Top 21 Prospects for 2021

Since we are very close to turning the recruiting calendar to the 2021 class I thought we’d talk about 21 Juniors I think are guys to keep an eye on going forward. I tell people every year, “Watch Junior Days” watch who visits as those are going to be the priority targets at least early in the cycle. Tennessee has a Junior Day on February 1st and who shows up for that will tell us a lot about who to watch going forward. 

Athlete Tray Curry

I will start with in-state prospects and the biggest name to watch at this point in the process, in my opinion, is Athlete Tray Curry. Tray is a 4-star, 6-foot 4, 192-pound athlete from Bradley Central in Cleveland, TN whom Tennessee has been recruiting for years. He is my guess for the closest prospect to become the next commit in the 2021 class. Tray has been on campus multiple times this year most recently on September 7th for the BYU game. Tray has offers from Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisville, among others.

2. LB Junior Colson

My pick for the best prospect in the state in the next class is Junior Colson who is a 4-star prospect who plays at Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, TN. Colson looks like an edge rusher in Pruitt’s defense. He received an offer back in April and has been on campus a few times since then. Colson will have to add weight to his 6-foot 2, 210-pound frame once he gets in a college strength and conditioning program but he has all the athletic traits you want in an EDGE rusher.

3. TE Jake Briningstool

Jake Briningstool is the top prospect in the state of Tennessee on 247 although on Rivals he’s listed below fellow in-state tight end Hudson Wolfe who we’ll discuss next. Briningstool is lighter than Wolfe at 6-foot 6, 215 lbs. and projects more as a receiving TE whereas Wolfe is more of an all-around tight end equally adept at blocking and running pass patterns. Briningstool has over 20 offers including the perennial powers such as Clemson and Alabama. He is a 4-star player in the composite ranked #112 in the country in 247’s composite recruiting rankings. Briningstool is teammates with Junior Colson at Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, TN.

4. TE Hudson Wolfe

Hudson Wolfe is also a 4-star on 247 and ranked the #220 player in the country. He plays at Hardin County in Savannah, TN. Wolfe also has more than 20 offers from some of the who’s who of the country and especially the SEC. Both of these tight ends will be a fight to land and both of them grew up Tennessee fans — a common theme in-state this year somewhat unusually.

5. CB Andre Turrentine 

Another big-time in-state prospect from Middle Tennessee is Andre Turrentine from Ensworth in Nashville. Alert readers will recall that Keshawn Lawrence played at Ensworth which should help somewhat with Andre. The coaches are super high on Andre’s potential at cornerback as are many other schools around the country including Ohio State, LSU, Oklahoma, and others. Turrentine is the prototypical size Pruitt likes in his cornerbacks at 6-foot tall and 175 lbs. Andre recently told 247 Tennessee is one of the “top four” teams he is considering along with Ohio State, LSU, and Alabama. Many think his recruitment will come down to LSU and Tennessee as he is a Louisiana native. He is a 4-star prospect in the composite.

6. OT Eli Sutton

One area this current class has fallen short is at offensive tackle. I say this with around a month to go until Signing Day so this could definitely change but either way Eli Sutton out of Brentwood Academy is a high priority target for the staff in the next cycle. BA is a famed program for producing football talent in the mid-state producing such products as Derek Barnett and Jalen Ramsey so they are no mystery to the staff at Tennessee. Tee Martin is Sutton’s primary recruiter with position coach Will Friend adding the assist. He is also a 4-star prospect on 247. The 6-foot 7, 285-pound. lineman is the #157 player in the country and the #2 player in the state of Tennessee according to the composite. 

Sutton was recently at Tennessee to take in the UAB game and told 247 at the time “Tennessee is one of the ones I wanted to go see first when I did get that time off where I could go see more schools.

It was good, seeing that the team has definitely taken a step forward from what they were at the beginning of the year, which gave me questions — as I assume everybody else had.

“Seeing the atmosphere, even though it was homecoming against UAB, was great, and seeing that UT is now beginning on the rise, seeing that they’re winning games and getting more confidence and getting better themselves.”

7. Wide Receiver Adonai Mitchell

One of a few Cane Ridge players we are recruiting this next cycle (see more below) and he’s one of my favorite in-state players. Ran a pretty fast 40 time while at camp last summer and was injured at the time. Received an offer on-site. The coaches love his size at 6-foot 3, 187 lbs. Adonai is originally from Texas but moved to Antioch last year. Rated a 3-star but I think that’s temporary.

8. Wide Receiver Quenton Barnes

There are several great wide receiver prospects in-state in this class and Barnes is a good one himself. Barnes is a 4-star prospect from Cane Ridge (a theme developing here) in Antioch, TN. (There’s a great park in Cane Ridge BTW where they have remote control helicopter acrobatic contests every now and then which is really cool to watch.) Barnes is 6-foot 2, 175 lbs and athletic. He has offers from Kentucky, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt. Barnes has a verified shuttle of 4.46 from an Opening Regional and a 29.80-inch vertical jump. He was most recently on campus November 17th, 2018.

9. Wide Receiver Walker Merrill

As I stated above the in-state wide receiver class is solid and Tennessee could sign virtually their entire wide receiver class without leaving the state. Walker Merrill is another great wide receiver prospect who has been on campus multiple times most recently October 26th for the South Carolina game. 

“I think Tennessee’s growing,” he told 247 at the time. “What, they have to win three more to get into a bowl game? I think the new coaches are on the uprise, so I think Tennessee in the next year will be dominant, for sure.”

Tee Martin is his lead recruiter and would be his position coach should he chose to attend Tennessee. Merrill is another good-sized wide receiver at 6-foot 1, 180 lbs. 

10. Defensive Lineman Javon Nelson

The 2021 in-state class is thin on the defensive line but one prospect on the Tennessee coaches’ radar is Riverdale defensive lineman Javon Nelson. Nelson is a 6-foot 2.5 inch 255 lb. lineman with a great motor. He is a 4-star in the composite and on Rivals and a 3-star in 247’s rankings which are subject to change. Nelson has offers from the likes of Kentucky, (who he’s high on) Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. Nelson visited Tennessee this fall on September 7th. 

11. Cornerback Kendrick Breedlove

Breedlove is a three-star cornerback from Pearl Cohn in Nashville who is a much better prospect than his ranking indicates. I like his game and he has adequate size for a CB in Pruitt’s system. You only have to look to his offer list to determine how much better than his ranking he is as indicated by LSU, Auburn, Tennessee, and Texas A&M offers. 

12. Defensive Tackle Payton Page

Starting with defensive out-of-state prospects, one of the biggest targets in this class, both literally and physically, at 6-foot 4 inches, 315-pounds is Payton Page. Payton just recently released his top 5, and as you can see below, it included Tennessee. 

TOP 5 RESPECT MY DECISION

Edit: @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/9MiIuTNgQ1

— Payton Page (@PaytonPage55) January 11, 2020

But Payton is going to be a fight as it appears he favors Clemson and home favorite North Carolina. Still, Tennessee will be in it until he decides so this one is definitely worth following. Payton is a 5-star and has offers from just about everyone you can think of.

13. DE/OLB Demeioun Robinson

One of the more realistic early targets for Tennessee, Robinson was most recently in Knoxville for the pool party in July. He is a top 100 player in the 247 composite and a consensus 4-star prospect. He fits more the outside linebacker role than defensive end in a 4-3 but can play both at 6-foot 3 inches. Will have to add weight but has the ideal frame for the position. Likes Penn State early but Tennessee is certainly on his mind and in regular contact. He will be on campus on the first of February for a Junior Day.

14. DE/OLB Travali Price

Price is from Lincolnton, NC and is a guy Tennessee identified early in the process, offering in July of last year. At 6-foot 4, 247 pounds he’s already close to the ideal size you want in a pass rusher in Pruitt’s defense. North Carolina is on him hard as Mack Brown attempts to keep the in-state talent at home but Tennessee appears to be his biggest offer to this point. Price is a 3-star in the composite but a 4-star on 247. He recently told 247 he will be on campus on February 1st for a Junior Day. 

15. Cornerback Markevious Brown

Brown is a Pahokee, Florida native, (where they chase down rabbits for fun) which is an area chocked full of elite athletes, but now attends IMG Academy where Christ Weinke once coached. At 6-foot tall 170 pounds, he’s the ideal size for a DB in Pruitt’s pattern-match backfield. Brown has offers from the who’s who in Florida including Florida State, Miami, and Florida in addition to an Alabama offer. It will be tough to beat out the in-state schools most likely but Tennessee was included in the top 7 he released in November.

16. DL Isaac Washington

Washington was last on campus on October 26th for the South Carolina game. He was also on campus in late July when he received his offer. A 3-star on the recruiting sites, but a guy Tennessee clearly likes and wants. Auburn is hot on the trail as his dad is originally from Alabama and he still has family there. Offers from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia Tech in addition to Auburn and Tennessee — his first and second SEC offers.

17. RB Will Shipley

A five-star all-purpose back, Shipley is very high on the wanted list for this 2021 class. He is a 5-foot 11, 198-pound back from Matthews, North Carolina who is high on many top team’s wish lists. Offers from Ohio State, Clemson, Notre Dame, and Alabama, Will can pick wherever in the country he wants to play football. He ran for 2066 yards his junior season with 30 touchdowns. 

18. Athlete Treveyon Henderson

Henderson is a top 247 recruit on 247 and a consensus 4-star. Nearly a top 100 player in the composite at #102 with lots of movement to happen over the course of the year.

Henderson plays at the same High School Darrell Taylor came from in Hopewell, Virginia. At 5-foot 10, 190-pounds he projects as a likely running back. Henderson was most recently at Tennessee to attend the UAB game in November. He has offers from Clemson, Alabama, Penn State, and Oklahoma in addition to Tennessee. Henderson wants to make it back to Knoxville for a Junior Day but nothing is set in stone at this point.

19. Running back Lovasea Carroll

Carroll is originally from Warrenton, Georgia but now attends IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He is a 6-foot ½, 189- pound 4-star with offers from Auburn, Alabama and South Carolina in addition to Tennessee. He was committed to South Carolina for four months at one point before reopening his recruitment on September 1st. He released a top 8 in October that included Tennessee in addition to Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, Ohio State, and Penn State.

20. Offensive Lineman Terrence Ferguson

Ferguson is a top 100 offensive lineman from Fort Valley, Georgia. He’s 6-foot 4, 300 lbs. Henderson camped with Tennessee in June and followed that up by visiting November, 2nd for the UAB game. He is one to watch as he claims he has visited Tennessee 6 times since 2018.

21. Outside Linebacker Dylan Brooks

Brooks is a 5-star EDGE rusher from Roanoke, Alabama. He is high on Auburn, Alabama, LSU and Tennessee. I almost did not list Brooks here as it is so difficult to get a guy out of Alabama that the Alabama schools really want but Tennessee is consistently named in his top group and has a puncher’s chance. Brooks was last at Tennessee for the Georgia game in October and it will be a priority to get him back on campus this spring for a Junior Day.

These are by no means the only prospects worth watching in the 2021 class but they are some of the more prominent ones currently high on Tennessee. Others will assuredly pop up and be in play between now and February of 2021.

Junior Days

January 18

OLB Dylan Brooks
DL Isaac Washington
OLB Raneiria Dillworth
ATH Javin Burke
WR Walker Merrill
QB Christian Veilleux
ATH Malachi Bennett
WR Romello Brinson
WR JJ Jones
WR Ahmari Huggins-Bruce
WR Christian Lewis
WR Chauncey Magwood
DL Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
ATH O'Mega Blake
S Kani Walker
OL Micah Pettus
LB Bryce Edmondson
OG Jaelon Brown
RB Amari Daniels
DL CJ Hardy
OL Prestin Hawkins
LB Bryce Edmonson
Trenilyas Tatum
ATH Elijah Howard (commit)
DB Jadon Hodge (2022)

January 25

OLB Khristian Zachary
CB Latrell McCutchin (Bama commit)
LB Terrence Lewis Jr.
CB Justin Parks
DL Isaac Washington
OLB Jeremiah Williams
DL Javon Nelson
DT Tim Keenan
OG Dylan Fairchild
CB Nyland Green
ATH Tony Mitchell (2023 commit)

February 1st

OLB Demeioun Robinson - UNC
RB Cody Brown  - Tennessee
WR Dont'e Thornton Jr.
CB Andre Turrentine - OSU
CB Markevious Brown
OLB Travali Price - Tennesee in good shape
TE Miles Campbell
DE Victoine Brown
OT Jakiah Leftwich
TE Hudson Wolfe - OSU lean but Tennessee in it
ATH Trinity Bell - Tennessee/Auburn battle
CB Colby Phillips
CB Trey Washington
DE Royce White
DT Terion Sugkik
DE Justice Boone
LB Miles Capers
DT Anquin Barnes
RB Trevion Cooley
LB/ATH Damon Owens
DB Kyndrich Breedlove
DT Tyas Martin
DE Ryheem Craig
DE William Whitlow

December Signees

Wednesday, December 18th

Doneiko Slaughter IN
Omari Thomas IN
Len'Neth Whitehead IN
Keshawn Lawrence IN
Jimmy Holiday IN
James Robinson IN
Jabari Small IN
Will Albright IN
Tee Hodge IN
Reginald Perry IN
Dominic Bailey IN
Martavius French IN
Bryson Eason  IN
Tamarion McDonald IN
Harrison Bailey IN
Jalin Hyatt IN
Jimmy Calloway IN
Cooper Mays IN
Tyler Baron IN
Javontez Spraggins IN
Morven Joseph 4:00PM

All times Eastern

January Official Visits

Jan 17

WR Malachi Wideman
OL Dylan Spencer
(Sunday-Monday) ATH Dee Beckwith

Jan 24

RB Zachary Evans
WR Ger-Cari Caldwell
WR Jalin Hyatt (signee)

Jan 26th (Unofficial)
WR Ladd McConkey


Jan 31

ATH Demarcus Beckwith

February Signees

Omari Thomas
Jay Hardy
Van Fillinger
Dee Beckwith
Javon Banks
Jalen St. John
Tate Ratledge

Remaining Recruiting Board

QB Jimmy Holiday *

OL
Jalen St. John


RB Len’Neth Whitehead ZaQuondre White WR Demarcus Beckwith (ATH) Jaylon Barden Ger-Cari Caldwell
TE Darnell Washington OLB Van Fillinger Morven Joseph Khari Coleman JaQwandis Burns LB Vai Kaho * CB Decamerion Robinson Kendall Dennis
Doneiko Slaughter DL Reginald Perry * Tyler Baron * Octavious Oxedine *

* = likely parts of this class

Early Enrollees 2020

Harrison Bailey
Dominic Bailey
Cooper Mays
Jimmy Holiday

Targets

Jimmy Holiday
Darnell Washington

The Remarkable Emergence of Nigel Warrior

Nigel Warrior, up to this year, was a cautionary tale about overhyping recruiting prospects. Expected to be the next best thing to his father, Dale Carter, it was probably more than any recruit could be expected to live up to. Until his senior season, Warrior had been a very pedestrian player. Good enough to not be taken off the field as a starter, but not particularly spectacular in any one area. Many times last season he found himself in the right place but unable to complete the play.

This season a light has come on for Warrior. His play the second half of the schedule has been All-SEC worthy. He leads the league in picks, tied with 3 others. He had 10 tackles vs. Georgia which seemed to be his coming-out party and two passes defended. He had a pick and 2 passes defended against Mississippi State in a win and set up a Tennessee touchdown at Bama with a pick in a game that should not have been as close as it was. Then he racked up 8 tackles against Kentucky with another interception.

Since Tennessee's first bye week, Nigel has had 44 tackles, 3 interceptions and 4 passes defended. He has transformed himself, under the tutelage of Jeremy Pruitt and Derrick Ansley, into an all-around defensive back. He holds up in coverage, he can come down into the box and cover the run, his ball skills are excellent. It was Nigel's decision to cover both Lynn Bowden initially and then the pitchman on the option that allowed Ja'Quain Blakely to tackle the QB at the line of scrimmage, virtually sealing the win for the Vols on a goal-line stand in Lexington.

Not only has his play on the field done the talking, but he has also backed up that play in the locker room as a leader which was crucial during the initial stretch of the season when Tennessee disappointed with a 1-4 record to start the year. Warrior helped hold the team together behind the scenes and was an encouraging voice that inspired confidence and helped the team turn their season around.

Time will tell what awards the senior defensive back will rack up at the end of the season. He has already made a case that he deserves to be considered by teams as a late draft pick and if not drafted will assuredly make some team's roster as an undrafted free agent.

Nigel Warrior is a shining example of the ability of Pruitt and Ansley to develop defensive backs into pro-ready prospects and that will go a long way on the recruiting trail to be sure.

Three Keys to a Tennessee Win over Missouri

Stop me if you've heard this before: this is a big game. I know, I know. You've heard that every week for the past 4 weeks, but it is no less true now than it was then. Taking a winning streak into bowl season would do wonders for our recruiting efforts in next year's (2021) class, and to a lesser extent the class we're building currently.

But it's no easy task. No SEC game is an easy win. (Okay, maybe Vanderbilt or Arkansas) Missouri is no exception. Barry Odom made his name on the defensive side of the football and his mark is all over his defense. Missouri has the #19 scoring defense in the country. They allow an average of 165.9 yards through the air this season and only 131.7 on the ground.


So now we get to the keys to getting a win over Missouri.

The only clear advantage the Tennessee Volunteers have over Missouri is Tennessee's defense vs. Missouri's offense. Derek Dooley has had a terrible time trying to replace the production of Drew Lock this year. Kelly Bryant has been very average most of the year and he's been banged up a lot too and missed games. He is, however, expected to be healthy for this game. Bryant is a much better runner than he is a passer and considering the trouble Lynn Bowden gave the Vols on the ground two weeks ago, keying on him and setting the edge on defense will be critical.

Key #1: Limit Missouri's running game with both Bryant and Larry Rountree.

Rountree has 706 yards on the ground this season averaging 5.6 yards per carry. He's a legit SEC back and he has run wild on Tennessee's defense previously, running for 135 yards, a TD on the ground and another through the air in 2018. Keying in on him will definitely be a big part of the gameplan and it's a portion of it the defense must execute.

That brings us to Key #2: Run the ball efficiently.

This is not going to be an easy task based on recent history and Missouri's defensive stats vs. the run this season. Still, it's something I feel like we must do to beat the Tigers. We don't have to dominate on the ground. We just need to run enough to keep the defense honest so that we can get good match-ups with our big wide receivers who match-up pretty well vs. Missouri's corners.

Key # 3: The Assasin, Brent Cimaglia

Cimaglia has been nothing short of brilliant this year making 90.5% of his field-goal tries including 14 of 15 from 40 yards out.

Due to Tennessee's notorious struggles in the red zone, I feel like Cimaglia will have to come through in a big way for Tennessee to win.

As long as Tennessee does these three things well on Saturday they should be able to carry a 4-game winning streak into the Vanderbilt game which will be much less of a challenge than Missouri.

Winning at Vanderbilt and carrying a 5-game winning streak into what should be a winnable bowl game will certainly get the attention of 2021 recruits and assure 2020 commits in their commitments. the Tennessee Volunteers are taking the baby steps that are necessary to return to prominence on the big stage. Time will tell whether or not they get there, but it appears they are at least on the right track.

December Official Visits

December 13th

TE Darnell Washington

DE Tyler Baron

DB Doneiko Slaughter (ASU commit)

RB Jabari Small (commit)

OL Javontez Spraggins (commit)

WR Jimmy Calloway (commit)

DB Keshawn Lawrence (commit)

RB Tee Hodge (commit)

Announcements

December 18th

Len'Neth Whitehead 8:30 ET
Tyler Baron 12:30 ET
Octavious Oxedine
Doneiko Slaughter
Khari Coleman
Jimmy Holiday
Desmond Tisdol
Reginald Perry
Keshawn Lawrence
Harrison Bailey
Dominic Bailey
Jimmy Calloway
Cooper Mays
Jalin Hyatt
Tyler Baron
Martavius French
Bryson Eason
Tamarion McDonald
Javontez Spraggins
Kyree Miller

December 19th

Morven Joseph

In Season Official Visits

November 30th Vanderbilt

Official

OLB Morven Joseph (FSU commit)
DT Reginald Perry
OLB/DE Jevon Banks (Miss St commit)
WR Jaylon Barden (Pitt commit)
OLB Khari Coleman

Unofficial

ILB/RB Desmond Tisdol

RB/LB Len'Neth Whitehead

ATH Dee Beckwith

DL Tyler Baron

2021

CB Andre Turrintine

OL William Griffin

CB/ATH Kyndrich Breedlove

WR Adonai Mitchell

WR Trey Shackleford

Summer Visits

July 27th

TE Darnell Washington

RB/LB Len'Neth Whitehead

ATH Jimmy Holiday

WR Jalin Hyatt

CB Joel Williams

DL Jay Hardy

DL Tre'Vonn Rybka ?

DL Tyler Baron

Commits

Keshawn Lawrence

Cooper Mays (on-campus Thursday)

Tee Hodge

Will Albright

Jay Jones (2021)

Jordan Mosley (2021)

Tony Mitchell (2023)

2021

WR Adonai Mitchell

ATH Michael Jackson III

OLB Deontae Lawson

WR Troy Stellato

DE Demeioun Robinson

DT Payton Page

WR Joshua Burrell

S Dre Pinkney

June Recruiting Update

It’s June and Tennessee’s recruiting efforts appear to be going well...like really well, so I thought an update to where things stand currently would be helpful. I won’t hit on everyone Tennessee is recruiting — just the most recent guys to make news.

As far as guys who Tennessee appears to lead for and who will be deciding relatively soon you have Cooper Mays, who as most of you know is the younger brother of Georgia OT Cade Mays. Cooper is a likely center and is a 4-star prospect on both Rivals and 247. He’s been a Tennessee target for a long time and they’ve done a good job showing him how wanted and valuable he is to the program. No date is set for an announcement but one should come if not in late June then in July. Cooper wants to make a decision this summer.

Next on the list is cornerback Keshawn Lawrence who also has been a long-coveted prospect for these coaches. Many thought Keshawn was a safety mostly due to his size but he has timed really well at multiple settings and the Volunteer coaches envision him as a guy who can play cornerback and really anywhere in the secondary. Lawrence is on an Official Visit to Miami and I expect him to announce his decision shortly thereafter. He wants to get in the boat so that he can help recruit the best possible talent to join him on the Hill. Keshawn is a top 100 player on both recruiting sites.

Lastly of the guys Tennessee leads for who will decide soon is Tyler Baron. Baron is a defensive end and the son of Tennessee staffer Patrick Abernathy. He is close with his dad and recently moved to Knoxville in order to be closer to him. Tyler keeps things close to his vest and hasn’t announced a leader but this one was over long ago. Most everyone knew he was always going to end up at Tennessee although he has been recruited by many of the elite programs in college football. Tyler mentioned recently that he has moved up the timeframe he plans to commit within which signals that a decision is coming sooner rather than later.

Those aren’t the only targets Tennessee leads for, however. There are more. Let’s go down that list. I’ll start with a guy whose half-brother played for the Vols in Jay Hardy. Hardy is a well-put-together DL prospect whose brother is former Volunteer Kevin Cooper who played fullback from 2007-2010. He hasn’t always been a sure thing to end up at Tennessee although most of his family are Big Orange faithful. He has been heavily pursued by Georgia and other heavyweight programs but ultimately the lure of the hometown legacy school and the proximity to home are expected to win out. Not sure of a timeframe for a commitment but I wouldn’t sweat this one.

Next on the list of guys Tennessee leads for is a big-time Georgia prospect Tennessee has recruited as well as they possibly could in Arik Gilbert. Gilbert is listed as an athlete on some sites but wants to play and is projected as a tight end. Rusty Mansell recently updated his recruitment on UGA’s 247 site and admitted that at this time were he to pick a destination for Gilbert it would have to be Tennessee. There is still time for Gilbert’s mind to change but honestly, Tennessee has done such a bang-up job here that it would surprise me if it did. Gilbert wants to be committed by the time his senior season starts.

A somewhat surprising entry here is Texas DB Kitan Crawford. It seems these coaches are really emphasizing guys they think can play across the defensive backfield in this class and Crawford fits the mold as one of those guys. Listed as a big cornerback at 5’11” 200 lbs. He's’ a guy you could envision at nickel or corner in this pattern-matching defensive backfield. Several different experts have said that Tennessee appears to be in good shape for the #8 athlete in the country per the composite and a guy who previously had a set commitment date but has since blown past it. Not sure when Crawford plans on pulling the trigger which is why he’s on this list but I expect it could be soon.

This next guy was just on campus on back to back weekends, offensive guard James Robinson. He was on campus the first time to shore up his offer from the Vols and the next weekend for an official visit which was expected to cement the Vols as his leader. That was accomplished but Robinson has expressed a desire to continue to take visits to be sure of his decision. Robinson has offers from Auburn, Missouri and Ole Miss in addition to Tennessee.

Another guy Tennessee appears to lead for is scat back Ty Jordan. Jordan is a smaller, shiftier back who Chaney really loves out of Texas. Jordan is a highly rated 3-star player on 247 with offers from USC, Arkansas, Texas, and Oregon. Some are concerned with his size as he’s only 5’7” but he’s compact and well-put-together and will create options for Chaney on offense as he’s a capable pass-catcher in addition to a tough runner between the tackles. Jordan has great speed and is often seen on film outrunning multiple defenders on the way to the endzone. Jordan was just in town on his official visit and left with the Vols as the presumed leader. He does want to visit USC which he has scheduled for the upcoming weekend and is expected to announce a decision shortly thereafter.

Staying on the topic of running backs let’s talk about another guy Tennessee has had their eye on for quite a while in Tee Hodge. Hodge has put on about 30 pounds from last year to this year and is a stout 6’0” 230 lbs. Jeremy Pruitt is known for loving big backs and Hodge fits that mold well. There had been some talk of him maybe looking at playing linebacker given his weight gain and size but Tennessee exclusively wants him as a running back. Hodge has barely taken visits but there are multiple programs pursuing him in addition to Tennessee but as a Maryville kid, the lure of Tennessee is expected to be too much to turn down.

In the Arik Gilbert update, Rusty Mansell gave on 247 he also mentioned that Tennessee led for OLB prospect and teammate of both Gilbert and Tennessee commit Harrison Bailey, BJ Ojulari. There are some questions about Ojulari’s size and whether he would be able to put on the bulk needed to be an EDGE defender in Pruitt’s defense but the expectation is that if he were to commit Tennessee would take him.

A couple of other guys Tennessee will end up with who aren’t in this class are two tight end prospects from in-state: Hudson Wolfe and Jake Brinningstool are both highly regarded 4-star tight end prospects. In fact, Wolfe is a top 100 guy in the 2021 class. Great to know that the foundation for next year’s in-state class will be built on two solid prospects.

The next guys we’ll discuss are all guys Tennessee is in good shape with but many programs are battling for. We’ll start with LB/S Kourt Williams who is deciding sometime this summer. Williams just finished his Tennessee official visit and is visiting Ohio State, presumed his leader headed into his Tennessee OV. Williams is a St. Bosco, CA prospect who looks to play Star in Pruitt’s defense. He was very impressed with the accolades of the coaching staff including Pruitt and Ansley and their record of putting defensive backs in the league. He plays that Star position for his HS defense currently so the transition would be relatively easy for him. Tennesse made a really good move for him this past weekend and his reviews were glowing but Ohio State looms as a real threat. I believe it will come down to whether or not he wants to play in the SEC and where he thinks he will be better developed. He plans on sitting down with his family after this Ohio State official visit and making a decision.

Inside linebacker Noah Sewell’s name is not one we’ve heard much of until late but the 6’2” 266 lbs top 50 prosepct has Tennessee squarely in the mix after a recent unofficial visit to Rocky Top. Pretty much every prospect that visits Tennessee leaves impressed with the school and the coaching staff and Sewell was no exception. The coaches do want to see him lose a few pounds but that isn’t unrealistic for him to do. Not sure what Sewell’s timeframe is for announcing but safe to say Tennessee is going to be a factor.

A name that will be familiar to those of you who follow Tennessee recruiting is Omari Thomas. While Tennesseee had faded with the mammoth Briarcrest Christian defensive tackle for a time they are squarely back in the mix for him after, again, a recent visit to Tennessee. Omari brought his family and they really clicked with the coaching staff and he really can envision himself playing for these coaches.It’s going to be a battle for the big guy all the way to the finish (he’s said he wants to announce at the All-American Game) but you can be sure that Tennessee is now a big factor. Steve Wiltfong of 247 recently said he saw the contenders for Thomas being Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee.

Staying in West Tennessee let’s talk about Chris Morris. Tennessee has been a factor for Morris for some time although never truly leading at any time. Some have said Texas A&M is the biggest competition for Morris and I would agree with that. The Memphis Central offensive guard is one of the biggest characters in this recruiting cycle and he’s a guy the coaches badly want to land. Morris, like Thomas, isn’t planning on announcing anything soon. Morris recently told Aggie 247 writer Brian Perroni that he “might” take his official visit to A&M this weekend but he could also save it for later in the season. Regardless it appears he is planning on being in college station for what is a big recruiting weekend for most schools.

A new name to the board is cornerback Kendall Dennis. Dennis visited Tennessee officially this past weekend and enjoyed what he saw and experienced. Dennis is more of a pure corner than some of the guys Tennessee is recruiting and has committed. He told Ryan Callahan of 247 that he definitely intends to give Tennessee one of his official visits later in the fall.

Another guy Tennessee fans will be familiar with is 5-star WR Rakim Jarrett, an LSU commit currently. Jarrett is probably not going to end up at LSU. I believe he will stay closer to home which is the DC area. Tennessee has one of his teammates already committed in 4-star DL Dominick Bailey and is recruiting another in DB Mordecai McDaniel who was just on campus recently and some say he may have had Rakim in tow although that fact has not been publicized. I believe he made that trip. Steve Wiltfong of 247 recently commented that he made a Tennessee crystal ball prediction before Jarrett committed to LSU and he saw no reason as of now to change it. He said things were trending Tennessee’s way.

Tennessee has not given up hope of landing bluechip Alabama commitment Thaiu Jones-Bell. The high 4-star wide receiver was set to commit to the Vols on the morning he committed to Alabama and it hasn’t been fully explained why he changed his mind but the Vols have not stopped recruiting him and have as good of a chance at flipping the stud prospect as anyone not named Bama.

Another guy Steve Wiltfong said Tennessee had a good chance at is ATH Arian Smith. Smith is a likely wide receiver in my opinion and the top 100 prospect would be a great addition to any stable of wide outs. Smith still has all of his official visits which he will use in the fall. He plans on announcing in December or maybe even February.

Finally, there's dual-threat quarterback Haynes King, the #2 dual-threat quarterback and the #32 overall player. (will likely be a 5 star on National Signing Day) Haynes has a top 4 of Texas A&M, Tennessee, Duke, and Auburn and he recently took a tour of all those schools using 4 of his official visits. A&M appears to be the biggest threat to Tennessee due to proximity to his family. Duke should be viewed as maybe a dark horse and that is where he will be visiting this weekend. It's as close to a toss-up between A&M and Tennessee as a recruitment gets but Tennessee has been on him much longer than A&M and he already loves the coaching staff. This will be wrapped up in a matter of days as Haynes wants to have a decision by the time he goes to the Elite 11 Finals where he will battle current Tennessee quarterback commit Harrison Bailey.

In other news, it seems that Tennessee is no longer pushing as hard for outside linebacker prospect Deonte Craig who didn’t measure as well as the coaches thought he would when they got eyes on him. That should be encouraging to fans as it likely means the coaches feel good about other prospects at outside linebacker.

It appears the Vols will not get Ze’Vian Capers back on campus before he announces after a really impressive visit to Auburn. Look for Capers to commit to the Tigers.

While you haven’t heard them mentioned much in terms of Tennessee targets Tennessee is targeting both defensive end Jordan Burch, the number one player in the class, and outside linebacker Sa’vell Smalls who is the #4 player in the class. Brian Niedermeyer, 247’s National Recruiter of the Year last cycle, was recently photographed at a California-based camp instructing Smalls. That guy is relentless.

I hope that helps give you an idea of where recruiting stands at the moment. I’m sure there are names I missed or guys who aren’t on our radar that may still be on the coaches radar so I apologize if our next commitment comes out of nowhere.






(Photo Credit: Brandon Huffman, 247)

June visits and camps

June 21

OV

ATH/RB Caziah Holmes
TE/DE Blayne Toll
OL Richard Leonard
WR Rakim Jarrett
OL Chris Morris

UOV

QB Harrison Bailey (commit)
OLB BJ Ojulari
LB Romello Height