Worth reading 7.30.18: Vols land 2 blue-chip cornerbacks

If you read only one thing about the Vols today . . .

. . . make it this, from GRT’s Brad Shepard:

Other Vols stuff worth reading today

  1. Warren Burrell Finally Gives Pruitt His Elite Cornerback Commitment, via Gameday on Rocky Top
  2. The Next Step List: Jarrett Guarantano and Kyle Phillips, via Gameday on Rocky Top
  3. 2018 Vols Opponent Preview: West Virginia – Orange & White Report, via Twitter. Great stuff from Celina Summers here.
  4. Tennessee Vols Preseason Camp Primer: Offensive line, via 247Sports
  5. A.J. Johnson and Michael Williams found not guilty, via KnoxNews
  6. UT Vols need Daniel Bituli to anchor defense, via KnoxNews
  7. Vols need better pass rush from linebackers this season, via the Times Free Press
  8. Why Jarrett Guarantano should get every chance to win UT Vols QB job, via KnoxNews
  9. Despite being underdogs, Tennessee can beat both West Virginia, Florida, via KnoxNews
  10. Tracy Rocker’s ‘fire and energy’ helping Vols’ defensive linemen, via the Times Free Press
  11. Jeremy Pruitt making all the right moves early with Volunteers, via Gridiron Now
  12. Tennessee Vols Football Recruiting: Four-star CB Tyus Fields finds ‘something really special’ with Vols, via 247Sports
  13. Tyus Fields commitment pushes Tennessee closer to top-10 status, via 247Sports
  14. Tennessee Vols Preseason Camp Primer: Defensive line, via 247Sports
  15. Fulmer happy for ‘honest’ relationship with Jeremy Pruitt, via 247Sports
  16. Phillips Named to Wuerffel Trophy Watch List – University of Tennessee, via UTSports
  17. VOLS WILL HONOR 1998 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS DURING FLORIDA GAME – University of Tennessee, via UTSports
  18. Tweets from Vol Targets and Commits from Saturday’s Cookout, via Rocky Top Insider

Behind the paywalls

  • Angry and splintered months ago, Tennessee fans unite around…, via The Athletic
  • 2018 Positional preview: LBs, via VolQuest
  • Analyst praises versatile, ‘aggressive’ Vols commit Tyus Fields, via 247Sports

Another Day, Another Big-Time Pickup for Tennessee’s Secondary

 

 

All of a sudden, Tennessee is the happening place to be for cornerbacks.

After failing to close last year’s or start this year’s class with a quality defensive back, Tennessee followed up Friday’s Warren Burrell commitment with a pledge from North Carolina DB Tyus Fields, who chose the Vols over Clemson and North Carolina State.

The 4-star cornerback’s brother plays for the Tigers, but Fields has been locked into what coach Jeremy Pruitt has been dishing out for several months now. Though he doesn’t fit the big cornerback that Pruitt normally covets, Fields packs a punch like one.

The 5’10”, 182-pound William Amos Hough High School standout is a big-time hitter, and that physicality is an important reason why the Vols want him to be a part of the future. He committed to UT at the cookout this weekend, and it’s going to be interesting to see how the numbers shake out.

With Jaydon Hill expected to have Tennessee at the top of his list and announcing soon, the big, physical defender from Bob Jones High School in Madison, Alabama, is definitely a take. But what about after him?

The picture cleared up a little for the Vols on Thursday when Elijah Blades chose Oregon over UT, but there are still some very good targets who could want in the boat. Louisiana cornerback Devin Bush is one, as is Georgia prospects Jaylen McCullough and Jordan Huff. Having a group of interested prospects like that is a big reason why the Vols weren’t disappointed to let instate athletes like Woodi Washington, Lance Wilhoite Jr. and Adonis Otey walk. Of course, those guys could play on offense, but it looks like at least a couple of them won’t on the next level.

The Vols wanted Memphis area standout Maurice Hampton to come to Knoxville, but the long-time LSU pledge appears locked into the Bayou Bengals to play football and baseball, unless Pruitt can work some defensive magic there recruiting.

All will be fine either way. Getting Burrell and Fields on back-to-back days is huge for the Vols, who are now surging up the rankings and are 11th nationally and fifth in the SEC behind Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia and LSU. With some big-time playmakers left on the board, it’ll be interesting to see how far the Vols can rise.

Offensive lineman Darnell Wright, running back/linebacker Quavaris Crouch, a couple of defensive tackles, another defensive back and a pass-rusher look like the way UT wants to close out the class. Throw in a wide receiver there, and of course there’s the possible attrition of a couple of players who are currently committed.

But Saturday was about Fields.

“Really, it was Coach Pruitt, and how he brought everybody together,” Fields told GoVols247’s Wes Rucker. “He’s forming something really special up here at Tennessee.”

The Vols have commitments from two of 247Sports’ top six prospects in the state of North Carolina, and this is the way the Vols recruiting back in the heyday of the program under Johnny Majors and Phillip Fulmer. That state was a priority. Of course, most of the hay has been made in Georgia this year, and UT is a bigger factor in Alabama than it has been since the Fulmer era too with Pruitt’s roots and connections there.

But UT put Brian Niedermeyer in the Tar Heel State, and it’s paying huge dividends. The Vols want to be a presence there in the 2020 class and beyond, too, and if they can land Crouch, it would be the kind of commitment from NC that will send shockwaves across the country.

John Garcia Jr., who is a 247Sports analyst, told Rucker in another story that the Vols are making major noise in that state.

“It’s no secret that when Tennessee is rolling, that I-40 connection really resonates with kids. Tennessee’s a lot closer to those areas than a lot of those North Carolina schools would like to acknowledge.

“When Tennessee is going good, they’re able to pluck the best from North Carolina and compete with Clemson, Virginia Tech and others in that area.”

This is some pretty big success Pruitt is experiencing and UT hasn’t even starting winning yet. If the Vols can make some moves on the football field (where it counts) recruiting is going to heat up in a hurry. This year’s class has the size upgrade, is meeting the needs in the trenches and in the secondary and has even landed a promising prospect at quarterback in a year that isn’t very strong at the position.

Warren Burrell Finally Gives Pruitt His Elite Cornerback Commitment

 

To say new Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt has struggled when luring elite cornerback prospects to Knoxville since taking over for Butch Jones last year wouldn’t exactly be accurate. But it certainly hasn’t been easy for a man known for developing defensive backs.

This isn’t as simple as recruiting to Alabama, after all, where the Crimson Tide are winning national championships in bucketloads.

Last year, star prospects like Isaac Taylor-Stuart, Olaijah Griffin, Tyson Campbell and others flirted with the Vols, but they all went elsewhere. Trevon Flowers wound up choosing UT over Clemson, and there’s nothing wrong with the commitment of super-athlete Brandon Davis, but the Vols struck out on elite corner prospects.

So, Pruitt went out and turned a couple of his stud athlete commitments into defensive backs. The Vols have Alontae Taylor and Bryce Thompson slated to play the position, and both of those kids have very high ceilings at the position. They both also could play receiver if needed, so it’s going to be fun to watch and see how good they are at cornerback — and if they stick. If they are destined to play there, Pruitt and Terry Fair will have a couple of nice, moldable prospects.

But the Vols went out and finally got a high school cornerback who was very high on their list Friday. A day after JUCO cornerback Elijah Blades spurned UT to commit to Oregon, the Vols landed North Gwinnett High School DB Burrell. He’s a 4-star prospect on Rivals, and though he’s just a 3-star on 247Sports, it sounds like he’s due for a big bump after listening to Rusty Mansell say he “checks all the boxes,” as a prospect.

Burrell had more than 25 offers but wound up choosing UT over Florida and North Carolina State. He is the first CB domino to fall for the Vols, who also are high on the lists of Jaydon Hill, Tyus Fields, Jordan Huff, Devin Bush and others. Tennessee needs at least three true cornerbacks in this class and maybe more. Burrell is a huge start.

He’s arguably the top player at the position on Tennessee’s list besides Blades, who was a true plug-and-play JUCO cornerback and a big loss. Burrell is a 6’0″ prospect who has long arms and great feet. He can be a shutdown-type prospect. Mansell told GoVols247’s Ryan Callahan that Burrell was a “very confident player.”

That alpha mentality is vital at a position where you’ve got to have a short-term memory. It’s going to be fun to see who else UT lands at the position, and while the Vols won’t stop recruiting Blades, look for them to target other JUCO DBs, and they’ll also continue to recruit some of the top players on their board. Again, Pruitt’s pedigree developing defensive backs has UT high on several of those guys’ lists. With numbers tight, it’s unsure who UT will take, who the Vols prioritize and where they’ll fit.

But Burrell always had a spot. He informed Pruitt last Saturday that he was on board, and he is a major piece to the puzzle. Pruitt values lanky corners, and though Burrell isn’t the tallest cornerback, he has a wide wingspan and also possesses good technique. He’s a winner, too. His team won a state championship a year ago, and they’ll look to repeat this season.

This wasn’t an easy recruiting win for the Vols, according to Rivals’ Chad Simmons, who spoke at length with Burrell. The prospect said at times over the course of the past few weeks, the Vols, Gators and Wolfpack all held a lead.

UT thought it was in the best shape for a long time, and he kept in contact with Vols coaches even as he was visiting other places. Tennessee ultimately landed him because of his relationship with Pruitt and Fair.

“Coach Pruitt being a defensive guy and knowing a lot about defensive backs definitely played a big role in my decision. He has had a lot of success at Alabama, he has been a part of multiple national championships and having the chance to learn under him I feel will make me a much better defensive back. That is a huge plus.

The Vols have been in on so many corners, it seems, since Pruitt took over. For whatever reason — the biggest of which has to be last year’s 4-8 record — they haven’t been able to close the deal. Now, UT goes back into Georgia for yet another pledge, and it’s a very important player who could help them open the floodgates at the position.

It’s possible Fields, Hill, Bush and others could make decisions before the end of the summer, and the Vols feel good about all three of those prospects. It’s still important the Vols play well on the field this year to keep some positive momentum going, but the commitment of Burrell puts the Vols in the top 15 of the recruiting rankings on 247Sports at 14th.

Still, in the rugged SEC, the Vols are behind Alabama (1), Texas A&M (2), Georgia (5), LSU (7), Mississippi State (12) and Auburn (13). The Vols are also 14th on Rivals with the Burrell pledge.

This could be a big weekend for the Vols to move up as they’ve got some important targets at their cookout. Check back on GRT for more details.

10 Questions for 2018: The Offensive Line

I don’t know what you think the lowest moment of the last ten years is; maybe it’s the loss to Kentucky in 2011, maybe getting blown out by Georgia last year, or maybe it’s just everything from the South Carolina game in 2016 onward. But I’m a firm believer that the scariest moment was the hours between John Currie’s dismissal and Phillip Fulmer’s hire on December 1.

The book on Fulmer as athletic director will be written over the next few years; there are no guarantees. But in that moment, the Vols seemed more vulnerable than they’d been in my entire lifetime. The short-term was already sacrificed with the Schiano fiasco, but the long-term was on the table with no athletic director, no guarantees the powers that be would bring in the right one, and no promising candidates who would want to walk into that kind of situation as Tennessee’s next head coach.

And at some point in those hours on December 1, I remember thinking, “…and we can’t block anyone next year anyway.”

10 Questions for 2018 #4: The Offensive Line

Consider how much better things have gotten since then, not only with Fulmer and (hopefully) Pruitt, but the line. That this isn’t question number one is a very good sign.

Jeremy Pruitt inherited a line including Drew Richmond, Trey Smith, Marcus Tatum, Ryan Johnson, Riley Locklear, and redshirt freshman K’Rojhn Calbert. Devante Brooks had just been converted from tight end. That’s seven scholarship players. Jack Jones was out, Venzell Boulware transferred, and Chance Hall and Nathan Niehaus seemed unlikely to return. Even before we assumed we wouldn’t get Cade Mays, this was big trouble. When we did a first draft 2018 depth chart in the midst of the coaching search, we had to leave center blank.

But Jeremy Pruitt did three critical things to shore up the line: signed four-star Jerome Carvin, picked up junior college transfer Jahmir Johnson, and landed Alabama transfer Brandon Kennedy.

The Vols still didn’t get Mays, then had several months of waiting to hear Trey Smith could go again. I’m still not sure when or at what percentage we’ll see Chance Hall. But there’s at least some optimism available now when it was impossible to find back in December.

The Vols could start a five-star and three four-stars in this group. Again, leaning heavily on recruiting rankings and hoping this staff flips the switch on a player like Drew Richmond is what we’re all guilty of with a first-year coach. But there’s now hope the Vols could not only fill out the line, but it could be an asset.

Last season Tennessee was 114th nationally in sacks allowed, 121st in TFLs allowed, and 115th in yards per carry. The sacks number (2.92 per game) was only the worst since 2014 (3.31) when Justin Worley was ultimately lost for the year. The Vols also allowed 3.15 per game in the 2010 “we can’t play Tyler Bray because he might die back there” season with freshmen everywhere on the line. Sacks allowed have varied wildly in this decade between styles of play and freshmen being forced to step in. That shouldn’t have to be the case this season; guys like Ollie Lane and Taylor Antonutti will be available, but can rightfully wait before they’re asked to be a first-team option if the Vols stay relatively healthy.

The tackles for loss were a concern throughout Butch Jones’ tenure; Southern Cal struggled a bit in that department last season as well, but were 11th nationally in that stat in 2016. Hopefully the system and the play-calling will help there. As for running the football, 3.41 yards per carry last season was the program’s worst number since 2011 (2.76). But those two totals, along with Ole Miss’s 3.36 ypc in 2011, are the worst three rushing performances in the SEC this decade. There’s bad, and then there’s a kind of historically bad you simply cannot afford to be in this league.

So yes, there’s lots of room to grow. But that growth now has names and faces and even backups, and the majority of the starters should at least carry the recruiting rankings Pruitt’s staff will want to become the norm. The Vols don’t have to start freshmen, and the previous staff did at least recruit the position as opposed to what they were left by Derek Dooley. Last season was as bad as it’s been on the line, and things looked especially perilous during the transition. But looking forward, there’s more reason for optimism, especially with offensive line coach Will Friend having an influence on not just this unit but the offense as a whole. That this line has a better prognosis than at least a couple we’ve inherited this decade is a good sign. If they stay healthy, they might even become a strength.

10 Questions for 2018

10. Which backups on the defensive line will be starters in 2019?

09. Can special teams make the difference in a coach’s first year?

08. What do we know about Tyson Helton’s offense from his time at USC?

07. Who’s the third/fourth wide receiver in an offense that will actually throw them the ball?

06. What about team chemistry with a first-time coach and a hodgepodge of players?

05. How much ground can the Vols gain in year one on the non-UGA SEC East?

 

The Next Step List: Jarrett Guarantano and Kyle Phillips

 

Football is near.

And it won’t be long until we’re gearing ourselves up for the Vols to usher in the Jeremy Pruitt era.

We all know 2018 likely isn’t going to be a pretty sight, but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk ourselves into the Vols being much-improved under the former Alabama defensive coordinator. After all, Butch Jones is gone.

You just can’t help this time of year to be a tiny bit optimistic, even if logic (and recent history) suggests this is going to be yet another rebuilding campaign in Knoxville. Pruitt wants to win now, and he definitely isn’t used to losing after successful tenures in Tuscaloosa, Tallahassee and Athens, Georgia.

He’s outfitted UT’s roster with more size, and an infusion of collegiate talent. And he’s won some recruiting battles for guys who must be able to come right in and make an impact.

But what about the dudes already on the team? Who needs to make a major step forward in 2018 for the Vols to rise above the 4-8 doldrums of a historically horrible season where it looked like the team quit on former coach Butch Jones and his staff?

So far, our list has gone a little like this:

Offense: 5. Jauan Jennings 4. Ryan Johnson 3. Ty Chandler 2. Drew Richmond

Defense: 5. Jonathan Kongbo 4. Theo Jackson 3. Darrell Taylor 2. Baylen Buchanan

Who are the top two, then?

OFFENSE

No. 1 JARRETT GUARANTANO, RS SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACK

Say what you want to about graduate transfer Keller Chryst, and he may actually win the starting quarterback gig. But I’m not sure that’s the best thing for the Vols.

What would be an ideal situation is for the former dynamic, highly rated high school prospect from New Jersey to grow into his full potential and surge into stardom with three years left to play. Not only would that help the Vols ease into the Jeremy Pruitt era with a dependable signal-caller, it would allow guys like true freshman J.T. Shrout and recruit Brian Maurer to develop.

You have to think if Guarantano doesn’t beat out Chryst, his time at Tennessee would be nearing an end. It’s tough to speculate on something like that, sure, but I’m not sure if he can’t beat out a former backup at Stanford in year 3 of his time at UT if he’ll ever be the player the Vols thought they were getting when they recruited him.

Guarantano is not a run-first guy the way Joshua Dobbs was. He has a cannon for an arm and though he can make all the throws, he struggled with his anticipation and throwing guys open as a second-year freshman a year ago. His “internal clock” was broken, too. He never felt the pressure the way you want your quarterback to, and too many times, plays broke down because he didn’t get rid of the ball.

This spring, you would have loved to see him separate himself and earn a little bit of a head start with Chryst not on campus. He didn’t do that, and Guarantano really isn’t an ideal fit for new offensive coordinator Tyson Helton’s system. But that doesn’t mean he’ll fail. He’s got a lot of talent and can make all the plays. He can even run a little.

The Vols need for Guarantano to be a fiery leader, a gamer who grinds out plays and can make the spectacular ones occasionally. Helton has developed a lot of quarterbacks who’ve posted big-time collegiate numbers, and while nobody expects Guarantano to be a breakout star, the Vols need for him to be a steady force.

This Tennessee team can’t win football games with a “game manager.” I’m afraid that’s all Chryst would be with his accuracy issues and the lack of proof that he can ignite a downfield attack. Guarantano has that field-stretching arm. He has that ability. He has that swagger.

But can he put everything together?

Right now, he’s a leftover icon from an era gone wrong on Rocky Top. He was the Chosen One to play quarterback for the future of the Vols, but Butch Jones chose him. So, Guarantano doesn’t have the fan base’s heart, and he certainly doesn’t have the stats or the resme for us to believe in him.

He has to prove that he’s a good player and not just another recruiting miscue by a staff that failed to develop player after player after player.

DEFENSE

No. 1 KYLE PHILLIPS, SENIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN

For a while, I thought about putting Darrin Kirkland Jr. on this list. After all, he nearly left the Vols, and if he could return to his form as a true freshman when he was literally all over the field making plays, he would be a major boost to UT’s team.

Then I remembered: It doesn’t matter if Kirkland is a beast or not because the Vols’ linebacking corps should be one of the few positions on the team that has talent stockpiled. Between him, Daniel Bituli, Kongbo, Taylor, Will Ignont, Quart’e Sapp, JJ Peterson, Jordan Allen, Deandre Johnson, Austin Smith, Shanon Reid, Dillon Bates and others, surely the Vols can find a serviceable — if not dynamic — foursome. Yes, Kirkland is important, but I think the players I’ve put on the list are more important.

So, I’m going to go with a defensive lineman here.

Though Shy Tuttle probably should have been on here somewhere (I’m still not convinced Kongbo is a factor…) the top spot goes to Phillips. Remember when he destroyed the U.S. Army All-American Game, committed to Tennessee over LSU, and we all thought we were in for four years where he was going to terrorize SEC quarterbacks?

That seems like so long ago.

As a freshman, he started at defensive end, lacked explosion, moved inside to his chagrin but made some plays and then his season ended prematurely with injury. Injuries, inconsistency and mismanagement hindered him as a sophomore, and he was just so-so last year. Now, this offseason, he’s added a few pounds and is up to 273 pounds. He is expected to play inside some and can also play at that weight on the outside, too.

But he’s going to play a big role. Pruitt thought enough of him that Phillips represented Tennessee at SEC Media Days, not Tuttle. He’s a smart kid, a good kid and he hasn’t enjoyed the kind of career he expected. Now, this year, he hopes to build off a really good spring and finish his career in Knoxville with a flurry.

The Vols need dependable, rugged players on the defensive front who can stay in their slots, not get blown off the ball, and, most importantly, stop the run. That’s something this team hasn’t done in years. Now, if Tuttle can have a solid final year and a guy like Phillips can be a cog in the front, it can free up the ‘backers to make plays.

Is this group going to get a lot of sacks? That’s doubtful. But the Vols absolutely must get pressure on quarterbacks and help out what is expected to be a young and inexperienced secondary. When you look at that defensive line, there are some formerly heavily recruited players who’ve had mediocre careers who are really looking for something in their swan song.

Phillips is the perfect embodiment of that. He needs a big year if he’s going to get any NFL teams to give him a second look. The Vols need him to be a factor if they’re going to be any good at all this season.

So, here he sits, at the top of the list. It’s now or never for Phillips and a lot of his Jones-recruited teammates who suffered through the worst season in the history of the program a year ago.

Worth watching 7.26.18: Tennessee Takeover Day

If you’re looking for something Vols-related to watch today, just turn on your TV, as it’s Tennessee Takeover Day on the SEC Network. Here’s the day’s schedule:

But if you’ve forgotten how to operate your TV, here’s some online video of Alving Kamara to console you:

Worth reading 7.26.18: Hating the Gators

If you read only one thing about the Vols today . . .

. . . make it this, from GRT’s Will Shelton:

Other Vols stuff worth reading today

  1. What Roman Harrison’s Commitment Means to the Vols, via GRT’s Brad Shepard
  2. Vols’ new offensive staff drawing high marks from players, via 247Sports
  3. Expectations bigger for Vols’ Marquez Callaway, via the Times Free Press
  4. Tennessee Vols football: Talented newcomers will create ‘very competitive’ camp, says Kyle Phillips, via 247Sports
  5. Tennessee Vols football recruiting: Vols among finalists for four-star Texas WR Jalen Curry, via 247Sports
  6. Stokes Recaps Experiences in China, NBA Summer League – University of Tennessee, via UTSports

Behind the paywalls

  • 2018 Position preview: WRs, via VolQuest
  • Tennessee Vols football recruiting: DE Roman Harrison gives Vols ‘a lot to be excited about’, via 247Sports

What Roman Harrison’s Commitment Means to the Vols

Over the past decade, new Tennessee head football coach Jeremy Pruitt has developed a reputation for building some of the best collegiate defenses the sport has ever seen. So, you go into his tenure with the Vols trusting that UT is going to be much-improved on that side of the ball.

“Trust” is the perfect word for what followers of Vols football recruiting are having to do in the first year of Pruitt’s work on the trail. While Tennessee has landed several high-profile recruits, the Vols also are taking some virtual unknowns along the defensive front.

Right now, you shrug it off and say, “Pruitt knows what he wants on that side of the ball.” That may be true, but it’s also important for Vols fans to still be in show-me mode until he proves something. There are an awful lot of defensive linemen who don’t fit the bill of having a huge offer sheet.

The latest in the long lines of little-known DL commitments came Wednesday with the pledge of 3-star defensive end/outside linebacker Roman Harrison. The 6’2″, 241-pound defender camped at UT a few weeks ago and showed out, leaving Tennessee’s coaching staff wanting him in orange.

Harrison hails from tiny Bainbridge, Georgia, and his only two high-major offers besides the Vols were Michigan State and Georgia Tech. But Tennessee loved his explosion, and Pruitt was comfortable enough with his in-person evaluation to take him this early in the process.

Despite his pedestrian ranking, Harrison gives the Vols “a lot to be excited about,” 247Sports Director of Scouting Barton Simmons told GoVols247’s Ryan Callahan. Still, with few spots remaining in the class and some big names left on the board, this was one that came a bit from nowhere.

That’s no knock on Harrison, who analysts seem to love while talking about his pass-rushing speed and his motor. It’s just a left-field pledge to UT, and it seems this is a big reason why the Vols backed off North Carolina pass-rusher Terrell Dawkins, who is destined to go elsewhere.

Apparently, Pruitt loves Harrison that much.

With all the defensive back needs, another wide receiver, another offensive lineman and a few other needs out there, the Vols aren’t being judicious with their spots. It seems they’re taking guys they like and will sort things out later.

Pruitt doesn’t really care about your stinking rankings, and — again — he trusts what he and his coaches see at camps. In a year where a ton of instate prospects are looking elsewhere, that’s tough for some Vols fans to stomach. It’s difficult seeing athletes like Woodi Washington, Lance Wilhoite and Kane Patterson head to top-shelf programs like Oklahoma, Oregon and Ohio State.

It’s really hard to watch Tennessee boys and big needs like defensive linemen Bill Norton and Zion Logue go to rival Georgia or another big-name prospect like Joe Anderson at South Carolina. Even instate lineman Tymon Mitchell looks like he’s visiting the Dawgs, too.

So, when you see a commitment from a guy like Harrison who event the most fervent recruiting followers haven’t heard of, you do one of two things — you make the assumption that the Vols are “settling” or “reaching” or you trust the staff.

There’s a lot of trusting going on dating back to the last class.

The Vols’ defensive lineman pledges under Pruitt began with little-known lineman Kingston Harris, who played at powerhouse IMG Academy and didn’t even start. Even so, he reported to school at 6’3″, 316 pounds and looks ready to play. Pruitt also “discovered” a guy like Kurott Garland, who played at a small Georgia school. Three-star defensive lineman John Mincey had some good offers but wasn’t a hot commodity, and JUCO Emmit Gooden was a late addition.

This year, the Vols followed up those signings with commits from LeDarrius Cox, who is a 3-star prospect but has offers from Auburn and others; little-known Starkville, Mississippi product Jalil Clemons, who doesn’t have an offer from the hometown Bulldogs; former Oak Ridge standout and JUCO prospect Darel Middleton; massive 350-pound nose guard Elijah Simmons from Pearl-Cohn High School whose only other SEC offer was Mizzou; and now Harrison.

Maybe these are all diamonds in the rough; maybe they’re rough around the edges. We have no idea of knowing. But while it’s easy to trust a defensive-minded coach, it’s hard for us to trust after the past decade on the football field.

It’s a tough spot as a follower of recruiting.

There are a lot of reasons to like Harrison. Pruitt and staff loved him at camp and offered him. He’s playing out of position for a small school, lining up at nose guard and wreaking havoc. Simmons told Callahan:  “The fact that he plays out of position makes him that much more intriguing to me. (He is) tough and strong enough to be an inside guy, but clearly brimming with edge athleticism.”

I mean, you know this guy isn’t going to be a high-visibility prospect when one of the best recruiting pics we get from him is this:

That’s small-town ball, y’all.

Pruitt going on his own evaluations is a reason why the Vols are currently ranked ninth in recruiting in the SEC. Yes, there are some big targets remaining on the board, but it seems Pruitt’s immediate plan are for the Vols to be a whole lot bigger as a team, rankings be darned.

Just how high can this class go? I’m sure Pruitt isn’t going to stop recruiting marquee players, and if better, higher-ranked guys want on board later, he’ll make it work. But what if Harrison and Co. are the better, higher-ranked guys at a later date? Pruitt has a long history of developing top defenses.

Maybe these guys are top defenders. Maybe his staff will turn them into those. We’ll all find out.

It’s Almost Always Florida

Jesse Simonton’s piece at VolQuest this week produced a familiar answer to a fun late-July question. What’s Tennessee’s most important game?

It’s Florida. It’s almost always Florida.

There are quotes Tennessee fans will like in Jesse’s piece, offering some behind-the-scenes insight on how Jeremy Pruitt’s staff seems to understand the importance of Vols/Gators around here. And while Florida has been a consistent answer to that question since the divisional format began in 1992, why the game is so important has shifted over the years from Tennessee’s perspective.

It’s easier to think of seasons when Florida didn’t feel like the most important game in late-July. It’s also fun to look at the impact of the Florida game at the end of each year. Here are a few thoughts on the pre-and-post-season answers to Tennessee’s most important game since the Vols and Gators have been together in the SEC East:

1992-95: The Bama Streak

Even though the Vols and Crimson Tide aren’t in the same division, Alabama still felt like the most important game of the year until the Vols broke what became a 10-year streak. It took that, in 1995, to really turn the attention of Tennessee fans fully toward Gainesville, where by then Florida had picked up a three-year run of its own over Tennessee. Looking back, only the first of these years in 1992 wasn’t also defined by what the Vols did against Alabama in the end. Phillip Fulmer’s takeover made the Florida game the most meaningful at the end of the ’92 season, both the best memory from that year and the one that most assisted Fulmer in becoming Tennessee’s next head coach. 1993’s longest-lasting memory is the tie against the Crimson Tide, a near-miss at the goal line the longest from 1994, and that jubilant night in Birmingham still sings 23 years later from 1995.

1996-2001: Tennessee/Florida as a National Rivalry

With the exception of a rebuild in 2000, in every one of these years you knew there were national championship implications on the line when Tennessee and Florida met. And only once, when the Vols lost to Florida in 1997 but still made the SEC Championship Game, did the outcome fail to define Tennessee’s season. These six match-ups were #2 vs #4, #2 vs #4, #2 vs #6, #2 vs #4, #6 vs #11 in 2000, then #2 vs #5. That’s all you need to know.

2002-03: A Brief Intermission for Miami

Having drained The Swamp and watched Steve Spurrier leave for the NFL, the Vols were free to dream a little bigger heading into the 2002 season. The defending champs from Miami would visit Neyland Stadium that November, and with the Vols in the preseason top five it felt like the biggest bulls-eye coming in. Of course, the 2002 season didn’t go as planned, starting with a rainy day against Florida that ended up being the longest-lasting memory from that year. The following season Florida was back in its rightful place atop the most important list at the start of the year, but a surprise upset in the return match with the Hurricanes (and a three-way tie in the SEC East) made the win at Miami the season’s most memorable.

2004-09: Change on the Horizon

With Ron Zook at Florida, Georgia took advantage. Florida won the BCS title in 2006, but it was their only SEC East crown from 2001-07. Tennessee and Georgia split the other six, making the Dawgs the most important game on the front end in 2004 and 2005, plus Georgia’s preseason #1 turn in 2008. It lived up to that standard in 2004, as the Vols stunned #3 Georgia in Athens en route to the division crown. And while it may not have felt like the most important game coming in, wins over Georgia in 2007 and 2009 were the best memories from those years. During this span the Vols also had critical early-season non-conference games that mattered a great deal in perception: California in 2006, and UCLA for Lane Kiffin in 2009.

2010-17: You’re not really back until you…

Beat Florida. During the Derek Dooley and Butch Jones tenures, only once was Florida not the most important game of the year coming in: 2013, in Jones’ first year, with Vanderbilt on the rise under James Franklin and the Vols having lost to Kentucky in 2011 and Vanderbilt in 2012. After the Dooley era, beating the Gators felt like too big of an ask for Jones in year one, the most sober we’ve been as a fan base (and maybe even more sober than we are right now). I’d listen to an argument for 2015, that more people were invested in that Oklahoma game in Neyland than Florida in The Swamp coming into the year, but I’m not sure I’m buying it. For Dooley, only in the end was the Florida game truly the most important: his first team turned it over to Tyler Bray at South Carolina and seemed to turn a corner; his second team threw all that right in the fire at Kentucky, which should never ever be your most impactful game of the year. Butch Jones got more positive out of beating South Carolina in 2013 than losing to Vanderbilt, but Florida has been the most painful memory in each of the last four years. Three losses that absolutely should not have been, and one spectacular win that couldn’t stand the test of time by season’s end.

By my count, Florida has felt like the most important game coming into the year in 15 of the last 22 seasons since the Vols broke the Bama streak. And it has been the game with the longest-lasting impact on Tennessee’s year 11 times in those 22 years, including five of the last six. It’s a far cry from what we saw in the late 90’s, but the stakes still feel quite real. They’re all important for Jeremy Pruitt, including West Virginia. But the answer is almost always Florida. It’s Pruitt’s job to raise those stakes even higher.