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Not only is Tennessee’s new-look coaching staff off to a great start in the 2018 recruiting class, it’s also doing work for the future as well.
Earlier in the week, UT got a surprising commitment from Florida sophomore Leonard Manuel, who is one of the top playmakers in the 2020 class who had offers from the Big Three in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and many, many others. The Vols will have to work incredibly hard over the next three years to keep him in the fold, but he has a great relationship with Tennessee wide receivers coach Kevin Beard, so UT should have a strong chance to hang on.
Then on Thursday, the Vols went ahead and got another pledge from a top-shelf offensive star in that 2020 class. (That’s right, these kids are rising SOPHOMORES IN HIGH SCHOOL). That would be Georgia running back Miles Friday, of Peachtree Ridge High School outside of Atlanta. The 5’11”, 172-pound running back is an elite talent with great shiftiness who had offers from Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and others.
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Friday noted a great relationship with UT RBs coach Robert Gillespie, and he could wind up being the same type of player as Alvin Kamara. Of course, there’s a looooooooooong way to go between now and National Signing Day 2020. Friday could turn into the nation’s top recruit or fall off the face of the recruiting world. The Vols could be defending national champion, or Butch Jones, Gillespie and crew could be coaching elsewhere. Heck, Jesus could come.
So, while it’s hard to get giddy about kids in the ’20 class, these are two very, VERY good prospects who are big gets for the Vols.
Not all the news this week has been great. After Mississippi defensive back Jaylon Reed decommitted from this year’s class, he now appears to be looking heavily at Alabama and Ole Miss, among others. He’s keeping Tennessee on his radar, but this smells a lot like the Jashaun Corbin situation, where the running back decommitted from UT and pledged to Florida State not long afterward.
Reed may not get out of the state of Mississippi where the Rebels and Bulldogs are on him, but that Alabama offer is one he likes a lot, too. Look for UT to move on.