Welcome back
to the Recruiting Fix. I try and bring you as much information as I
can get my hands on as it relates to Tennessee Football recruiting
and sometimes throw a little in there regarding recruiting elsewhere
and this week will be jam packed with little tidbits of information
I've been sitting on. At some point in the future we will discuss
Tennessee's current commitments but we have enough to talk about
today to make for an exciting edition of TRF.
Winning is everything in recruiting and
the fact is that we are coming off of a 5-7 season which has lost us
some recruits that we should have landed. February is still a long
way off though and I anticipate when we show what we are capable of
on the field this year, we may flip someone like Ramsey, Hatcher and
secure some of our other targets as well.
In combing through lists and message
boards I noticed I missed a few guys when talking about our prospects
the last few weeks and one is a glaring omission because this guy is
a top player with an offer list to prove it and we are said to be his
leader.
Donald Gray is a
cornerback/slot receiver prospect getting a lot of attention from
recruiting services as of late. In fact, 247 just bumped him up to a
4 star prospect after a recent showing. Gray is teammates with
current Tennessee commitment Jason Carr which only goes to help our
efforts in recruiting him.
Gray is said to not yet have a
qualifying test score to get into college which is an easy fix
really. The grades are harder to get past but he can retake the ACT
as many times as he wants. Hopefully he'll have the support around
him to help with this task because his recruitment will really blow
up once he can show that he is qualified.
Right now Gray has Tennessee out
front. Gray is a 5 foot 9.5 inch prospect who weighs around 170 lbs.
Dooley typically doesn't like smaller corners so I'm very curious
where they are recruiting him. Most are recruiting him at corner.
"I
think most schools like me at cornerback, which is fine with me, I
honestly don't have a preference, I'm just thankful for the interest
and the opportunities that are out there," Gray said to Rivals
of his future position.
Gray's high school coach calls him “the
best pure athlete I've ever seen” which is quite the complement and
leads me to wonder what he could bring to the return game and maybe
even on offense, but it's said that Sunseri likes him as a defensive
back.
He says he likes the players at
Tennessee and even knew a few of them before hand. Of course he knows
Carr and he is also good friends with recent Tennessee commitment
Jalen Reeves-Maybin. I believe they were on the same 7 on 7 team.
That's the buzz anyway.
Barton Simmons of 247 claims he's the
most underrated prospect in Tennessee. I think Carr himself is pretty
underrated but I won't challenge an expert.
Darrin Hinshaw, who has been money
recruiting for us in the past is the guy recruiting Gray and they
speak often.
Tennessee was at his school to see him
recently and he indicated Tennessee is at the top of his list and he
can't wait to get back out to see them.
Gray has been offered by Arkansas,
Cincinnati, Kentucky, LSU, USC, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Notre
Dame and Tennessee.
Gray has said he will not decide on a
school until after his season.
Mack Weaver from
Harding Academy is another omission on my part who has a Tennessee
offer and plays a position of need: tight end. Though we claim to be
recruiting him at athlete, I don't see how the lack of depth at TE
doesn't force us to play him there.
Weaver is 6'6” 235 and has the
frame to bulk up. He has a long offer list which includes schools
like Kentucky, Arizona State, Arkansas, Clemson, Louisville, and
Vanderbilt.
Weaver claimed to be excited by his
Tennessee offer and spoke highly of the Vols.
“I know a little bit about them.
They're a great program, good facilities, a couple of my friends go
there and they say that they love it up there," Weaver said.
"It's still close to home but it's far enough away to be on
their own. Then, the football team has been good and produced great
players. I've just been told that it's a great place overall."
Mack is a great prospect. He has good
hands and is the full package already – he can block and receive. A
lot of tight end prospects are brought in and have to be taught to
block, but he is already a proficient blocker.
It's not known when he plans on
announcing for a school whether it be before the season, after the
season, whatever, but whoever gets him is getting a good prospect and
I just hope it's us.
Here's
a little more about Jonathan Rumph.
It's said he grew up a Gamecock fan and was scorned when they didn't
offer him coming out of high school. Well he's got his Gamecock offer
now and it's right down the road from his home, but it's been said
he's not even giving them a visit. Who knows if that grudge is still
being held.
Some insiders think Georgia leads for his
services though I've yet to see that in print.
He
is intrigued by Tennessee however especially if we have receivers
leave early and he and Hinshaw speak often.
Rumph will be at
Tennessee the weekend of the 22nd
when we take on the Akron Zips. Who knows whether a commitment could
come at that point or if he will wait and see who leaves before
deciding.
With a decision coming any day on
Camion Patrick who will likely be out of football this year and not a
part of our class, we need 3 more wide receivers and Rumph would be a
good one to get. In my opinion the sooner we cut ties with Patrick
the better for our wide receiver recruiting.
Dorian Miller
will likely officially visit for the Florida game. Many big-time
prospects going to be at that one. The staff would likely make room
for Miller if he wants to come. Kohler is a silent to us so you can
pretty much say we have 4 offensive linemen and Miller would make a
fifth, but he's a solid prospect who can sit behind a guy for a few
years and develop into a quality player.
Miller
still claims Rutgers and Tennessee share the lead. I hope that
changes once he witnesses gameday in Knoxville.
Jermaine
Grace is a
big-time linebacker prospect we are still chasing and we have a great
shot to land him.
From
Mirimar, Florida, Grace already knows he wants to official to Miami
and Tennessee. He's not sure about any others. Rivals lists him with
high interest in Miami which is surprising given their situation and
the sanctions that will eventually be levied against them.
Grace
has an impressive offer list including Florida, Nebraska, Florida
State, Texas A&M ect.
Hinshaw
AND Sam Pittman are dueling together to recruit this kid. We really
should have no non-running back higher on our wish list than this
kid. I mean, I love Bell, but we get him anyway if we win. This kid
would be a mammoth pull.
Grace
totaled 115 tackles, 5 sacks, and 4 INTs last year. He ran a 4.43
40 at a combine in March.
He
was at Tennessee for camp so he's had a chance to take in many of the
sites, but an official visit is where we snag him, I think.
Grace
said he's coming to Tennessee for (surprise) the Florida game and
plans on announcing National Signing Day. That bodes well for us too
IMO because Miami is poised to have an awful year while our year
should be far from it.
We
may still have a shot at E.J. Levenberry.
He is listening to the Vol coaches though he is committed to Florida
State. We had a real shot at him until the coaching changes in the
offseason then we lost contact with him for awhile which should never
happen in my opinion and is sloppy recruiting. But he is again
listening and the hopes are that we can get him here for an official
visit. Then anything could happen.
5
star defensive tackle Montravious Adams
says that
Coach Sal is his favorite coach of any he's met so far.
He
still plans on announcing on National Signing Day though the Under
Armour All-American game has also been thrown out there as a
potential commitment date. Claims that all schools are even.
Most
of us are sick of talking about Jalen
Ramsey but
there is a strong rumor out there that his commitment to USC may not
be solid and he may be looking for a place closer to home.
He
has been given the go-ahead to take official visits to other schools
as long as USC gets the last visit. He has expressed some interest in
Florida and wants to speak to Coach Muschamp though he has yet to do
so.
Coaches
want Derrick Green
at the Florida game though no plans have been made.
All
eyes are still on Jatavius Stewart to
see if he or Toby Johnson will be the first to pull the trigger for
Tennessee.
Stewart
recently scrimmaged at Hutchinson and caught 4 balls for over 100
yards and 2 touchdowns.
Much is being made of his speed and he
certainly has it to spare, but don't let that cause you to miss his
explosiveness and change-of-direction. He's a special player.
AJ
Turman says he
will take official visits to Florida State, Georgia and Tennessee.
Paul
Fortenberry of Volquest said last night that if we have a decent
season he finds it very hard to believe Vonn
Bell wouldn't
be a Vol.
I'd
love to report something new on Derrick
Henry, but
it's hard to know what is going on right now. There was a rumor that
he committed to Bama, but I refuse to believe he would do that prior
to seeing Tennessee one last time. I hope the gameday atmosphere and
the fans in Knoxville are enough to convince him this is where he
wants to spend his college days. A butt-stomping of Florida wouldn't
hurt matters much either.
I
wouldn't worry too much about Toby
Johnson.
Everyone wants him but no one has the ties to him that Tennessee
does. I'm just waiting on him to pull the trigger. If he's not a Vol,
I will be surprised but it wouldn't be the first time a recruit
surprised me. In the end I think we get him and Stewart. There's
certainly a place on our roster for him. McCullers is badly in need
of a backup. Hood is not the same kind of player Johnson is. No knock
on Hood.
Camion Patrick of
course transferred to Knoxville West where he is trying to regain his
eligibility, though that must be reviewed and approved by the TSSAA
before it can be ruled on. I'm not sure how long that takes. Patrick
is an excellent talent and I would love to have him, but I would hate
to see UT sully their name by bringing in a kid who just isn't cut
out for college. I've seen it too many times before.
Florida Gators WR Ja'Juan
Story will be transferring. He said it wasn't the right fit for
him. Whatever that means. Just means to me one less 4 star WR to
worry about covering.
Odds are he will not be able to
transfer anywhere in the SEC.
Guys and gals, recruiting is really
going great right now. At this point last year, UT had only 7
commitments. We now have 17. Some of those 17 I question as takes but
I think the coaching staff knows better than I what they are doing.
As it sits we have about 8 or so more spots to fill depending on what
happens with Patrick and whomever else we may cut ties with.
I think we easily end up with a top
15 class. Top 10 if we really close strong which Dooley has typically
done.
That's all I have for now. I thank
you again, for reading and be sure to follow the blog on Twitter
@BIYLF. And follow me @sabanocchio. That way you won't miss a single
edition of the Recruiting Fix.
