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The national media continues to marvel at what Coach Rick Barnes has built at Tennessee and never fails to mention that it’s been done without highly ranked recruits.  However, as Vol fans know that has started to change, first with the signing of current redshirt(ing) freshman big man DJ Burns, a 4-star PF who reclassified from the 2019 class and signed this past year.  Following up on that, the Vols inked 5-star Josiah James as the headliner in the 2019 class.  Importantly, while Barnes is absolutely elevating the level of prospect he’s chasing, he’s not deviating from the type of prospect that he wants: high character kids who fit not only the system Barnes wants to play but also the culture that Barnes and his staff have built. 

And while Coach Rick Barnes looks to be trying to build the Tennessee basketball program in the mold of a UVA or Michigan (or even Duke before Coach K went to the 1-and-done dark side), he’s at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to the relative academic perception of UT vs. those schools.  That’s just a fact, and though it can be countered with advantages Tennessee has over those programs in terms of facilities (also here) and fan support, for particular recruits – again, the kind of elite recruits that those types of programs are chasing and for whom Barnes now has Tennessee in the mix – the academic reputation can be a differentiator when choosing a school.

That said, there are some very recent high profile examples of Volunteer student athletes – Josh Dobbs and Grant Williams specifically – who were very much focused on academics coming out of high school and have excelled at an incredibly high level – and in a very high profile way – while also becoming Volunteer legends in their respective sports.  As it relates to the basketball program, Williams is on his way to becoming second to only NBA Hall of Famer Bernard King in terms of Tennessee basketball all-time greats while at the same time constantly being featured for his off the field prowess every time Tennessee plays on national TV (which is a lot these days).  Like Dobbs before him, Williams is a shining example of what the University of Tennessee can do for a special student athlete who excels both on and off the court.

No doubt James heard that same pitch from Barnes and Tennessee when they were recruiting the 5-star combo guard from the prestigious Porter Gaud School in Charleston, SC.  He’s not your typical 5-star, and therefore is the kind of elite player that Barnes is willing to recruit.  He doesn’t come with an entourage and his recruitment, though it featured a handful of blue bloods like Duke, wasn’t your typical shady business that particular coaches or schools (including at least a couple in the state of Tennessee) would be willing to get their hands dirty in but Barnes will have nothing to do with.  Barnes sold family and fit, and there’s no doubt that Williams’ success on and off the court was a big part of that pitch.  James represents a continuation of the model Tennessee student-athlete that Dobbs and Williams have built, but now with the kind of recruiting pedigree that Tennessee basketball has rarely seen in its history. 

James signed on with the Vols after one big season at Tennessee from Barnes.  And although the 2019 class may or may not be full the 2020 class is where Tennessee could really take a step in terms of landing multiple elite players and continue to validate its rise as a nascent basketball power.  That’s a class that will have seen not just last season’s surprising 26-9 SEC championship team but also this season, in which the Vols have been a national darling all year, playing against then #1 Kansas in Brooklyn (after beating now Top 10 Louisville), against then #1 Gonzaga in Phoenix, and of course rising to #1 right now. 

Among others (including fellow 5-star Jaden Springer, who plays for former Tennessee point guard Bobby Maze’s B.Maze Elite AAU program, and Memphis product SG Matthew Murrell, another bigtime academic kid as well), the Vols have focused their 2020 recruiting efforts on two prospects who very much fit the Dobbs/Williams/James mold: Wing Keon Johnson from Bell Buckle, TN and PF/C Walker Kessler.  Both Johnson and Kessler are being courted by the likes of UVA and Michigan, while Johnson has local academic power Vanderbilt as a finalist and Kessler also has Duke and UNC hot on his trail. 

The Vols appear to be in very strong shape with Johnson, who has visited Knoxville a few times already including for an official visit in October and then again in early January for the Vols’ absolute annihilation of UGA.  He also took in Tennessee’s come from behind win last week in Nashville against Vanderbilt in which half of Vandy’s Memorial Gymnasium was Orange and Williams went off for 43 points.  Kessler, who could possibly reclassify to the 2019 class – a scenario in which Tennessee would absolutely make room for him – has already taken official visits to Michigan and UVA and is set to trip to Duke this coming weekend.  The Vols are hoping to get him to Knoxville for an official visit the following weekend when they host Florida in front of yet another sold out Thompson-Boiling Arena crowd of over 20,000.  From there he’ll likely start to narrow things down and at the same time make a decision on which class he’ll be a part of. 

Without a doubt Kessler will get the same pitch that Burns (who also was heavily sought after by UVA) and James each got, and then Johnson heard as well on his official visit: “Come be a part of something special we’re building here at Tennessee.  Be a part of this culture we’ve created.  We’re winning at a very high level and are set up to continue to do so.  Yes, Duke and UVA are great schools.  But we can get you where you want to be off the court too.  Just ask Josh Dobbs.  Ask Grant Williams*.  Ask Josiah James**.”  That’s a message that is resonating, and as Barnes and Tennessee continue to win at this level and establish the program as a year-in-year-out contender they’ll continue to build the right way with the right kinds of kids.  Johnson and Kessler – and perhaps some combination of Springer/Murrell/Stone/Samson Ruthentsev and others – are the next in line.

* Grant will probably be his host, he’s that invested in the program

**James purposely took another unofficial visit to Tennessee the weekend Keon Johnson was on his official just to be around him – he’s already that invested himself

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grad Transfers

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

2020 Reclassifiers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BYU

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

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

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

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

Florida

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

Georgia

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

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

MSU

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

Alabama

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

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

South Carolina 

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

Kentucky

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

Mizzou

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

Vanderbilt

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

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

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

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

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

RB Tank Bigsby

RB Jo’Quavous Marks

RB Mecose Todd

WR Javon Baker (Bama commit)

WR Ze’vian Capers

WR Kobe Stewart

TE Arik Gilbert

OL Quatavious Leslie

OLB BJ Ojulari

DL Andy Boykin

DL Nazir Stackhouse (UGA commit)

OLB Zakevious Walker

OLB Phillip Webb

LB Kevin Swint

S Rashad Torrence (UF commit)

CB Jalen Huff (OU commit)

CB Javier Morton (Bama commit)

Current 2020 Tennessee targets in Alabama

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

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

ATH Jordan Ingram

ATH Kristian Story (former UT commit)

WR Dazalin Worsham (Bama commit)

WR Eddie Williams

WR JJ Evans

DL Eric Taylor

DL Jah-Marien Latham (Bama commit)

CB Malachi Moore (Bama commit)

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

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

He’ll Flip Ya For Real?

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

DL Justin Eboigbe (Alabama)

LB Owen Pappoe (Auburn)

WR Jaylen Ellis (Baylor)

Akeem Dent (FSU)

DL Bill Norton (UGA)

DL Zion Logue (UGA)

LB Trezeman Marshall (UGA)

OL EJ Ndoma-Ogar (Oklahoma)

DL Joe Anderson (South Carolina)

DB Kenyatta Watson (Texas)

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

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

Dominick Wood-Anderson (beat Alabama)

Jerome Carvin (beat Alabama)

JJ Peterson (beat Alabama)

Alontae Taylor (beat UGA)

S Treveon Flowers (Clemson)

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

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

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

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

Final Board

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

Elite Tier

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tier II

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Visits to Watch this Weekend

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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