With the loss of JUCO Art Green and the potential flip of Mordecai McDaniel to Florida (which would NOT be mutual), what was once a class of three DBs for Tennessee is down to two and possibly only one (stud S/CB Keshawn Lawrence). And despite having a solid group of young players on the roster, with the amount of Nickel and even Dime defense that Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt and DC Derrick Ansley like to play, there is always going to be a need for talented bodies there. Could the Vols survive a cycle with only Lawrence as a DB signee? Probably. Especially since there are a handful of other current commitments who could also project to the secondary. Jimmy Calloway, who’s listed as a WR and is absolutely electric with the ball in his hands, was being recruited by Oklahoma as a DB (notably, Florida is also trying to flip him, and he is still undecided as to whether he will sign next week or not). Tamarion McDonald, part of the Whitehaven Trio, has played all over the field throughout his high school career and is for sure a candidate to play the Nickel position, where his combination of coverage skills and hitting ability would be a perfect fit should he not grow into a LB. That said, it does seem like the Vols are at least giving themselves options should they want and/or need to add at least one more DB. Tennessee will have four DBs on campus this weekend, with a fifth prospect still lingering.
Emmanuel Appiah is a JUCO early enrollee originally from New Jersey. He’s got offers from Auburn and Tennessee and officially visited the Tigers for the Iron Bowl weekend. He had a big sophomore season with eight INTs, and at 6’0 with good length he’s got the requisite size for a Pruitt DB. Notably, he is good friends with Tennessee QB Jarrett Guarantano. Likely a guy who can step in and help at least rotationally right away, it remains unclear where he is on both Auburn’s and Tennessee’s board.
Decamerion Richardson is an intriguing option at CB from Bossier City, LA. He’s a LONG 6’2 and a track star – he ran a 10.75 100M and 21.63 200M along with a high jump of 6’0, good for 2nd, 3rd and 2nd respectively in the state of LA – yet another prospect with the classic Pruitt DB makeup . A bit of a late bloomer, once Richardson’s senior tape got out – he ended up receiving All District honors as both 1st Team RB and DB – he quickly received offers from South Carolina, Tennessee, and Mississippi State (where he OV’d this past weekend). He liked his visit to Starkville quite a bit, so the Vols could have a fight on their hands should they decide to truly engage.
Doneiko Slaughter is an Arizona State commitment from Roswell, GA outside of Atlanta. More of a S/Nickel prospect than a Cornerback, Slaughter’s calling card is his combo of good if not elite speed (10.88 100M and a 4.65 40) and real physicality. He just took an OV to Miami, so clearly his commitment is soft, so if the Vols push they likely can land him. A “baller” according to the esteemed Chad Simmons of Rivals, Slaughter plays with an edge that you know Pruitt loves.
Donovan Kaufman is, like Richardson, a Coach David YAC Johnson special from Louisiana. A Vanderbilt commitment, Kaufman is very likely to end up somewhere much better than West End. Speaking of ballers, Kaufman did it all for his state championship Archbishop Rummel team this season, making 112 tackles, scoring six touchdowns, forcing six fumbles, and registering eight sacks and four INTs in 13 games. He carried the ball from the Wildcat position and returned kicks as well. Those stats, and the way he jumps out on film, make the Honey Badger comparisons all too easy for the New Orleans native. Kaufman just received an offer from new FSU coach Mike Norvell, who recruited Louisiana very well at Memphis and had tried with Kaufman while with the Tigers, and is now receiving significant interest from LSU (who is, as everyone knows, very short on numbers). Kaufman stands out from the rest of this list because he is on the shorter end at 5’9, but he’s a playmaker and a winner, two things Pruitt covets at all positions.
Kendall Dennis is a familiar name to many Vol fans as he visited Knoxville twice over the summer. The 4-star Florida native has been thought to be an Auburn lean for quite a while, but a late Clemson offer threw a monkey wrench into his recruitment. However, Clemson has since decided to move on a different DB for their final spot at the position, leaving Dennis in a bit of limbo. Oklahoma, where he took an OV recently, is still an option, and Nebraska is in the same boat. USF, who’s new coach is former Clemson assistant Jeff Scott, could also get involved. While Tennessee isn’t currently scheduled to receive an OV this weekend, the Vols were included in his Top 5 this past week and could be a player if things break a certain way for both parties. That will be one to watch.
Whether the Vols have to fill one or two spots in the defensive backfield in this class remains to be seen, but Pruitt and staff have done a tremendous job setting themselves up with a plethora of talented prospects to choose from whatever decision they make. This weekend will go a long way for both Tennessee and the respective prospects in determining which direction the Vols go, but it seems hard for them to go wrong.