As the disaster of a 2017 season wore on and things looked bleaker and bleaker for Butch Jones, everyone knew that a class once ranked as high as #4 in the country was going to take a hit. And that’s certainly happened, as the class has lost multiple commitments, including many of its top-rated players.
With the early signing period just two weeks away, let’s take a look at where the current class stands, and which, if any, of the decommitted players Pruitt and Co. can woo back into the fold.
The Solid Core of the Class
The ten guys below are longtime commitments who have been solid throughout, never wavering despite a season that went downhill quickly and a subsequent coaching change. On defense especially, and particularly on the defensive line, it’s a good group of players and a strong foundation upon which Pruitt can build the kind of initial class needed to get his tenure off on the right foot.
- DL Greg Emerson – OV this weekend
- LB Matthew Flint – OV this weekend
- DB Brandon Cross – OV this weekend
- OL Tanner Antonutti – OV this weekend
- P Paxton Brooks – OV this weekend
- DL D’Andre Litaker
- DL Brant Lawless
- DL Jamarcus Chatman
- OL Ollie Lane
- TE Jacob Warren
“Soft” commitments who will have to be re-recruited
- QB Adrian Martinez
- QB Michael Penix
- RB Anthony Grant
Martinez has taken OVs to both OSU and Missouri and recently received a very quick offer form Scott Frost at Nebraska, where he’ll be taking an official visit this weekend. He has also already used his official visit to UT, so a relationship with the new staff will have to be formed via coaches’ visits to his home in California. While he’s expressed a strong desire to stick with the Vols, Nebraska is clearly a threat. It also remains to be seen how hard Pruitt and new OC/QB coach Tyson Helton will work to retain Martinez’s commitment. I’m of the opinion that this class needs two talented QBs, so this will be very interesting to watch. An offer to another QB would be very telling.
After a great senior season, Penix has seen increased recruiting interest, the biggest threat coming from Dan Mullen and the new staff at Florida. Penix is scheduled to take an official visit to Gainesville this weekend, and although he does not yet have a Gators offer, one would have to think that’s likely coming. USF has also stayed in contact throughout the season, and they can’t be written off with the strong season Charlie Strong had in Penix’s hometown of Tampa. That said, Pruitt has already reached out to Penix (in contrast, apparently, to Martinez), and with an OV to Knoxville still available plus one of his recruiters Robert Gillespie remaining on staff, I like the Vols’ chances of keeping this commitment.
Grant has also had an outstanding season and was recently recognized for that effort with a 4th star from Rivals. He’s been pretty solid, but is scheduled to take an OV to Virginia Tech on 12/15 so he’s not shut it down. With the decommitment of LJ Dixon (more on him below) Grant is currently the lone RB in the class, so it’s important that the new staff solidify his standing. Grant also has his OV to Knoxville still available.
Decommitments who Pruitt could possibly get back in the fold
Unfortunately, this list is not only relatively long but also includes many of the best players that committed to Butch Jones in this class. However, for a variety of reasons, Coach Pruitt and his new staff have a real chance to get many of these players back in the fold.
OL Cade Mays
The crown jewel of most any class, we all know the story on Mays. He’s a plug and play OL, especially at UT and especially next year at UT. He’s a legacy who was committed to the Vols for two years and was the class’s biggest peer recruiter. And now he’s not only decommitted but thought to be a lean to Clemson with UGA hot on the trail as well. Mays is currently planning on making a final decision relatively soon, which won’t leave a new staff a lot of time to build a relationship. However, new AD and former Big Fisherman Phillip Fulmer has made Cade his personal project, and longtime Vols fans know that this usually means a player ends up in Orange. Fulmer is certainly leaning on his decades-long relationship with Cade’s father and VFL Kevin Mays, and it’s imperative that he, Coach Pruitt, and new OL Coach Will Friend win this battle. They will be selling not only the legacy angle but also a fresh start to the program along with being paired up with fellow phenom Trey Smith.
WR Alontae Taylor
Taylor is another player who could likely make an instant impact in 2018. He’s been on campus a ton over the last 18 months and is no doubt very familiar with Knoxville and the current players on the roster. Taylor clearly wants to be a Vol – after initially putting out a Top 5 without UT, he’s now narrowed his choices to Tennessee, UGA (where he’s already OV’d), and Louisville. He’ll be taking his OV to Knoxville this weekend and I expect Coach Pruitt to lock him down.
DE Dorian Gerald
Gerald was one of the commitments most tied to Butch and therefore was always going to be someone who would be less than solid if Jones were let go. That said, he’s never formally decommitted, and he tweeted yesterday that he’s already had “good talks with Coach Pruitt.” Gerald is an instant contributor at a DE position in need of talent and depth, so he’s likely to be a high priority for the new staff. They’ll have to fight off Louisville (where he’ll OV this weekend), Texas Tech (OV’d 11/28), and South Carolina (his other finalist before he committed in the summer and his homestate school) among others.
DB Tanner Ingle
Ingle has “opened it up” and will OV to NCSU but made it clear he’s hoping to stick with UT depending on the new staff’s interest. I’m a big fan of Ingle’s game – he’s an undersized sparkplug who makes plays all over the field and has been described as a “program player” by FSU’s 247 reporters. As of this writing, I’m unaware of any contact between Ingle and the new staff, but I’m hopeful they make an effort here.
DB Jaycee Horn
Horn was always going to be one of the toughest commits to hold onto, and he decommitted shortly after Jones was let go. However, he has been to campus quite a few times and likely feels at home in Knoxville. The new staff will likely, IMO, be given a shot here, and he certainly knows Pruitt from his visits to Alabama, who recruited him throughout the summer. UT still has tons of immediate playing time to sell, and with Horn not planning to sign until February they’ll have time.
WR Shocky Jacques-Louis
After a tremendous senior season, Jacques-Louis has seen increased interest from the likes of Ohio State and Michigan. And though he decommitted in mid-November, he was quoted yesterday as saying he’d like to hear from the new staff. He’s already OV’d to UT (side note awful move by the old staff), so a new staff would have to form a relationship via home visits. We’ll see how hard they push here, but Shocky is an electric athlete at a position where the Vols could use an injection of speed and talent.
DB Trey Dean
I’m going against conventional wisdom here, as most people think Dean is very unlikely to give the Vols another shot after decommitting yesterday. That said, he still has the opportunity to OV to Knoxville if he wants to, with two OV weekends between now and when he is scheduled to sign. He’s currently supposed to visit UK this weekend (I mean, come on) and then UF on 12/15. Bama is also in the mix after he OV’d there last weekend – and there’s the tie with Pruitt. This also might depend on how hard Pruitt pushes, but I’m of the opinion there’s still a chance.
With plenty of other players on the board (coming in the next segment) and multiple new offers going out from the new staff as they capitalize on former relationships (also upcoming), the existing commitments give new coach Jeremy Pruitt a solid base on which he can build out this class. It will be fascinating to see how many of the former commitments he can (or wants to) bring back and from there how he finishes out the class. With the staff he’s building I have a lot of confidence Vols fans will be very happy.
