The more I think about the pickup of OLB Jimari Butler the more I love it. Yes, the loss of BJ Ojulari was a big blow to the class, particularly given Tennessee’s need for pass rushers both immediately in 2020 and when looking out vis a vis the current roster. And yes, Butler is raw and relatively underrecruited (for now). But like we’ve noted, Pruitt has a pretty darn good track record for talent evaluation, which should make Vol fans feel good about just about anyone Tennessee chooses to take. Perhaps more importantly, when specifically looking at Butler what jumps out is his pure athleticism to go with his size. Why was Roman Harrison relatively underrecruited last season as a future pass rusher? Because he’s 6’1. Why has Quarvaris Crouch, a bigtime player who’s a cornerstone of the future somewhere on defense, failed to get home to the QB multiple times despite getting good push on Offensive Tackles? Because he’s 6’1. And why is Darrell Taylor a likely 2nd round pick at worst despite playing during a pretty darn bad stretch of Tennessee football? Because he’s 6’5 and combines that length with top end athleticism to actually sack the QB. Butler is also 6’5, and used that length as well as his elite athletic ability – he was clocked at a 4.6 40 over the summer and you can see his ability to bend around the corner on film – to get 18 sacks just this season, his first playing football since 7th grade. That length is something that Tennessee just doesn’t have much of at the OLB/Rush DE spot, and it makes a huge difference. I’m not sure he’s a 2020 contributor simply given his lack of experience – though I wouldn’t put it past Pruitt and Co. to get him there – but mark me down as saying Butler is a future star and will likely see a bigtime ratings boost before all is said and done.
With Tennessee on a bit of a roll it’s obvious that things are stable in Knoxville. And not only does winning help in general, but that stability, and the erasure of any talk about Pruitt’s job security that goes with it, is huge. Combine that with the recent firings at FSU and Arkansas as well as real instability at places like South Carolina (likely to finish 4-8) and potentially other SEC programs like Mississippi State and Tennessee’s program has a real advantage. That’s of course even before you get to the carousel that will come from FSU and Arkansas hiring coaches themselves and whatever other coaching changes are made at programs nationally.
To that point, the opinion here is that Tennessee’s staff should resist the urge to go poach immediately from those programs and instead be picky and stick with its philosophy of only going after bigtime players (as defined both by recruiting services and more importantly the staff itself). Right now there are limited spots left in the class and realistically many more options out there to fill them. There will also inevitably be new players who come on the board, either because of coaching changes or because Tennessee sees something they like from senior/JUCO film or even in a postseason all star game and decides to make a move. And given the above, there are going to be players that the Vols missed out on earlier in the process who are newly available and re-engaging with the Tennessee staff. Guys like Arkansas DE commitments Blayne Toll and RB John Gentry, FSU OLB commitment Morven Joseph, Mississippi State OLB commitment Jevon Banks, or even a guy like RB/LB Len’neth Whitehead who was a heavy Gamecock lean but now may be feeling uneasy about what’s going on in Columbia. Further, should Tennessee win out to get to 7-5 and play in a January bowl like the Taxslayer in Jacksonville, they very well may be able to regain traction with 5-stars like ILB Noah Sewell, OLB Sa’vell Smalls (a Washington commitment), and WR Rakim Jarrett (a LSU commitment) and keep momentum going with 5-star TE Darnell Washington and Alabama WR commitment Thaiu Jones-Bell. As Pruitt says, it’s about the players you get, not the ones you don’t get. But if Tennessee continues to win AND the staff plays its cards right (i.e., not just taking the first couple of guys looking for a lifeboat), the Vols could find themselves with the opportunity to actually choose from a host of really good players. Having to make tough decisions is by definition difficult, but it’s always a better position to be in than being desperate and trying to fill spots.
There are also positional needs to consider – the Vols need playmakers on offense, they need at least one more pass rusher, and they need at least one more LB. One could also argue they need another DB if possible. No matter what, with only 25 spots (although it’s worth wondering whether Tennessee got Melvin McBride’s 2019 initial counter back due to his medical condition and can sign 26) Tennessee will not be able to get exactly where it needs to be in terms of talent and depth with just the 2020 class, even if the class does move the program significantly forward in that regard. It could come down to Best Player Available down the stretch, where Tennessee chooses to go with “another” player at a position that seemingly has been filled simply because he’s a significantly better football player than the best available player at a position of “need” in the class. For example, would Tennessee take both Whitehead and ILB/RB Desmond Tisdol? Would they take all of DL Tyler Baron, Octavius Oxendine, Omari Thomas and then a guy like Reginald Perry? What if Jay Hardy comes to his senses and wants (back) in? Would they take all offensive playmakers Jones-Bell, JUCO RB Zaquandre White, and ATHs Dee Beckwith and Jimmy Holiday? Would they add a 5th OL if it’s Chris Morris? Again, potentially good problems to have to solve for, and I would wholeheartedly support the “BPA” decision especially if it comes on the backs of remaining patient.