Gameday on Rocky Top

The Wednesday that kicked off the Early Signing Period was on the one hand disappointing, as Tennessee swung and missed on all of its 50/50 targets.  On the other hand it was also satisfying, as the Vols inked 18 signees and didn’t lose a single commitment.  To its existing commitments the Vols also added WR Jerrod Means, a former UNC commitment who camped in Knoxville during the summer and earned an offer on the spot after running a 4.4 40-yard dash at 6’2. 

On Thursday, Memphis native RB Eric Gray signed with the Vols. Had he signed with most of the class on Wednesday, one can be assured that Vols fans would have felt very differently about how the day went, even though most knew that Gray was coming the very next day.  Gray smashed state records this season while winning his third Tennessee Mr. Football award – the first ever three-time winner.  He’s not a “big” back, but he’s not small at 5’11 and just under 200lbs, and he’s electric with the ball in his hands despite good but not great speed. Gray was a longtime Michigan commitment and had offers from elite programs across the country, and as an early enrollee, he brings the kind of playmaking ability to the Tennessee offense that is sorely lacking.  His signing will also allow the Vols to start ATH Aaron Beasley, who played both RB and S in high school, on defense where his speed and hitting ability will be put to immediate use.

We’ll do a deeper dive on the class once it’s complete in February, but the 19 signees, 10 of whom are early enrollees, without a shadow of a doubt improve the talent on the roster in every respect, from size, speed, and simply overall depth.  Tennessee beat out fellow big boys for most of their signees, further showing the overall quality of the class so far.

Once the fax machines got quiet on Wednesday, the natural question becomes: What’s next, and where do the Vols turn in order to have the kind of finish necessary to consider this the kind of class that takes the program forward?  Below we take a look at the road to early February.

All-Star Game Season

With the first week of January comes both the Under Armour and Army All American Games.  Practices for these present prospects with both a chance to test/prove themselves against the best players in their respective classes – and potentially improve their rankings in the process – all the while doing some peer recruiting.

The Under Armour game will feature two of Tennessee’s top signees and best peer recruiters in OL Wanya Morris and S Jaylen “Tank” McCullough.  In terms of unsigned top Vols targets, OL Darnell Wright and DB Travis Jay highlight the list.  Wright is, as everyone knows, considered to be a heavy Vols lean, to the point that he was cited by a handful of uncommitted prospects this past weekend as unofficially part of the Tennessee OL class.  That said, it can’t hurt to have his close buddy and potential future bookend spending time with him all week.  Jay is an FSU commitment who chose to not sign in the early period and has seen Tennessee coaches before the dead period.  It’s unclear where he sits on Tennessee’s overall board, and at the same time how real his interest in the Vols is (most think he will eventually sign with the Noles), but again just being around two Vols commitments can’t be anything but good for Tennessee.

The Army game will have two current signees, and potentially three.  Gray and WR Ramel Keyton will be there, as will OLB Quarvaris Crouch.  While it’s unclear at this very moment what Crouch’s signing plans are, all signs point to him being at worst a strong Tennessee lean and potentially someone who could have signed with the Vols by the time he arrives at practices.  Either way, he will announce on January 5^th at the game, which should give the Vols some big-time national publicity were he to announce for Tennessee.  All 2-3 Tennessee signees will most certainly be peer recruiting big-time LB target Henry To’oto’to and OLB Khris Bogle.  The battle for To’oto’to is likely down to Tennessee and Alabama, and the Tide will certainly have its share of signees in his ear as well.  Same for Bogle and Alabama and Miami, his two main contenders, but again just having a presence at the game will be helpful for Tennessee.

February signees: Tier I

With 19 signees Tennessee has anywhere from 4-8 spots depending on room under NCAA regulations that only Jeremy Pruitt is aware of.  The Vols also have three unsigned commitments – DL Ledarrius Cox, LB Lakia Henry, and S Anthony Harris – how hard the staff pursues each of them, and how receptive they each are – will also play a role in how many spots are available for “new” commitments.

That said, there is a clear hierarchy in terms of prospects that Tennessee is currently pursuing, with the seven below making up the first tier:

1. OLB Quarvaris Crouch
2. OL Darnell Wright
3. OLB Khris Bogle
4. ILB Chris Russell
5. ILB Henry To’oto’to
6. DB Jammie Robinson
7. DB Travis Jay

As mentioned above, Crouch will announce on January 5^th and could even have signed by then.  His has been a mercurial recruitment and so it’s not smart to assume he’s a Vols lock until he’s signed his LOI, but right now things look good.  Crouch is an incredibly high-ceiling athlete who could be a terror off the edge.

Wright is also a very heavy Tennessee lean who would give Tennessee five OL signees, two of whom are 5-tars and ranked among the top 20 players in the country. 

Bogle is an edge rusher like Crouch, but he’s someone who, despite having taken multiple visits to Knoxville, is going to be a very tough pull for the Vols.  Hometown Miami is the likely favorite and Alabama is also heavily in the mix, but he definitely likes the Vols so they aren’t totally out of it.  His current plan is to announce at the Army game on January 5^th, so we’ll know one way or the other very soon.

Russell is an absolutely imperative add in the late signing period.  An in-state player at a position of immediate need, Russell will get as much attention from Tennessee as the rules allow.  He plans on taking an OV to Tennessee for sure, and Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Auburn are schools we know that will be recruiting him hard until February. 

To’oto’to as mentioned above will be an Alabama-Tennessee battle despite being from California.  Although there are going to be some numbers issues for both schools, it seems that he has a spot at either.  He’s an instant impact player at least for Tennessee given the dire need at the position, so expect him to get a ton of attention from the Vols over the next six weeks.

Robinson is a dynamic playmaker and would add a ton of speed and athleticism to a Tennessee secondary that needs it in spades despite a strong group of DB signees. UT’s tie here is his former high school coach Shelton Felton who is on Tennessee’s staff.  Robinson took a summer OV to South Carolina and one to Kentucky this past weekend, so he’s got three more.  Tennessee will likely get one, and depending on how things go with other top targets he could be someone the Vols push hard for in an effort to simply add another super-talented player regardless of position

Jay is an FSU commitment whose plan all along was to take other OVs in January, and after some of the Vols staff visited him in December he stated that at least both Tennessee and UF would get visits. FSU isn’t giving up here though, so this will be a battle for the Vols should they continue to try and remain players here.

February signees: Tier II

Tennessee made an effort to add to its board over the course of December, offering a handful of other players that might be second or even third options at their respective positions:

1. LB Octavius Brothers
2. WR Arjei Henderson
3. WR George Pickens
4. WR Xavier Legette
5. WR Dywan Griffin
6. WR Javonta Payton
7. RB A’Montae Spivey

Brothers, a former UCF commitment, is a good-looking prospect and plans to OV to Tennessee the weekend of 1/19.  His spot will depend on the status of Lakia Henry’s commitment as well as what’s going on with Russell and To’oto’to.

The fact that there are four WRs on this list shouldn’t be a surprise, as Tennessee only signed two WRs and likely would prefer to add one more if the right one wants to jump in the boat.  Pickens is an Auburn commit who is easily the top prospect of the four, and even though he says he is solid to AU, he also says will take OVs in January, with Tennessee strongly in the mix to get one. Of the four, Payton seems the least likely given that it sounds like he was set to sign with the Vols but due to concerns about his academics – unclear if it’s his inability to be a January enrollee or to actually graduate in May – Tennessee elected not to sign him. 

Spivey is an Arkansas commitment from Alabama who had an outstanding senior season and has gotten additional SEC attention, including at least a little from Tennessee, in December.  It’s unclear how serious the Vols might be about him, but we know that they were trying to add a second RB to go with Gray but just couldn’t get traction with DJ Williams (AU signee) and were too late to the party with Noah Cain (PSU).  

It should also be expected that Tennessee tries to get involved with some prospects who didn’t sign anywhere, whether they are technically committed elsewhere or not.  The Vols staff visited 5-star FSU CB commit Akeem Dent during the open period.  DL Byron Young (from MS) and LB Christian Williams (from AL) are unsigned Alabama commitments who the staff could at least make a call on.  Mark Anthony-Richards and Jamious Griffin are two 4-star RBs who are unsigned, in Griffin’s case despite his commitment to NCSU.  Finally, Tennessee could look further into the JUCO ranks, specifically for DL. Chester Graves is the #2 overall JUCO in the country, and while the Kansas City native is considered a Missouri lean he obviously didn’t sign with the Tigers on Wednesday.  Tony Fair is a former Nebraska DT commit who wasn’t able to sign because of grade concerns, but should he get those in order (sounds like NU couldn’t take the chance that he didn’t pass a ton of hours in one semester) he could be another to look at.  All of the above except Dent – who is likely a longshot – are 100% speculative, but one can be sure that Pruitt and the staff won’t leave any stone unturned.

One other interesting note is that of the four available official visit weekends in January/February, Tennessee will have two afternoon home basketball games, against Alabama on January 19^th and against West Virginia on January 26^th.  Tennessee will certainly take advantage of what will likely be near sold-out crowds in Thompson Boiling Arena by bringing official visitors to see what kind of fan support Vol Nation brings.  Those kinds of things aren’t going to swing a recruit’s decision one way or the other on their own, but they definitely contribute to a prospect’s enjoyment of his visit.

Much will be cleared up between now and January 5^th when Crouch and Bogle, among others, commit.  From there it will be a sprint to the finish for Tennessee to use its remaining spots in this class to take it from good to great and really jumpstart the rebuild for Jeremy Pruitt.

Gameday on Rocky Top looks at the Tennessee Volunteers’ early signees. First up, the offense…

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CHRIS AKPOROGHENE, 6’4″, 294 OFFENSIVE TACKLE, BRADENTON, FL (IMG ACADEMY)

Akporoghene is one of the most intriguing prospects in Tennessee’s entire class. He is a native of Africa whose family moved to Tennessee, and he played his final year of high school at prestigious IMG Academy. Though he is blessed with excellent size and strength, the offensive lineman is very raw and was a bit of a polarizing prospect among the major recruiting services.

Akporoghene is a 4-star prospect according to Rivals, but 247Sports thinks he is a major project and rated him as the nation’s 2,169-ranked player. To be fair, ESPN ranks him somewhere in the middle as the nation’s. No. 61 offensive tackle. He’s only played three years of organized football, so his best days are in front of him. 

The discrepancy of ratings didn’t stop some of the nation’s premiere programs from coming after him. He chose the “home state” Vols over Oregon, Michigan, Mississippi State and others. It will be interesting to see if he can step right in and get reps for a line that needs him, or if he is a developmental guy who will need some time.

SEAN BROWN, 6’5″, 250 TIGHT END, ROME, GA (COOSA HS)

The North Georgia product is an intriguing athlete with a big frame who looks like a quality in-line tight end who can be an asset in the running game. Brown could grow into a number of positions including offensive tackle or defensive end, but he’ll start out at tight end, where several programs came after him.

Brown ultimately chose Tennessee over Auburn among his several offers, and he will be a nice complement in this class to Jackson Lowe, who is more of a receiving tight end. The Vols need a variety of players in that tight end room with Dominick Wood-Anderson entering his final season in Knoxville and a lack of other proven players.

Brown isn’t going to be an exciting player who can break a big play, but he is the kind of tight end necessary in running situations and in two tight-end sets. If he grows into another position, it would meet a need, too. He’s a high-upside prospect with a future in orange.

ERIC GRAY, 5’10”, 193 RUNNING BACK, MEMPHIS, TN (LAUSANNE COLLEGIATE SCHOOL)

Tennessee got a major boost to the class on the day after early signing period began when Gray chose UT over South Carolina, Texas A&M, Michigan and others earlier today.

The former Wolverines commitment canceled multiple visits to Ann Arbor this season and instead visited Knoxville several times, growing his relationship with lead recruiter David Johnson, coach Jeremy Pruitt and the rest of the staff. With the Vols desperately needing a true runner in this class, Gray fits a major need. He is an explosive player who is a terrific one-cut runner with elusiveness to get into space.

Gray isn’t going to be a blazer in the open field, but he is the type of runner around which you can build an offense and reminds me a lot of the Tennessee Titans’ Dion Lewis. If Gray develops the way he should, he could be an NFL player. I like his ability to run between the tackles and outside as well as catching the ball out of the backfield. He’ll be a nice teammate to Ty Chandler.

RAMEL KEYTON, 6’3″, 185 WIDE RECEIVER, MARIETTA, GA (MARIETTA HS)

Tennessee didn’t load up on elite receivers in this class, but a big, physical target who has the potential to step right in and play also just happened to open up an important pipeline to a hotbed of talent. 

Keyton hails from Marietta High School, and UT already got a head start on the 2020 class by securing its quarterback of the future from that school in Harrison Bailey. There are several other high-caliber Division I players who can help from there, too. Keyton is by no means the least of the bunch. He had a huge year for the program and, like several other targets on Tennessee’s board, chose UT over Auburn. Others such as Alabama, Clemson, Florida and more powerhouses were among his 26 claimed offers.

Keyton isn’t a blazer, but he has great hands, can go up and get the ball and is physical. He has a nice skill set that is comparable to current Vol Jauan Jennings, and it’s not ridiculous to think he’ll be able to slide right into the rotation, especially considering UT needs all the playmakers on offense it can get.

He was one of the biggest coups of the class.

JACKSON LAMPLEY, 6’4″, 300 OFFENSIVE GUARD, NASHVILLE, TN (MONTGOMERY BELL ACADEMY)

One of the first pledges for Pruitt also may wind up as one of the most important. Jackson Lampley is the son of VFL Brad Lampley, so orange is in his blood. He possesses good size and played high school ball for one of the best programs in the state.

I like his violent hands at the point of attack, and he is a strong run blocker who has a nasty streak. Though you always like to see linemen get a year in the strength and conditioning program to get stronger before they’re thrown into the fray, Lampley has the skill set, hands and footwork to step into the rotation. The Vols obviously need players along the offensive front who can make an impact, and Lampley may.

He chose his father’s alma mater over 19 other programs including Auburn, Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Penn State, Texas A&M and others. 

JACKSON LOWE, 6’5″, 235 TIGHT END, CARTERSVILLE, GA (CARTERSVILLE HS)

Lowe committed to the Vols and lead recruiter Brian Niedermeyer early in the process and never wavered, and he was one of the top targets at the position early and stayed that way despite a lot of interest from other top programs, including Alabama, Clemson and Auburn.

He may be just a 3-star player, but he’s an elite prospect who can really stretch the field and provide a spark in the passing game. He is physically developed and ready to step right in and play in an offense needing to do a better job of utilizing the pass-catching tight end. Lowe played for Cartersville High School, where he was a deep playoff participant every year, so he’s used to winning.

Lowe is another win in the Peach State, and the Vols really need for him to make an impact, especially after DWA leaves after the 2019 season. Is Lowe going to be able to give UT some important reps right away? Don’t rule it out.

BRIAN MAURER, 6’3″, 199 PRO-STYLE QUARTERBACK, OCALA, FL (WEST PORT HS)

Tennessee’s search for a quarterback went a while back in the spring, but the Vols ultimately rested on Maurer, the Sunshine State signal-caller who came along a little late in the recruiting cycle but wound up being an Elite 11 player.

The Vols are fortunate to have him.

Maurer is blessed with good arm strength and is also an athletic type who is not statuesque in the pocket. He had a strong senior season and could benefit from a year in the weight room to bulk up. But Maurer looks like a high-upside signal-caller who can do a lot of things with the ball in his hands. Ironically, he visited Ohio State and Tennessee in the same swing, and the Buckeyes chose to take a commitment from Dwan Mathis instead of Maurer. Mathis flipped from OSU to Georgia on early signing day, prompting Maurer to tweet about it and talk about how happy he is with UT.

With Will McBride and Keller Chryst gone, the Vols need quality competition behind center. Jarrett Guarantano did not have a bad redshirt sophomore season, but UT needs better play at that position. If Maurer or rising redshirt freshman JT Shrout can pressure him, it will benefit all parties. It’s also possible the Vols add a transfer at the position. But the door is at least cracked for Maurer to come in and compete. We’ll see if he can take advantage.

MELVIN MCBRIDE, 6’3″, 312 OFFENSIVE GUARD, MEMPHIS, TN (WHITEHAVEN HS)

One of the prospects who had little fanfare before committing to Tennessee is Memphis offensive trenchman McBride. He’s an interesting, massive prospect who could have projected on either side of the line of scrimmage. It appears he’ll start his career in Knoxville on the offensive side where there are mammoth needs for quality players.

He’s a developmental guy who is a great athlete for his size and played just one year of football. Pruitt and Co. love that type of athleticism, and McBride is a former basketball player who has good knee bend, which helps him in pass-blocking leverage. Though he probably needs at least a year to get acclimated to the college game, he is a guy who could be a nice pickup.

McBride didn’t have a slew of major offers, ultimately choosing UT over Arkansas, Memphis, Louisville, Cincinnati and others. This probably isn’t a guy who is going to come in and play right away, but with some time in the S&C program and some coaching, he could be an important asset down the road.

JERROD MEANS, 6’2″, 212 WIDE RECEIVER, HAMPTON, GA (LOVEJOY HS)

The last time Tennessee went into Lovejoy High School – a program several past Vols have hailed from – for a wide receiver, he wound up pretty strong. Unfortunately for UT, it just wasn’t in orange and white. That was Preston Williams, who was a high-profile recruit and Alabama legacy who stuck with Tennessee and earned important reps before transferring out of the program. He wound up at Colorado State, where he was one of the most prolific receivers in the country this season, and he’ll bypass his senior season and head to the NFL.

The Vols passed on JUCO receiver Javonta Payton in favor of Means, who visited Knoxville the final weekend before signing day and signed with the Vols on Wednesday. UT kept that one quiet, unlike last year’s late find as a Georgia receiver (Jordan Young) who committed to the Vols and flipped to Florida State just before signing day. 

Pruitt bragged Means can probably play multiple positions on either side of the ball, but the 6’3″, 213-pound prospect who ran a 4.4 40-yard dash at camp is a player the Vols like as a receiver, so that’s where he’ll start. You can’t teach that kind of speed, and hopefully, he’ll be a weapon quickly.

WANYA MORRIS, 6’6″ 312 OFFENSIVE TACKLE, LOGANVILLE, GA (GRAYSON HS)

Alphabetically, Morris may be the last name on this list, but he’s arguably the offensive cornerstone of the Pruitt era in Knoxville. Morris is a 5-star offensive tackle who had offers from virtually everybody in the country and was the No. 1 draft pick in the Under Armour All-American Game.

The Vols are getting an elite blocker who will probably start out trying to help the Vols solidify the exterior of the offensive line. He chose UT over Auburn, where his buddy Owen Pappoe signed, but Morris could have gone anywhere, really. If Tennessee can team him with Darnell Wright, it will be a heck of a duo to build the offense around for years to come.

When Gray committed, he mentioned a couple of good linemen the Vols have coming in next year – alluding to Morris and (the still-uncommitted) Wright, so if the Vols can close the deal, it’s a couple of players who make other prospects stand up and take notice.

Morris is big and strong and smart, and he’s got the kind of attributes and skill set that translate into early playing time. Obviously, that will have to be earned, but with Tennessee’s O-line situation he has a massive opportunity to fill a major void right away.

Note: Check back in the coming days for offensive and defensive capsules from UT’s early signing period signees.

If you were hoping for a massive bang to end Jeremy Pruitt’s first full recruiting cycle’s early signing period, Wednesday left you flat.

If you hoped the Vols would gain ground in the arms race that is the rough-and-tumble SEC, Wednesday left you frustrated.

But there’s no real reason to feel anything but optimistic as Pruitt and Tennessee enter the next phase of this recruiting cycle leading up to February’s final signing day of the cycle. The Vols currently have the nation’s 17th-ranked recruiting class with 20 pledges, according to the 247Sports Composite ratings. That’s only good for seventh in the SEC behind Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M, LSU, Auburn and Florida.

While that’s not good enough for the Vols to close the gap, there are plenty of monstrous fish left in this Big Orange ocean. It all starts tomorrow as all eyes on Rocky Top rest on the decision of 4-star Memphis running back Eric Gray, who likely favors UT and is a big piece of the puzzle for a Vols team needing help at offensive skill positions. Gray’s pledge on Thursday would put the Vols ahead of Florida with the same number of commits and vault them into second in the SEC East in the recruiting rankings.

That’s not an awful step forward, especially for a 5-7 program.

Throw in 5-star offensive tackle Darnell Wright — whom the Vols currently sit in a steady lead — and high 4-star linebacker Quavarius Crouch, who UT must battle Clemson for until his announcement on January 5, and there are a few needle-movers who can help the aesthetics of the class. Other vitally important needs can be met if 4-star safety Anthony Harris and 4-star JUCO linebacker Lakia Henry remain Vols and Tennessee can convince another couple of marquee players to jump onboard.

If those things happen, a class that will rank between 10-15 is possible, and that’s a big deal — even if there were at times over the past few weeks hope that Pruitt would close stronger, much the way he helped Alabama, Florida State and Georgia do during his time as a defensive coordinator at those programs.

There is plenty of good and bad for the Vols about this signing cycle, and we’d be remiss not to cover it all. So, here we go…

The Good

Tennessee met major, vital needs at offensive line and in the defensive backfield during this recruiting cycle, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility a lot of the guys coming in will find their way into the rotation — if not the starting lineup — right away.

The class’s bell cow is 5-star offensive tackle Wanya Morris, who UT beat out Auburn and others for. He’s an athletic big man who’ll start out at tackle for a team desperately needing to shore up a unit that’s been historically horrible the past two years. If you want to pinpoint the biggest reason for this two-year debacle (and really for the decade of futility) look no further than the offensive front and the lack of development at that area.

Morris is a future star-in-the-making, and the Vols may need him to start in 2019 and take his lumps, depending on the health of Trey Smith.

Jackson Lampley is a Tennessee legacy and a 4-star offensive guard, and he could potentially help right away; Melvin McBride is a 3-star offensive lineman from Memphis who fills a need even if he’s a developmental player; and Chris Akporoghene is a player some sites [such as Rivals] rates as a 4-star talent. Those guys are vitally important to Pruitt turning around the program.

Another area where the Vols desperately needed help and got it was a defensive backfield that lacked athleticism in 2018. Yes, the emergence of true freshmen Alontae Taylor, Bryce Thompson and Trevon Flowers was encouraging, but there was little depth behind them. Between the unsigned Harris and 4-stars Jaylen McCullough and Tyus Fields, 3-star cornerback Warren Burrell and safety Aaron Beasley [both of which are 4-star prospects on other sites] the Vols got a whole lot longer, deeper and more athletic on the back end.

That’s two major wins for the Vols in areas of great need, and if Wright adds his name to the list of pledges and UT goes and perhaps gets another DB, it’s a great year in two areas. It was always going to be more than just a one-year rebuild, anyway.

The Bad

When you consider just how many high-profile kids Tennessee brought on visits the past few weeks, none of those guys ultimately chose to come to Knoxville. It was eerily reminiscent of last year’s late cycle, when Pruitt brought in all those 5-star defensive backs, only to watch them fall off the board to rivals and programs out West.

Wednesday saw Norton and Logue head to Georgia, Anderson stick with South Carolina, JUCO defensive end Nick Figueroa stay out west and play for USC, Justin Eboigbe choosing not to flip from Alabama to UT, Jaylen Ellis committing to Baylor despite a last-week visit, and so on.

There’s nothing wrong with Pruitt swinging for some fences. But the Vols simply aren’t Georgia and Alabama right now, and there comes a point in time where you back off and settle for ground-rule doubles rather than hope for slap singles and stolen bases later.

That make sense? If you catch my drift, Pruitt needs to remain his relentless self on the recruiting trail, but the Vols can’t afford to round out the class with fallback plans, and if you have to back off the elite players to sign more “very good” players, you identify that need in enough time to get the job done. It’s a hard balance, and, quite frankly, it’s one Pruitt hasn’t been great at lately.

Tennessee probably knows it can’t compete with Alabama and Georgia on Saturdays if it doesn’t compete with them in prospects’ living rooms. But the bottom line is, while Pruitt has won a few of those battles, he’s getting his butt whipped for the most part against the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs.

Join the club. So is everybody else, after all. But it’s disappointing to UT fans who want to get back to elite status and thought it would by hiring an elite recruiter. Pruitt is learning some tough lessons, and the Vols need to show some improvement on the field first.

The Ugly

If you’re like me and love Tennessee getting Tennessee boys to play for the Vols, this year wasn’t for you. It’s going to be hard for me to forgive Pruitt for that one, especially considering some of the “settles” that happened late in the class.

UT flat-out missed on Bill Norton and Zion Logue — two Volunteer State prospects who followed Cade Mays’ lead from a year ago and decided they wanted to play for the rival Georgia Bulldogs instead of Tennessee despite Pruitt trying hard to flip them. Logue seemed to have a sour demeanor toward the Vols from the jump, and Norton never could quite overcome the fact he was smitten with the Dawgs, even though UT’s head coach made him a pet project throughout the cycle.

In the Vols’ undying love for those two prospects, they let an excellent player who would have loved to be a Vol early in the cycle in Murfreesboro’s Joseph Anderson go elsewhere. Now, UT gets to face him in a Gamecocks uniform for the next four years, and a late push wasn’t enough to sway him back. That one’s going to sting.

Receiver Trey Knox wasn’t a priority at times during the cycle, and he chose Arkansas. Meanwhile, the Vols settled for Jerrod Means on Wednesday — the only “new” player who signed with UT on Wednesday who wasn’t previously committed. That’s not a knock on Means who is a 6’2″ pass-catcher who possesses quality speed — something Knox doesn’t have — but you have to wonder if UT deciding against pursuing those guys and others like Woodi Washington (Oklahoma) and Lance Wilhoite (Oregon) won’t sting later.

The Wrap

It’s important to note a few things about Wednesday.

First, the most important victory for Pruitt’s program came when strength and conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald elected not to return to his alma mater of Maryland to join Mike Locksley’s staff with the Terrapins when it looked like he would just a day before. 

The revolving door of UT’s program and strength and conditioning in particular has led to uneven results, weak players and inconsistency. Fitzgerald is a huge part of what Pruitt wants to achieve, and he’s being paid handsomely. For him to stick around is vital to the players already on the roster and for the Vols getting bigger and stronger and turning things around in 2019. So, that’s the biggest recruiting win of the early signing period.

Wrapping things up, it’s easy for Tennessee fans to talk about Alabama and Georgia because they sit at the pinnacle of the conference — and all of college football, really — right now. It sucks to see LSU and Texas A&M have such massive years on the recruiting trail while the Vols middle around with a good — but not great — class (at least on paper).

But it’s important to remember where UT is as a program. It’s not OK to lose to Vanderbilt and Missouri, and that’s what the Vols are doing lately. Tennessee has to get where they’re beating those programs first.

Then, South Carolina, Florida and others like them come next.

Then, maybe you can set your sights on Alabama and Georgia.

It’s sobering, but it’s the reality. Getting a class with more strength, size,  bulk and athleticism perhaps gets UT closer to that first and second steps, though the Vols are nowhere near that other tier. Ultimately getting to any of those next tiers and out of the SEC cellar will rely on Pruitt’s ability to develop players, Fitzgerald’s ability to transform these dudes into SEC players and, ultimately, UT’s ability to identify those next-level players who can help teams win games.

Mizzou had one in Drew Lock, and Vanderbilt had one in Kyle Shurmur, and even though those guys didn’t elevate those programs to championship-caliber, they got them past Tennessee. It’s Pruitt’s charge to find the guys who can make the same impact for the Vols in those games and in others on the plain above.

Are those guys in this class?

We’ll see soon enough.

From when we took a look at things headed into this past weekend, things certainly have changed.  And when it comes to who showed up in Knoxville and who didn’t, and the overall vibe coming out of the weekend, it was pretty much 100% good news for the Vols.  The only no-show was Dyersburg LB Chris Russell, who had to reschedule his OV because he had an ill family member; however, he reaffirmed his initial plan to sign in February, so for Tennessee to be able to save that OV until January that should turn out to be good news. 

In terms of unexpected arrivals, suffice it to say that the weekend went from good to great pretty quickly.  5-star OL Darnell Wright made yet another trip from West Virginia while 5-star LB Quarvaris Crouchdrove in from Charlotte to spend more time on campus after what must have been a grand slam of an in-home visit from Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt and much of the staff late last week.  In addition, longtime JUCO WR target Javonta Payton, a Mississippi State commitment, was convinced to take an OV to Knoxville.  And finally, RB Eric Gray, who Volquest.com had hinted at possibly eschewing an OV to Texas A&M and instead driving yet again to Knoxville, did in fact visit Tennessee.  Those four, along with the visitors already scheduled, made for a star-studded weekend at just the right time mere days before the Early Signing Period begins on Wednesday.

What We Know

At this point the hay is in the barn in terms of the work Pruitt and Co. have done with the early signees.  Here’s what we know as of Monday morning December 17^th:

We know that a least 16 of Tennessee’s 19 existing commitments (not counting Jalil Clemons who will not be a Vol), if not 17 (apparently there is some uncertainty with DL Darrel Middleton), will be signing this week.

We know that the remaining two commitments are DL Leddarius Cox and LB Lakia Henry.  Cox has seemed like a soft commitment almost from the day he pledged to the Vols, and although he has maintained all week at the AL/MS All-Star Game practices – where he’s performed pretty well by all accounts – that he is solid to the Vols, the fact that he’s not signing this week speaks volumes.  He’s got an OV scheduled to Ole Miss in January and in-state Auburn is still involved to some degree.  The picture with Henry is somehow even muddier than Cox’s, as he’s already taken his Tennessee OV back in November and along with an OV to Arkansas – who feels pretty good about their position – he just took an unofficial visit to Florida State this weekend with his family and landed an offer.  He’s obviously far from solid at this point and the guess here is that the Tennessee staff is planning accordingly.

We know that LB Ke’Shun Brown and DL Kristian Williams are off the board, committing to Texas A&M and Minnesota, respectively, over the weekend.  While Williams was a bit of a fall-back target who Tennessee was hoping would hold off on committing/signing anywhere until February, Brown was a legit target who the Vols hosted the previous weekend.  With Trezeman Marshall reaffirming his longstanding commitment to UGA over the weekend, that leaves Russell and Henry To’oto’to as major February targets at ILB.

We know that Tennessee had very successful official visits this weekend with DL Nick Figureoa, RB Noah Cain, and WR Jaylen Ellis, putting itself firmly in play for all three prospects.  Figureoa was admittedly leaning toward staying out West to play at USC before the visit, but he raved about his trip to Knoxville to the point that it’s clear the Vols are a real option.  Similarly, Cain said himself that he didn’t know what to expect coming in but that both he and his mother were blown away.  Ellis similarly had a great experience and looks to be a coin flip

What We Don’t Know

We don’t know if Wright is going to sign next week or continue to wait despite clearly being a massive Vol lean.

We don’t know if either Oklahoma commitment OL EJ Ndoma-Ogar, OLB Khris Bogle, or DB Jammie Robinson – who took an OV to Kentucky over the weekend – are going to sign on Wednesday or wait until February.  If Bogle signs this week it’s likely local favorite Miami.  If he waits the Hurricanes will have to sweat, among others, Alabama and Tennessee all the way to February.

We don’t know what WR targets Payton and Jadon Haselwood, who was at UGA over the weekend, are going to do.  While Haselwood appears to be a longshot for Tennessee, the fact that Payton took the last-minute OV to Knoxville (and apparently tried to hide it from MSU coaches and media) means that he is at worst very much considering flipping to the Vols.

We don’t know why Darrel Middleton signing this week is newly uncertain.  Is it grades?  Something else?  That’s unclear, but the situation certainly bears watching as he was presumably a December graduate who would enroll at Tennessee in January and be ready to get a spring practice in before contributing immediately next season.

Perhaps most importantly, we don’t know how many signees Tennessee can actually fit into this class within the NCAA mandated guidelines.  All along the thought has been that if the Vols want to get as many players into this class as possible there would need to be some mathematical gymnastics.  But at this point there don’t appear to be any blueshirts available among current commitments and top targets.  And with the Vols taking a full class last cycle no one outside of the staff knows how much room there really is.

What Do We Think?

We think that if the Vols land Figureoa, a 3-to-play-3 JUCO DL with good size and a great West Coast offer list, Tennessee will move on from Cox.  Figureoa will have simply replaced Cox and the Vols will still be sitting with the same number of commitments, yet they’ll have upgraded at the position with an instant-impact contributor on the DL.

We think that current commitment Aaron Beasley, 6’1 220 already and listed as a safety, is going to end up playing LB at Tennessee.  And we think that the Vols are in good shape with Russell.  And we think that Tennessee’s main competition for To’oto’to (Alabama) could simply run out of room regardless of whether they can beat the Vols straight up for him.  Therefore, we think that there will be a “mutual parting of ways” with Lakia Henry if Tennessee likes where it sits with the rest of its board at other positions.

We think that Tennessee needs at least one more WR in this class to go with stud Ramel Keyton but that they won’t have room for both Ellis and Payton, so whoever jumps in the boat first will get the spot.  We also think that Ellis is not going to have a spot at Michigan as the Wolverines look set to land their other major target for their final WR spot in Cornelius Johnson, so it is going to come down to staying closer to home and sticking with Baylor or getting instant playing time in the SEC for him.

We think that if one considers it to be very unlikely that Clemons, Cox and Henry end up signing with the Vols that leaves at most 8 spots for the following Baker’s Dozen of targets:

1. OL Darnell Wright
2. OL EJ Ndoma-Ogar
3. RB Eric Gray
4. RB Noah Cain
5. WR Jaylen Ellis
6. WR Javonta Payton
7. WR Jadon Haselwood
8. DL Nick Figureoa
9. OLB Quarvaris Crouch
10. OLB Khris Bogle
11. ILB Chris Russell
12. ILB Henry To’oto’to
13. DB Jammie Robinson

We think that at this point Wright, Gray and Crouch are leaning toward the Vols, with Gray likely having given his commitment to the coaches and simply waiting until his scheduled Thursday announcement to go public.  Wright also seems likely to have committed to the coaches.  And while Crouch won’t announce until January 5^th at the All-America Game, right now Tennessee has all the momentum. More will clear up about both Tennessee’s needs, spots, and who’s actually left once Wednesday rolls around.  Same for the schools who are recruiting those that won’t sign until February, and others who might jump in if they unexpectedly miss on other targets.  And there are other prospects who the Vols have put themselves in position to circle back to in January should the need arise, such as LB Octavius Brothers and DB Travis Jay among others.  Obviously not all 13 of those “no-question in a vacuum” takes are going to call Pruitt and want in (with Haselwood and Bogle being the least likely), but the Vols have absolutely swung momentum towards Knoxville at the best possible time.