Wednesday, September 5, 2012

The Recruiting Fix: Make it Official


Welcome back. Our first post-NC State Fix. Winning that game is huge for recruiting. In the Atlanta area which is a hotbed, on National TV and the only game in town. Everyone watching and UT shows out. It's big. But bigger is doing it for a season. Carrying that success over to SEC play. I think we can do some damage this year. I think South Carolina has become a winnable game. We will win some SEC games and maybe even compete for the East.

A lot of prospects to get to so lets get started.

Carver-Columbus WR Marqui Hawkins said he is a “solid” commit to the Florida Gators but will visit other schools. He said he will definitely take official visits to Tennessee and North Carolina, and maybe Clemson and Auburn.

Jalen Ramsey will official to Tennessee for the Florida game. That game is becoming HUGE with far-reaching implications not only in this class but in next. Flipping Ramsey from USC and Tee Martin will be hard, but it would be a nice surprise.

Also visiting the weekend of the Florida game: David Williams, Jermaine Grace and the guy below.

S Vonn Bell has narrowed it down to Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, Clemson and Vanderbilt. He plans on taking all five official visits.

Bell will be here for the Florida game so there's another top recruit we have the opportunity to impress.

I cannot see Bell signing anywhere but UT if we continue to be competitive.

DE Naiim Mustafa who is committed to Georgia will official to UT the weekend of the Bama game. It will be a good atmosphere. Maybe we can show something on the field to peak his interest.

FSU commit Deadrin Senat (defensive tackle) is trying to set up an official visit to Tennessee. He has to approve it through his coach which I think is BS. He stays in contact with Ansley and says Tennessee has a chance.

We may not be out of it entirely for North Carolina wide receiver Marquez North. Recent news says that UNC leads but he talks to Graham more than any other coach besides the UNC guy. His dad is the key in his recruitment. We have to win him over.

Keep an eye on Brian Walker, a cornerback committed to UNC. He is trying to make it here for the Florida game. Top 200 player on Rivals. Teammate of WR Marquez North.

2014 Linebacker Dillon Bates, son of former Vol Bill Bates says he has no timeline for a commitment. He has visited South Carolina, Tennessee, Wake Forest, and Georgia Tech. Of those visits, Tennessee and South Carolina stood out.

He said he felt at home at Tennessee, the coaches were very welcoming, and he liked the new facilities. Seems like he's already building a rapport with Sal Sunseri.

Dillon wants to see Tennessee again during the season as well as South Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Clemson.

Wide Receiver Paul Harris announced recently that he will be an early-enrollee. Huge news for a receiving core that will be in need of experience at the position next year.

Defensive tackle Rod Crayton says he may decide on a school in the next couple of weeks. His top 4 are Mississippi State, Arkansas, Tennessee, and LSU. I really think it's a UT/LSU battle.

Right now, Tennessee leads. This kid had 18 tackles in his first game this year. Wow.

Tight End Beau Sandland has 4 of his 5 Official Visits already scheduled. He's already visited Nebraska, and he plans to visit Ole Miss, Florida, and he's visiting Oklahoma this coming weekend.

I think we are way to late to get in on this guy which sucks because he's an amazing prospect and we really need help at the position. We'll see if we cannot get that last official visit and make some magic happen.

Sandland plans on deciding in December.

Linebacker Jermaine Grace has set up an official visit the weekend of the Florida game. He told 247, "I know they’ll be in my top five, so I want to see more about them, how the coaches are during the game and how the players respond."

CB Mackensie Alexander has not seen the Vols yet despite at one point being committed to them, but he plans on taking an official here and we are in his top list of schools. He talks to the Vols' staff regularly especially cornerbacks coach Derrick Ansley.

RB Alvin Kamara says his top 2 are Georgia and Alabama. No school has the edge. He also says that other schools still have a chance.

Kamara plans to official to Oregon.

Juco lineman Edwin Delva, who holds a Tennessee offer, was scheduled to see the Vols play Georgia State this weekend, but his visit was pushed back until later in the year.

He is likely a fall-back option at this point.

2014 athlete Jalen Hurd has been invited to the 2014 US Army All American Bowl.

Georgia freshman Sheldon Dawson will interview with the NCAA Friday, according to the Memphis Commercial-Appeal’s Kyle Veazy.

Dawson’s high school coach said that “Dawson expects the topic of conversation to be about Mississippi State.”

That's not all.

Last week, Mississippi State acknowledged in a press release that it was investigating “a potential recruiting irregularity” with the NCAA.

Apparently there is something going on with Will Redmond and a car. This is all according to the AJC.

Tennessee recruited, depending on who you talk to, both of these guys last year. It will be interesting to watch this and see if anything comes of it. Redmond picking Mississippi State was somewhat a surprise last year, though many say his offer to Tennessee wasn't a committable one.

Sorry but that's all. Follow me on twitter @sabanocchio for the latest and the blog @BIYLF.






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