We noted earlier today that JUCO DB Art Green seemed to be leaning to Tennessee coming off his weekend unofficial visit to Knoxville, and sure enough just hours later Green indeed committed to the Vols.
Green is Tennessee’s 7th commitment in the 2020 and its second Junior College early enrollee (along with 247’s #1 overall JUCO DL Jordan Davis), giving Coach Jeremy Pruitt and DC Derrick Ansley two instant impact players on the defensive side of the ball just two weeks into May. At 6’2 and 200lbs, Green has the kind of size that Pruitt covets at the CB position, and with 10.7 100m speed he’s got the kind of overall dimensions of an elite prospect in the secondary.
After adding seven CBs in the last two classes, including two elite young prospects in rising sophomores Bryce Thompson and Alontae Taylor, Pruitt and his staff have certainly upgraded that particular position quickly. What the addition of Green does is allow Tennessee – who may look to bolster other positions numbers-wise in this class – to focus on just a handful of other elite DBs knowing they’ve got him in the fold.
The Vols will absolutely have to fight to keep Green, as he’s got spring offers from the likes of Georgia, Florida and Texas A&M among many others. However, with an official visit still available and a relatively short window for visits in the fall due to his JUCO schedule and plan to sign in December, Tennessee is in as strong of a position as one could ask.
Whether Green’s commitment is the start of a roll for Tennessee remains to be seen, as he’s not one of the tied in local/instate prospects (namely: Cade Mays, Tyler Baron, Keshawn Lawrence, and Jay Hardy) for whom the Vols are in good shape but appear to be playing the waiting game a bit. However, what it absolutely is is a shot in the arm for the Vols recruiting efforts and once again a cornerstone player in the defensive secondary for 2020.