt Wells is up to No. 5 on 247Sports‘ recruiter rankings after landing the commitment of 4-star D’Andre Litaker. He’s third among SEC assistant coaches, and largely responsible for Tennessee’s 2018 class, which is currently ranked in the Top 10 and heading into Orange Carpet Day.

Speaking of which, GoVols247 has a list of five guys to watch this weekend ($$$).

New offers:

Baseball

The Atlanta Braves drafted Tennessee third baseman Jordan Rodgers in the sixth round on Tuesday. Pitchers Kyle Serrano (10th round, by the Houston Astros), Zach Warren (14th round, by the Philadelphia Phillies), and Hunter Martin (20th round, by Houston), and infielder Jeff Moberg (30th round, by the Colorado Rockies) were also drafted. Serrano, however, told Jimmy Hyams that he’s inclined to return to Tennessee rather than heading to the big leagues.

If you’re interested, SEC Sports has a list of all 75 players taken in the 2017 MLB Draft. Actually, they still have it even if you’re not interested, but you know what I mean.

The baseball Vols have also hired Frank Anderson as pitching coach.

Hoops

Five of the first six picks in the Pilot Rocky Top League draft were Vols. Guard Chris Darrington went No. 1 overall. Jordan Bowden went second, and Admiral Schofield went third. Grant Williams and Jordan Bone were fifth and sixth. Play begins Monday night at 6:00 at Knoxville Catholic High School. 

VFLs

Cam Sutton has signed his contract with the Steelers, and according to Spotrac, it’s worth $3,236,714. Love to see these guys so richly rewarded for their hard work.

Peyton Manning offered Lamar Jackson this advice after he won the Heisman Trophy:

“Peyton Manning told me that if you’re not having fun with it, always talk with your guys. Talk to the people around the program who can help you with stuff like that. You’ve got to always have a smile on your face. People are always watching.”

Eric Berry said that he has a very good reason to regularly give hungry people food:

“I don’t do it for the attention,” Berry said. “I don’t do none of this for the attention. I do it to better myself and give back. That’s what you should do it for.”

Other fun stuff

Another sports book has set the over/under for the Vols this fall at 7.5 games. So the money-where-your-mouth-is people are banking on 7-8 wins for Tennessee. 

The USTFCCCA, which wins the award for laziest acronym, named Vols junior Christian Coleman its National Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year. Assistant coach Tim Hall earned National Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year.

Golfer Hunter Wolcott is tied for 13th after the first round of the Southeastern Amateur at the Country Club of Columbus.

Tennessee Recruiting: The Vols Secure Second of Instate “Big Four” DLs in Litaker

Two down, two to go.

The Tennessee Volunteers received one of their biggest commitments yet in the 2018 recruiting class on Tuesday when Murfreesboro (Riverdale) defensive tackle D’Andre Litaker tweeted his intentions to officially become a Vols pledge. UT has led for his signature for months, but the 6’3″, 300-pound defensive lineman elected to stay near home and play for Tennessee for the next four or so years.

https://twitter.com/dandrelitaker/status/874673687777210369

Though he had things planned out for breaking the news at this weekend’s “Orange Carpet Day,” Litaker decided to pull the trigger early.

“I was going to wait ’til Saturday and do it on ‘Orange Carpet Day,’ but I couldn’t wait no longer,” he told GoVols247’s Ryan Callahan.

Litaker — a 4-star prospect who is one of the nation’s top 250 players — joins Nashville 4-star defensive tackle Brant Lawless as Tennessee commitments. The duo gives first-year D-line coach Brady Hoke a pair of potential studs around which to build the defense. While Hoke had a hand in the pledge of Litaker for sure, ace Midstate recruiter Walt Wells was the one who led the recruiting efforts for Litaker. He continues to be a home-run hire for UT on the recruiting trail, and the Vols hope he can provide the same impact for the offensive line.

Now, the Vols need to focus on uncommitted stud 4-star strong-side defensive end/defensive tackle Greg Emerson of Jackson and Alabama commitment Jordan Davis of Memphis to round out their recruiting class. Both of those guys will be tough pulls, but Emerson may actually be leaning to UT right now, though the Crimson Tide, Ohio State and others are deep in that battle, too. As for Davis, he’ll be tough to get away from the Crimson Tide, but the Vols are making every effort to convince him to stay in the Volunteer State.

In a great development for the Vols, both Emerson and Davis will be in Knoxville this weekend for the “Orange Carpet Day” recruiting get-together that has been so successful in recent years for UT head coach Butch Jones. Maybe the Vols can convince those two guys they need to join Hoke, Lawless and Litaker in turning around UT’s fortunes on the defensive line. Considering Shy Tuttle and Kahlil McKenzie are rising juniors and Kendal Vickers is a senior, the Vols need some interior linemen, and this year’s instate haul comes at exactly the right time.

As far as Litaker goes, this is a major pledge. Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Florida State and many others wanted Litaker, but he never could get Tennessee off his mind. The Vols did a great job recruiting him, Wells in particular. Teams are sold on Litaker’s combination of size and athleticism despite injuries keeping him off the field for the Warriors.

“I think there’s a lot unknown about him,” 247Sports director of scouting Barton Simmons told Ryan Callahan regarding Litaker, who’s ranked the nation’s No. 240 overall prospect and No. 23 defensive tackle in the 247Sports Composite for the 2018 class. “We just haven’t seen him play a lot of football because he’s been injured.

“But, from what we’ve seen, he’s very talented. He’s got an SEC body, and he’s just going to be somebody that has to be diligent in his rehab and needs to get healthy because, when healthy, I think he’s got a lot of upside.”

A couple of days after receiving a major recruiting blow from Murfreesboro when top running back target Master Teague chose Ohio State, the Vols were happy to get the news on Litaker, who was essentially a silent pledge to Tennessee for months. He was just waiting for the right time to let everybody in on the news.

With his pledge, Litaker helps the Vols continue a massive instate recruiting class. Despite missing out on top targets like Teague and offensive lineman Max Wray to OSU, at least for now, the Vols have commitments from Litaker, Lawless, safety Brendan Harris, elite receiver Alontae Taylor, stud offensive lineman Cade Mays, O-lineman Ollie Lane, tight end Jacob Warren and defensive back Shatar McClay. The Vols won’t stop recruiting guys like Davis, Teague and others, though it appears they’ve moved on from Wray as of now. Jerome Carvin is a top offensive line target who is still being heavily recruiting from the Volunteer State, too.

Tennessee has missed on a couple of guys in this cycle, yet still sits seventh nationally in the 2018 rankings according to 247Sports, and that’s good enough for second in the SEC.

Litaker is a great get for the Vols, who now have 13 commitments.

Vols Secure Another 2019 Pledge

The next few days could be another recruiting whirlwind for the Vols with this weekend’s recruiting celebration upcoming, but Tuesday was big in its own rights.

Before Litaker came and stole all the thunder, it was already a great day on Rocky Top.

That’s because 2019 cornerback Te’Cory Couch committed to Tennessee just a few days after receiving an offer. The 6’1″, 165-pound defensive back from Hollywood, Florida, had offers from Michigan, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Kentucky and others. He was receiving interest from some of the nation’s top programs.

“When I visit school I try to learn about the history of the school and what the classes are like and the type of coaches I’d be playing for and I liked everything I saw from that at Tennessee,” Couch told VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs.

The Chaminade-Madonna Prep standout earned an offer after camping at UT this past weekend. He committed just three days later via Twitter.

https://twitter.com/TecoryC_16/status/874618922334605312

No matter how much you want to nitpick early commits, Couch is potentially a good one. He was a first-team All-Broward County selection by the Sun Sentinel as a sophomore a year ago. That’s exceptional football down there, and he’s standing out as a sophomore.

Reporter David Furones wrote that he had six picks a season ago.

Tennessee Recruiting: Vols Get Cross in Recruiting

Every year, there are a few commitments who come out of nowhere. Those guys either become big-time recruits, or they get recruited over late in the game. It’s all part of the process.

Tennessee got an out-of-the-blue pledge on Monday when Orlando cornerback Brandon Cross pledged to UT over offers from Mississippi State, Missouri, Florida Atlantic and others. The 5’10”, 185-pound defensive back is a 3-star player according to 247Sports and the nation’s No. 1,114-ranked player in the country. That may seem puzzling on its surface for UT to take a player ranked there at this point, but last year, the Vols received commitments from Cheyenne Labruzza, Shawn Shamburger and Terrell Bailey.

https://twitter.com/iambcross/status/874412647449595908

Teams like LSU, Georgia, Notre Dame and others came after those kids late in the game; they stayed true to the Vols.

With UT needing defensive backs and only Shatar McClay (who reportedly has grade issues) in the fold, Cross’s pledge was one the Vols were thrilled about. You could tell by their reaction on Twitter. Also, considering Cross is small in stature, they must love his game.

Last year, Tennessee signed tight end James Brown from the same high school — Jones HS in Orlando — so you know the Vols have seen a lot of Cross. Obviously, they liked what they saw, as evidenced by their Twitter reaction.

https://twitter.com/UTCoachG/status/874417028806971393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Ftennessee.247sports.com%2FContentGallery%2FTwitter-reaction-Coaches-celebrate-Tennessee-Vols-football-landi-53150061

https://twitter.com/UTWWells/status/874418042662506497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Ftennessee.247sports.com%2FContentGallery%2FTwitter-reaction-Coaches-celebrate-Tennessee-Vols-football-landi-53150061

As you know by now, the Vols [nor any other teams, for that matter] care what you think about star ratings. They go off their own evaluations, and while UT hasn’t been able to break through with any championships lately, they are winning nine games the past couple of years, so obviously, the evaluations aren’t bad. We’ll see if Cross winds up being a jewel or somebody who the Vols wind up recruiting over.

He’s a kid who wanted to come to UT, and he’s a kid UT wanted. It’s going to be interesting to see if he blows up and becomes a kid with a huge offer sheet. He’s going to be visiting Knoxville for Orange Carpet Day, according to VolQuest.com’s Austin Price.

“I have a vision because of James and I know he is going to lie to me. I know it’s going to feel like home. I can’t wait to vibe with players and coaches. It’s going to be my home for the next four years.”

The Cross news is at least some good news after the decision of 4-star, in-state running back Master Teague choosing Ohio State over the Vols (Georgia, Auburn and others) on Sunday after receiving an offer in Columbus over the weekend. That was a big blow to UT, who now probably turns its focus at running back onto Lyn-J Dixon, Anthony Grant and Tae Provens.

Glad to have Cross aboard!

Gameday Today: East Tennessee loves West Tennessee

The Big Orange Caravan shows some love to West Tennessee, a few of Butch Jones’ favorite things, a raise for an assistant coach, and a relief for a player, all in today’s Vols link roundup.

Football

The Big Orange Caravan hit Memphis yesterday, and more than 900 Vols fans showed up.

Butch Jones took the opportunity to reiterate that West Tennessee is important to the University of Tennessee:

“It’s very, very important,” Jones said. “This is the state of Tennessee. We’ve really made a concentrated effort to get into the Memphis area, and I think that shows in our recent recruiting. Then you look at our players from the Memphis area, they’re having great success right now, with Drew Richmond and obviously Trey Smith from Jackson.

“We’re very, very excited about this area. We’ve made a great commitment to recruit here and be very visible here, as well.”

Jones is also excited about his receiving corps this year, looking forward to Peyton Manning visiting campus sometime this week to spend some time with Quinten Dormady, Jarrett Guarantano, and Will McBride, and managing expectations about the Shy Tuttle’s return from injury (there’s “no timetable,” but Jones does expect him to be back by the season opener, which is great news.) Oh, and Jones has a picture of Jajuan Jennings’ “I-just-burned-Jalen-Tabor” touchdown against the Gators last season on the wall in his office.

Not sure why this is news, really, but athletic director John Currie says that he’s not talked with Butch Jones about his contract. He’s in the middle of it, and I’m not a huge fan of regular re-negotiations anyway, although I know it’s the way of the world these days.

Running backs coach Robert Gillespie got a $35,000 raise, and his now-$510,000 annual salary makes him the highest-paid non-coordinator assistant on the Vols staff. Related: ESPN put Tennessee running back John Kelly on a list of potential 1,000-yard rushers for this fall.

Not only have all criminal charges against Josh Smith been dropped, the threat of civil liability has been dropped as well. Good news. I don’t know the story, and we’ll probably never know, but the whole thing just looked like a molehill.

[ess_grid alias=”grt-2017-promo-grid”][/ess_grid]

 

Recruiting

Latest offers:

 

 

Gameday Today: Bob Shoop’s covfefe, cocky wide receivers, and recovering former QBs

Bob Shoop’s covfefe oops, cocky wide receivers, and recovering former quarterbacks, all in today’s Vols link roundup.

Football

Tennessee defensive coordinator has apparently out-covfefe’d Donald Trump. I vote ei.

New Vols wide receivers coach likes his receivers to be cocky and knows how to handle ’em that way:

“I love ‘em cocky,’’ Beard said. “I love ‘em. Why? That’s who you are. That’s all the great receivers.

“It’s not about, `Oh, you can’t handle those guys because they’re cocky.’ No, you’ve got to explain to them when and when not to exercise those actions. Once you learn how to cultivate them and coach them up on when should and shouldn’t, you’ve got a great football player. So I like them cocky.’’

One of his other quirky qualifications is “juice,” meaning a guy whose actions prove that he just loves to play.

And Tennessee coaches are pleased that the offensive line is taking on a leadership role this year. It’s important, says offensive coordinator Larry Scott:

“You always want your guys up front to set the tone, no matter how experience or how skilled you are everywhere else,” he said. “Football games are won, especially in the SEC, up front. It’s a line-of-scrimmage league. With that being said, you always want that to kind of be the strength, even though they may be young or whatever. 

“It’s the mentality and the mindset that you’ve got to have from those guys up front that’s more important than anything else.”

Vince Ferrara ranks the SEC’s toughest stretches in the 2017 schedule. The Vols’ schedule ranks 12th, from October 14-28, which is South Carolina, at Alabama, and at Kentucky. That really doesn’t sound all that bad, as far as gauntlets go.

VFLs

It’s a shame that former quarterback Jonathan Crompton does not look back at his Tennessee days fondly. I don’t blame him, as too many folks were too ugly during that tough time and, as the quarterback, he was often the target.

What would have happened if Peyton Manning had left Tennessee early for the NFL? Surprisingly, the answer is not, “The world would have come to a screeching halt.” Maybe there would be fewer folks named “Peyton” or “Payton” in East Tennessee right now. Or maybe not.

Baseball

Get to know new baseball coach Tony Vitello a little bit:

If five minutes isn’t enough and you’d rather have 40, here’s the entire presser:

Hoops

Three players — James Daniel III, Lamonte Turner, and John Fulkerson — are not playing in the Rocky Top League, which holds its draft this Wednesday.

Recruiting

New offers:

 

 

Gameday Today: Eric Berry makes everything better

The legend of VFL Eric Berry continues to grow, a prospect turns the table on Tennessee, and we’re beginning to feel better about the secondary, all in today’s Vols link roundup.

Eric Berry just keeps leveling up in Awesome

My favorite NFL team – Eric Berry – is apparently still engaged in the continuous improvement of his Awesome game, getting to-go food at a Knoxville restaurant while he was in town for the purpose of giving it to some homeless people on his way out. He also reportedly stopped and prayed with them. All of this without any cameras or public relations folks following him around. It’s just Eric Berry living his life, and no one but the people involved would have known if it hadn’t been captured by a random Facebooker:

Recruiting

As Brad posted yesterday, the Vols landed a commitment from top-shelf Class of 2020 running back Miles Friday. The 247Sports follow-up article includes a quote from Friday that makes it sound like he was recruiting Tennessee:

“It’s always been a school that I’ve really looked into and could see myself going to at a young age,” said Friday, who’s expected to be one of the top prospects from Georgia in the 2020 class. “It was a few schools I was basically waiting for — them, LSU — but Tennessee was really just the one I really, really wanted. And when I got it, I was ecstatic.

“They looked at me for a while, since my eighth-grade year. But they were like, ‘You’re too young,’ and stuff. And I just kept pushing. I kept going over there, and every time I’d see the coaches, I would just push for them.

“And when they finally did it, I was just like, ‘It’s time.’”

There were more offers yesterday, too:

Football

Brad also weighed in on his projections for the Tennessee secondary yesterday. And we’re adding this bit from 247Sports to our list of reasons to be excited for this season:

The quartet of seniors Todd Kelly Jr. and Evan Berry, junior Micah Abernathy and sophomore Nigel Warrior recorded a combined 25 starts last season alone, and there’s talent to go along with their experience, as all four are former four-star prospects according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

I’ll keep saying it: Folks are under-appreciating the talent that will take the field for the Vols this fall.

Hey, Tennessee offensive coordinator Larry Scott, how do you keep quarterbacks happy? Teach them about process and patience.

Hey, Lane Kiffin, what do you think about Butch Jones? 

“I think Coach [Butch Jones] has done a great job there,” Kiffin told Saturday Down South. “They really have had some tough breaks down the stretch. They started out really fast with some big wins and it seems like they are right there and need one break to get it done. … Injuries take their toll, especially as the season keeps going on. It’s a tough sport and that’s why it’s one of the hardest sports to maintain winning because of that factor and so many variables.”

Odds and Ends

Grant Williams!

https://twitter.com/Vol_Hoops/status/872904997670973441

UTSports has a roundup of what people who matter are saying about new baseball coach Tony Vitello.

Eight members of the Tennessee women’s golf program will play in 18 different tournaments over the summer.

 

 

Tennessee Recruiting: Friday Comes Early

[ess_grid alias=”grt-2017-promo-grid”][/ess_grid]

 

Not only is Tennessee’s new-look coaching staff off to a great start in the 2018 recruiting class, it’s also doing work for the future as well.

Earlier in the week, UT got a surprising commitment from Florida sophomore Leonard Manuel, who is one of the top playmakers in the 2020 class who had offers from the Big Three in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and many, many others. The Vols will have to work incredibly hard over the next three years to keep him in the fold, but he has a great relationship with Tennessee wide receivers coach Kevin Beard, so UT should have a strong chance to hang on.

Then on Thursday, the Vols went ahead and got another pledge from a top-shelf offensive star in that 2020 class. (That’s right, these kids are rising SOPHOMORES IN HIGH SCHOOL). That would be Georgia running back Miles Friday, of Peachtree Ridge High School outside of Atlanta. The 5’11”, 172-pound running back is an elite talent with great shiftiness who had offers from Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and others.

https://twitter.com/sevenszn/status/872914722978398210

Friday noted a great relationship with UT RBs coach Robert Gillespie, and he could wind up being the same type of player as Alvin Kamara. Of course, there’s a looooooooooong way to go between now and National Signing Day 2020. Friday could turn into the nation’s top recruit or fall off the face of the recruiting world. The Vols could be defending national champion, or Butch Jones, Gillespie and crew could be coaching elsewhere. Heck, Jesus could come.

So, while it’s hard to get giddy about kids in the ’20 class, these are two very, VERY good prospects who are big gets for the Vols.

Not all the news this week has been great. After Mississippi defensive back Jaylon Reed decommitted from this year’s class, he now appears to be looking heavily at Alabama and Ole Miss, among others. He’s keeping Tennessee on his radar, but this smells a lot like the Jashaun Corbin situation, where the running back decommitted from UT and pledged to Florida State not long afterward.

Reed may not get out of the state of Mississippi where the Rebels and Bulldogs are on him, but that Alabama offer is one he likes a lot, too. Look for UT to move on.

Gameday Today: A new record, a new coach, and a new assignment for you

 

Christian Coleman sets a new record, Tennessee baseball hires a new coach, and the football program begins summer workouts and apparently expects you to help. This and more in Gameday Today.

Christian Coleman

Breaking news: Tennessee track and field star Christian Coleman is FAST. Coleman set a collegiate record in the 100 meter with a time of 9.82.

https://twitter.com/Vol_Track/status/872653353385205760

Baseball

Tennessee has hired Tony Vitello as its new head baseball coach. The job offer apparently came shortly after a 1:45 a.m. phone call from John Currie to Vitello, who was consoling himself by watching Tombstone after the Arkansas team of which he was an assistant coach had lost in the NCAA Tournament:

“I don’t know how good I am in a formal interview,” Vitello said, “but at 1:45 in the morning you throw everything out the window. It was just chatting about the job and … that turned into a teleconference the next morning and that turned into meeting some place (Tuesday) night.”

If you’re interested in a 12-click slideshow (or have a subscription), GoVols247 has a list of the MLB players Vitello has coached.

Tennessee Football commences summer workouts

Do you remember that old public service announcement about forest fires? We’re introduced to Smokey the Bear, who somberly says that, “Only you can prevent forest fires.” Okay, hold that in your mind a second.

Now, do you remember comedian Steven Wright and his joke about seeing that Smokey the Bear PSA as a kid? You know, this one:

Yeah, that’s the feeling I had at the tail end of UT Football’s latest video showing the players starting the summer strength and conditioning program:

https://twitter.com/vol_football/status/872585221891268609

It’s my turn? Oh, no. Where does one buy a medicine ball?

Other Football

The SEC Network has a video of Cole Cubelic opining on the SEC’s Top 5 offensive lines. His list is Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Florida, and then a bunch of others grouped together, including Tennessee. I still think the Vols’ o-line is being underrated and undervalued.

Great quote from offensive coordinator Larry Scott:

“I would never sacrifice recruiting. Never,” he said at the Big Orange Caravan stop in Chattanooga on Saturday. “You can be as good a coach as you want to be, but if you ain’t coaching good players and good people, good luck.”

VFLs

This is a great story about how Cam Sutton blew the Pittsburgh Steelers away with his knowledge of the game:

“We hold a dinner for all the NFL head coaches and general managers the night before our NFL Pro Day, when they come to our campus and they test our players,” Jones said. “Mike Tomlin, who’s a great friend of mine, and Kevin Colbert, the GM of the Pittsburgh Steelers, come in and take Cameron Sutton into our defensive back meeting room. Mike Tomlin says to Cam Sutton, ‘OK, pick a game, and I want you to talk about it. You’re gonna tell me your assignment.’ Cam says, ‘I want to watch the App State game, so they put the App State game in, and Cam is telling ‘em the front, the coverage, the defensive line’s responsibilities, the linebackers, the entire secondary.

“Then Kevin Colbert steps in and says, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. You’re playing us. We don’t go for that game. You’ve rehearsed this. Take that game out. I want the second quarter of the Nebraska game.’ So they put the second quarter of the Nebraska game in, and Cam Sutton does the same thing, saying everyone’s assignment.

“Mike Tomlin comes out and says, ‘Butch, I need to see you.’ I said, ‘What’s up?’ He goes, ‘In all my years of coaching, I’ve never been through an interview like that. He could tell us everything.’

Woo for Cam.

Peyton Manning is becoming a strategic advisor to helmet-maker Riddell.

Recruiting

There were a whole bunch of new offers extended by the Vols’ coaching staff over the past couple of days:

 

Orange Carpet Day (and other) Recruiting Predictions

As we noted a few weeks ago, the Vols continue to have plenty of recruiting momentum as the month of June kicks off.  Since then they’ve added an instate TE with a sky-high ceiling in Jacob Warren and then this past week the nation’s No. 1 punter in Skyler Delong.  And despite the decommitment of Jaylon Reed on Monday, the current class is incredibly strong from top to bottom with a lot of runway left.

With the camp season kicking off and the showcase Orange Carpet Day coming up on the 17th, here are some predictions of what might happen this month, at Orange Carpet Day itself and by position:

Orange Carpet Day

Below is the current list of expected visitors, with the list likely to expand quite a bit as the weekend gets closer:

  • CB Jaycee Horn
  • DB Rayshad Williams
  • DE Azeez Ojulari
  • TE Tommy Tremble
  • RB Lyn-J Dixon
  • RB Anthony Grant
  • DE Jordan Davis
  • OL Jerome Carvin
  • LB Cam Jones
  • DE Caleb Johnson
  • DL Greg Emerson
  • CB Jordan Miner

Predicted (but not unexpected) commits going into the weekend

Cam Jones and D’Andre Litaker. Commitments QB Adrian Martinez and WR (and peer recruiter extraordinaire) Jatavious Harris have said they are coming as well.  I would expect most if not all of the other current commitments to also be there.

Less expected predicted commitments

Tremble – crazy-athletic TE to pair with Warren that finishes off the position for this class

Miner – not 100% sure he’s a take at this point, but he likes the Vols and awful lot and if he is in fact a take for the staff (and how he looks when he comes to Knoxville could play a part) they might put some heat on him

Another prediction: Jordan Davis finally makes it to Knoxville (and brings his family) and the Vols become a real player

RB

Dominos begin to fall and the Vols land at least one RB, but it’s not that simple

There are conflicting reports about how much Master Teague does not want to play with Zamir White.  With both Teague and White high on UGA, this is where it gets interesting.  Especially because while White’s current decision date is set for June 27, there are rumblings that Teague could do something sooner.  The Vols are certainly trending with Teague while Auburn has fallen back to the pack, leaving this a two-horse race. 

Obviously best case scenario for UT is to land Teague and have White pick OSU – both of which are very realistic possibilities. 

Prediction: Regardless of what Teague does, either LJ Dixon or Anthony Grant commit to the Vols by the end of the week after Orange Carpet Day

Prediction: If Vols lose out on Teague and can’t land both Dixon AND Grant, Tae Provens gets the greenlight to commit and does so earlier than his currently scheduled August 11th date

OL

Prediction: Taylor Antonutti shows out at either a satellite camp and/or a camp in Knoxville and becomes a legitimate option at OT regardless of what Jerome Carvin does

Prediction: Speaking of Carvin, with whom it seems like Bama has some momentum, his visit to Orange Carpet Day lifts the Vols back to at least even

DE

Prediction: Dorian Gerald’s visit to campus this week stamps the Vols as a major player going forward and he becomes the #1 target at the position

Prediction: Vols land a DE this month – either Richard Jibunor or Azeez Olujari

Prediction: At least one more legitimate option emerges (Jordan Davis? A new name?)

LB

With likely only one spot after Cam Jones commits, Xavier Peters (my personal favorite still on the board), Matthew Flint and Justice Dingle visit Knoxville and the board shakes out from there

Prediction: Cam Mcgrone commits to ND

Prediction: Jacquez Jones either earns a commitable offer at a camp or he and the Vols part ways (though I’m sure Butch handles it in a way that keep the door open should Jones have a tremendous senior season)

Secondary

Prediction: Trey Dean commits to UGA and the Safety board narrows

This opens the door for either/both of Rayshad Williams or Jarek Campbell to earn commitable offers at the position with camp performances

Williams also has the chance to earn a CB offer if he shows he can play the position with that length.  Especially with the Reed decommitment

Same for Jaylon King, who now has a shot to show out at CB at a camp and earn a commitable offer

Jaycee Horn has become that much more important as arguably the top CB on the board. With him alternating his leader spot between Bama and South Carolina on an almost daily basis, his visit for Orange Day becomes huge.

Gameday Today: CBS thinks the Vols are a good (over/under) bet in 2017

All’s fair in love and officials, CBSSports thinks Tennessee is a good bet, and Derek Barnett’s got good bend. This and more in today’s Vols link roundup.

Hoops

Tennessee basketball leads off today because Rick Barnes is apparently a stickler for honesty — except when it comes to officials. So I guess we can trust him when he tells us fans that power forward Derrick Walker arrived on campus in “better shape than we thought he would be.”

Football

CBSSports’ Tom Fornelli thinks that Tennessee is the best over/under value play for 2017.

Class of 2018 3-star cornerback Jaylon Reed has decommitted from the Vols. 247Sports has a list of Tennessee’s best remaining options at the position. Bob Shoop is excited about his new batch of recruits for this year, at least.

Tennessee has offered a scholarship to Class of 2020 defensive end Samuel Anaele, from Miami, Florida.

Saturday Down South asks whether Tennessee’s passing game could be better in 2017. I’m pretty tired this morning — I’m catching #Predneck fever — so I didn’t actually see an answer, but I do like the question.

All for Tennessee waters the seed, saying that Tennessee’s defensive line is better than people think. The best evidence for this opinion is a junior class that includes Shy Tuttle, Jonathan Kongbo, Kahlil McKenzie, and Kyle Phillips.

And John Adams says that Tennessee shouldn’t have to play Alabama every year. He actually makes some valid points, namely that it makes things much more difficult for Tennessee, but you don’t chuck a 100+-year tradition because of one bad decade.

 

VFLs

Eagles defensive coordinator is loving Derek Barnett’s bend. So what you’re saying is that being able to maintain your balance around a tight corner is maybe more important for a defensive end than a 40-time or a vertical leap? Huh. Who knew?

The Detroit Free Press has a nice feature on VFL Jalen Reeves-Maybin, who’s happy to be injury-free and back on the field.

Miscellaneous fun stuff

Breaking: Lane Kiffin speaks non-inflammatory words, saying there was no reason not to let Tennessee coaches come to his camp.

The headline says that former players (plural) are complaining about the way Tennessee treats them, but the article focuses on a single tweet by a single player. Maybe it’s overblown, but if Penn State does something better than Tennessee, we should fix that, stat.

Tennessee golfers Nolan Ray and Hunter Wolcott qualified for the 111th Southern Amateur Championship, while former Vol AJ Newell tied for fourth place by shooting a six-under 207 through three rounds of the Symetra Tour’s Fuccillo Kia Classic this weekend. 

Tennessee track and field is sending 14 athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championship from June 7-10 in Eugene, Oregon.