Gameday on Rocky Top

When it comes to recruiting, Jeremy Pruitt will of course focus on the burgeoning instate talent base first and foremost, with Georgia as always being a major pipeline.  Alabama and the Carolinas will likely be new areas that the staff seeks to mine that the prior staff struggled in, and the new staff’s recruiting prowess and relationships will mean that Tennessee is going to be back to recruiting elite prospects across the country from California to Florida.  However, with the hire of David Johnson from Memphis as his new WR Coach, Pruitt now has a real opportunity to make Louisiana a priority state as well.

Johnson, who attended Nicholls State in Thibodaux, LA before spending nearly a decade in the high school coaching ranks in his hometown of New Orleans, also spent four seasons coaching at Tulane.  His reputation as a recruiter is incredibly strong, and his ties in the state are extensive.  In fact, in two years on the Memphis staff he’s signed 5 players from there including Damonte Coxie, an LSU commitment who had his offer pulled just before National Signing Day in 2016 and made his way to Memphis through a connection between Johnson and Coxie’s high school coach.  There’s also Jonathan Wilson, a New Orleans native who signed with Tulane after being recruited there by Johnson and then decided to follow him to Memphis and has started on their defensive line since his freshman year.  In the 2018 cycle Johnson signed 3 Louisiana natives in December and has one more unsigned commitment from the state.

Johnson won’t be walking into a situation where his area of strongest connections are fresh ground for Tennessee.  Robert Gillespie has been working Louisiana for a long time himself, and has been making real hay down there.  In 2017 in fact Tennessee signed three prospects from Louisiana in DBs Cheyenne Labruzza and Terrell Bailey as well as RB Trey Coleman.  And though the 2018 class doesn’t yet include any Pelican State natives, the staff has Jumbo ATH Glenn Beal, DB Eddie Smith, and OLB/DE Michael Williams in their crosshairs. Beal already has Tennessee as his stated leader and Smith and Williams are currently in Knoxville on their official visits.  One would think the addition of Johnson to the staff can only help the Vols with these three.  Whether he can get Tennessee into the mix with elite WR Jamarr Chase, another LA native, remains to be seen.  Chase is at LSU this weekend and the Tigers will undoubtedly be trying to lock him down.  But Johnson was doing his best with Chase while at Memphis, and there is one more OV to be scheduled, so you can be sure he will try here.

LSU will always be the big dog in the state, and other powers, especially Alabama of late, will always recruit the state heavily.  However, there is an incredible amount of talent to go around in the state and in the class of 2019 alone seven Louisiana prospects ranked in the top 10 nationally at their positions.

Johnson also has relationships with high school coaches and prospects in Memphis, particularly one would assume with WRs in the Bluff City.  And fortunately for Tennessee, Memphis is home to three bigtime 2019 prospects in WR Shamar Nash, DE Eric Gregory and DT Trevis Hopper.  And the 2020 class also features stud WR Darin Turner, who will be a national recruit.

Johnson completes what can only be described as an elite recruiting staff, and his ties to Louisiana as well as Memphis complement the relationships that the rest of the assistants bring across the South and the rest of the country.  Look for Tennessee to make Louisiana more of a priority moving forward and for the tag-team of Johnson and Gillespie to start pulling bigtime players from the state almost immediately.

Yesterday, we took our best guess at Jeremy Pruitt’s ideal roster makeup and concluded it would probably look something like the following:

• 3-6 nose tackles;
• 6-10 defensive ends;
• 5-8 inside linebackers;
• 5-8 outside linebackers;
• 4-8 safeties;
• 5-10 cornerbacks;
• 4-6 running backs;
• 3-4 quarterbacks;
• 3-6 tight ends;
• 8-13 wide receivers; and
• 14-18 offensive linemen

Today, we’ll start taking a closer look at the returning roster to see how Pruitt might be viewing the current roster compared to his ideal roster. We’ll start with the defensive line.

Nose Tackles (3-6)

It’s probably not much of a stretch to think that defense will be foremost on Pruitt’s mind as he gets to work. In his 3-4 scheme, nose tackle is arguably the first and most important piece of the puzzle, which at first glance makes Kahlil McKenzie’s decision to leave early for the NFL all the more baffling.

Tennessee’s official roster does not delineate between defensive ends and tackles, so we’re going to go through the information to see which guys meet the ideal criteria for a nose tackle, which is a guy who is 5’11” to 6’5″ and between 290 and 340 pounds. Here’s a list of those guys:

Unless I’m mistaken, both Paul Bain and Maurese Smith are walk-ons, so they won’t be included in this analysis.

Looking at this list, it’s pretty clear that Shy Tuttle has the inside track to nailing down the starting position at nose tackle. He may have also beaten McKenzie out for that spot if McKenzie had chosen to return. That there is only one spot available might actually explain McKenzie’s decision to leave early.

In addition to the returning guys, the Vols also have signed letters of intent from three defensive linemen within 5-10 pounds of ideal nose tackle weight in Greg Emerson, Brant Lawless, and Kingston Harris. They also have a commitment from D’Andre Litaker, who already fits the criteria.

With three nose tackles already on scholarship, one probably coming, and at least three other recruits who could maybe grow into the position, the Vols are within their range of 3-6 nose tackles, but also have some room to add a couple more if desired.

Defensive Ends (6-10)

The ideal criteria for a defensive end is someone who is 6’2″ to 6’6″ and between 270 and 310 pounds. The list of returning guys on Tennessee’s roster who meet that criteria are . . . drumroll . . .

No, that is not a mistake. Matthew Butler is the only defensive lineman on Tennessee’s roster who meets the ideal height and weight combination for a defensive end in the 3-4.

That leaves ten defensive linemen on Tennessee’s returning roster who don’t fit as either a nose tackle or a defensive end in the 3-4:

Brandon Benedict and TJ Minnifee are walk-ons, so don’t count against the scholarship limit.

Of the remaining guys, everyone seems to be a bit undersized for their positions, although some are very close. The Vols also have a signed letter of intent from Jordan Allen, whose recruiting profile lists him as a weakside defensive end, but he, too, is undersized at only 230 pounds. At that weight, he may actually end up a linebacker this fall.

With all of that, it appears that Tennessee currently has only one defensive end that is ideally-sized for the 3-4. Jonathan Kongbo and Kyle Phillips are the right height and are close to the right weight for the position, and we know that Darrell Taylor can play the spot despite being 15 pounds shy of the lower target range for weight. All said, though, it seems that there are a ton of defensive linemen who will be asked to add weight this offseason, and even then, the Vols may still be short 2-6 true defensive ends. The problem, of course, is that there are a lot of spots taken up by guys who may not fit the mold Pruitt is looking for, and he won’t be able to just add his guys without having those spots available.

Now that Jeremy Pruitt has arrived on Rocky Top full-time, his first order of business — after learning everyone’s names — is shoring up his first recruiting class. National Signing Day is Wednesday, February 7, so he has about four full weeks to put the finishing touches on a class that already has 14 signees thanks to the early signing period this year. The class currently ranks 16th in the nation, 5th in the SEC, and 2nd in the SEC East, and there is plenty of time and room to move up.

What, exactly, is Pruitt looking for? Apart from getting quality guys, it’s all a guessing game at this point. He’s said that character matters, and he’s said that he has certain criteria in mind for each position, but beyond that, he’s not really tipping his hand.

The kind of player Pruitt most desires depends of course on the schemes he plans to run, so let’s first make some educated guesses as to what Pruitt’s offensive and defensive schemes might look like. It’s important to note that Pruitt will likely adapt any scheme to the players he has on the roster, so while he will certainly be recruiting toward his ideal, what we see from his team in Year 1 may well be different by Year 4.

Defensive Scheme

It’s not a stretch to expect Pruitt to utilize the defensive scheme that has worked so well for him as defensive coordinator at Alabama, Georgia, and Florida State since 2013. This article from Florida State blog Tomahawk Nation notes that FSU moved almost immediately to a 3-4 defense when Pruitt was hired in 2013 despite initially saying that they probably would have to wait for a recruiting class or two. Assuming something similar happens here at UT this year, Pruitt may go ahead and rip off the bandaid and make the move to his preferred 3-4 even if he doesn’t yet have the ideal personnel to do it.

What personnel does he need? This excellent article from SB Nation suggests that the ideal defensive roster in a 3-4 scheme should look something like this:

• 3-6 nose tackles;
• 6-10 defensive ends;
• 5-8 inside linebackers;
• 5-8 outside linebackers;
• 4-8 safeties; and
• 5-10 cornerbacks

Here are the suggested ranges for size and speed for each position:

That information is for a two-gap 3-4 scheme, and it appears that Pruit may run a newer one-gap 3-4 variation, so Pruitt may well be looking for different numbers, sizes, or speeds.

Offensive Scheme

What offensive style Pruitt’s team runs is more of a mystery. Offensive coordinator Tyson Helton was most recently the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator for USC. Prior to that, Helton was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Western Kentucky under Jeff Brohm, who’s been heavily influenced by Bobby Petrino. This style of offense may best be described as a modern-era pro-style and is characterized as a balanced, up-tempo, explosive offense that features mutiple options and layers of misdirection that stress the attention of the defense before exploiting its weaknesses.

The SB Nation article on ideal rosters for popular schemes includes two spread schemes and a traditional pro-style, so it doesn’t specifically address what we might see on the field starting this fall, but here is the suggested ideal roster for the traditional pro-style scheme:

• 4-6 running backs;
• 3-4 quarterbacks;
• 3-6 tight ends;
• 8-13 wide receivers; and
• 14-18 offensive linemen

If I had to guess, I’d say Helton’s system would be on the high end for tight ends and wide receivers.

Here are the suggested ranges for size and speed for the offensive positions:

Later, we’ll take a look at Tennessee’s current roster and the current signees to see where Pruitt may be looking to build toward the future with this year’s recruiting class.

Coming out of the dead period with the #14 ranked class nationally by Rivals.com and fresh off a dominating second half performance by his defense in Alabama’s National Championship Game win over Georgia, Coach Jeremy Pruitt is set to host an impressive group of visitors this weekend.  And while the visitor list will likely change (and hopefully expand) in the coming days as things get shuffled around, there are already some incredibly important targets coming to Knoxville.  Check it out below:

LB JJ Peterson – One of the jewels of the class, Peterson is an instant contributor at LB and is the kind of prospect we can get used to seeing Pruitt recruit.  Having committed last weekend at the Army All-America Game despite never having been on campus due to his close relationship with Pruitt and new DC Kevin Sherrer, Peterson will no doubt be looking to familiarize himself with campus, his future teammates, and the rest of the coaching staff.  And Tennessee will be looking to make sure his commitment is 100% concrete and that he shuts his recruitment down.  Finally, Peterson will be looking to peer recruit his good friend and fellow South Georgia stud LB Quay Walker

LB Quay Walker – As mentioned, Walker is both a high level LB prospect and a good friend of Peterson.  The former is why Walker is being recruited heavily by the likes of Alabama, UGA, UF, and the Vols.  Walker is thought to be a lean to UGA right now, but interestingly he moved his Tennessee visit up to this weekend from its previously scheduled spot on February 2^nd.  It’s an interesting strategy by Pruitt: on the one hand you get his first visit right out of the dead period with the chance to make a major move before he goes on his other visits – or, in the best but unlikely case, get a commitment and have him shut it down- and come with his good buddy JJ.  On the other hand you’re taking your big swing 3 weeks before NSD and your rivals will have their chances to make impressions that could supersede whatever good vibes Walker has coming out of Knoxville.  While he’s committed to Bama and says UF was his dream school growing up, in my opinion this one is going to come down to UT and UGA so this weekend will be key

CB Eddie Smith – Smith, a former TCU commitment, is the type of long CB who Pruitt covets.  His recruitment has picked up a bit and he is currently scheduled to OV to Alabama and Arkansas after his trip this weekend.  With Bama offering on Thursday this one could get hairy.  However, I’ve got him on commitment watch while he’s in Knoxville, as I think the staff will put the pressure on to land what they hope is the first of 3-4 DB commitments to come

WR Geordon Porter – Porter is a California speed merchant who was formerly committed to Notre Dame but decommitted a few weeks ago.  He’s got good size at 6’2 and is young for his grade so likely has some growing to do.  How many WRs Tennessee has room for to go with Alontae Taylor is an open question, and Jacob Copeland is without a doubt at the top of the board.  That said, Copeland is going to be a very tough pull from out of Florida with Texas A&M, Alabama and UF all scheduled to receive OVs before Signing Day.  Therefore, in my opinion pushing for a commitment from Porter, who is picking up offers from top programs at a rapid rate (UF jumped in yesterday) would be a prudent move.

CB/RB C’Bo Flemister – An interesting prospect, Flemister put up killer numbers as a RB in middle-of-nowhere Georgia and was set to sign with Georgia Tech until Tennessee called and asked him to wait and consider the Vols. What’s unknown is whether UT is recruiting him as a pure RB or as a CB, where his 6’0+ frame and athleticism would fit Pruitt’s mold.  Flemister currently isn’t entertaining any other offers, so it remains to be seen if Tennessee needs to push this weekend.  He’s a high level athlete who ran track in high school and projects as a solid player at multiple positions, so I could see him possibly ending up in the class late if Pruitt is looking for a “best available” type player

WR Brandon Aiyuk – A recent addition to the WR board, Aiyuk is visiting Knoxville without an offer from the Vols.  He’s got a pretty low recruiting profile – no P5 offer yet – but he had a really nice season and brings a good size/speed combo to the table.  My sense is that he’s a ways down the WR board, certainly behind Porter, but the staff is covering its bases and making sure no stone is left unturned by bringing him in

OLB/DE Michael Williams – A mid-week addition to the visitor list, Williams is an absolute freak athlete.  He played QB for his high school team at 6’2, 240 and displayed the kind of athleticism that makes one think he could make one heckuva JACK LB in Pruitt’s system.  He’s had standing offers from instate LSU as well as Alabama, Texas and others, but at this point he’s wide open and it doesn’t appears LSU and Bama in particular have room.

Getting a start on 2019

Tennessee will also have a really nice 2019 group in town, including a large contingent of studs from Grayson, HS in Georgia (LB Owen Pappoe, OL Wanya Morris, RB Ronald Thompkins, LB Kevin Harris, WR Kenyon Jackson, and DB Kenyatta Watson), fellow Georgians Jaylen McCullough and Jalyn Phillips (both stud DBs), and instate stars OL Jackson Lampley, and DB Adonis Otey (fellow instate targets WR Trey Knox and ATH Lance Wilhoite are tentatively scheduled to be there as well).  Joining them will be the #1 OL in the country in 2019 in Darnell Wright from West Virgina, who will be making his third visit to Knoxville since July 2017.

Although it’s obviously very early, getting this volume of high level prospects to campus in a short period of time is a very good sign of what kind of elite level talent I expect Pruitt to be able to attract to Tennessee.  Between his own prowess on the trail and the staff he’s assembled, the Vols are going to be back to competing with and winning battles over other championship level programs for the top prospects in the country.

Other Visits to Watch

Southern Cal is hosting two of the top CB targets of Tennessee and everyone else this weekend in Olaijah Griffin and Isaac Taylor-Stuart.  The Trojans are thought to be the biggest threat to the Vols for Griffin, who recently decommitted from UCLA and named the Vols his leader.  So escaping this weekend without losing that pole position, or worse having Griffin commit to USC, is imperative.  Taylor-Stuart is another elite Cornerback who the Vols are in on, and the Trojans are real players too.  He’s scheduled to OV to Knoxville the first weekend in February, so this is just the first obstacle to getting the opportunity to take a shot at the 5-star CB

Auburn will have three Tennessee targets on campus this weekend as Coynis Miller, Dylan Wonnum, and Roger McCreary will be on the Plains.  Miller is the prototypical 3-4 NG, and while he’s a Tiger commitment he didn’t sign in December and is scheduled to visit Knoxville on the January 26^th weekend.  Auburn will no doubt try to lock him down and convince him not to take that or any other trips, so that’s one to watch.  Wonnum is a relatively new target and along with Johncarlo Valentin represents what’s left of the OL board.  He’s got an older brother at South Carolina and the Cocks are the perceived leader, but Auburn is a real threat to land him.  Wonnum doesn’t have an OV with Tennessee scheduled yet, but this is still one to keep an eye on.  McCreary is a former South Alabama commitment that got December offers from both Auburn and the Vols and is scheduled to OV to Tennessee the weekend of 1/26.  He’s likely down the board for both programs, but he’s an SEC-level CB and a good option for both.  I actually wouldn’t be surprised to see him pull the trigger for Auburn this weekend, but if he doesn’t he’ll become a real option for the Vols

UNC will host current Tennessee commitment Antony Grant as well as former FSU commitment WR Antoine Green.  Grant is still being recruited by the new Vol staff, though perhaps as more of an Athlete than a pure RB.  He OV’d to Virginia Tech  in mid-December and right now the Heels and Hokies look to be the biggest threat to Tennessee.  He hasn’t yet scheduled an OV to Knoxville, so his recruitment certainly remains in flux.  Green is a nice-looking WR prospect who visited Knoxville for Orange Carpet Day back in June but then committed to FSU before the coaching change in Tallahassee.  He’s scheduled to visit Tennessee officially the first weekend of February but has said he’s leaning to UNC so this will be one to watch to see if he makes it out of this weekend without committing to the Tar Heels

Others

Glenn Beal, who last night named Tennessee his leader and said he is close to a decision, will be at Texas A&M this weekend.  He’s a TE/DE prospect out of New Orleans with great size and athleticism who LSU doesn’t have room for, so this looks like a two-team battle right now with Ole Miss trying to weasel its way in.  Unless the Aggies can really knock his socks off look for Beal to pop for the Vols soon

Malik Langham will be at Vanderbilt this weekend, and while the Dores have been on the incredibly talented DL for a while they have a long way to go to be real players in this recruitment.  Langham will follow his trip to Nashville with OVs to Alabama, Florida, and then Tennessee on February 2^nd.  This one looks like a Vols-Tide battle and will come down to the visits.  He’s an outstanding prospect who would be a huge add to the class

Caleb Johnson will be on an OV to Georgia this weekend.  The OLB/DE target took an official to Tennessee back in the fall and while his recruitment has been quiet it’s picking up steam and he now also has one scheduled for UF next weekend.  He’s probably down on the list for both UGA and UT but with UF not having any DL signees/commitments they might start pushing

Tyson Campbell will be at Georgia on an official visit.  While Campbell unfortunately isn’t a Vol target, this will be one to watch for Vol fans for a handful of reasons.  UGA signed 20 players in December and presumably have 5 spots remaining. They also have three commitments from February signees, so their spaces are very limited. UGA is still pursuing multiple players, and are the presumed favorites for both Campbell and LB Otis Reese.  Notably, they are also in hot pursuit of top-end Tennessee targets Quay Walker and Isaac Taylor-Stuart.  So while I’d hate to see UGA land yet another 5-star player, it might end up playing to Tennessee’s advantage in this case if it keeps them from having room for someone the Vols want