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'X' Says:What is on the horizon over the next few weeks-

Pat Martin is the next up. Martin is the 14th rated defensive back/safety prospect in the nation. Martin , from Greenville, South Carolina, has had Tennessee out in front for is commitment for quite awhile now. However, his recruitment has played out all over the Internet. He has kept fans of Tennessee and South Carolina , schools that seem to be his top two choices, spun up for weeks. Martin is set to publicly announce his decision Sunday, or Monday, or whenever he feels like it. Yes, it has been that kind of recruitment. Still like Tennessee when he decides to announce. If you are looking for another positive to Martin becoming a VOL. If he is "in", he is all in meaning he is a commitment that will likely be recruiting like crazy for you.


Two other prospects I really like and I would keep an eye on the both with Tennessee are


1. Vincent Dallas. Dallas is an athlete/wide receiver from Ellenwood, Georgia. If you my remember my last post I marveled about how someone rated a three star prospect rated as such by the so-called Internet recruiting experts could have an any more impressive offer list than Vincent Dallas. Dallas is an early enrollee which is a positive and is being recruited by Tennessee as a wide receiver. Many believe Tennessee leads. Florida is involved tough. One thing to keep in mind now. With Teague and Meline moving to defensive back and wide receivers Gerald Jones and Denarius Moore graduating this fall, the wide receiver dynamic for Tennessee in its 2011 recruiting class has now changed. Hearing that Teague has a real future as a SEC defensive back but jury is still out on whether stays at defensive back or moves back to wide receiver. Regardless, Tennessee is now going to look at signing at least two wide receivers in this class. Dallas is one they would love to have. Though Dallas doubles as a safety in high school, his ticket to college is at the wideout position.


2. Gionni Paul. Paul a 6'0"210 lb linebacker prospect from Kathleen High School in Lakeland, Florida. Paul is right at the top of Tennessee' linebacker list and I have reason to believe Tennessee is close to the top of Paul's list. He is a SEC caliber linebacker prospect holding offers from LSU, Auburn, and Mississippi (as well as Tennessee). Florida and Georgia are interested but have not offered a scholarship ... yet. Paul has been on campus with his family. Expect him back this fall. Again, just another prospect to watch with Tennessee.


More to follow early next week...


'X'
'X' Says:Amazing how a few practices and position changes jumbles up the whole recruiting board. I will try and get you more later in the week on recruiting but consider:

We aren't one full week into practice and it looks like 3 defensive back signees aren't going to get in school (Dave Clark (we are sure Clark won't), Marques Dixon and Eddrick Loften (doubtful on both)); 2 receivers (Marsalous Teague and Ted Meline) are now playing defensive back; and ....2 defensive line starters (Marlon Walls and Ben Martin) are gone for the season. Who knows how well those two kids will come back from their injuries?

With respect to the defensive backs, Teague for sure, the kid who signed with Florida State but played baseball for a while (Brewer I think) are going to have to play this year. Meline is a true freshman and defensive back is new to him. He may have to play whether he is ready or not. Meline is a little raw but in time he is a player.

Sadly we are in worse shape at the defensive tackle position especially if John Brown doesn't get eligible...... somebodies are going to have to play in there whether its Sykes, Jeffrey, Bowen ,or another walk on....

Unless Chuck Smith is a miracle worker, I think we know Victor Thomas can't contribute much at defensive tackle .

UT is going to have to sign at least one if not 2 JUCO defensive tackles in their 2011 class and hope they can get both in school by January.

I don't think Dooley really wants to go that direction (see the sagas of John Brown and Dave Clark with the academics) but he may not have a choice.

More later in the week.

'X'
'X' Says:Stock Up/Stock Down - Late July 2010 Edition

Back after some rough sledding. Enough about me though. As the summer winds down and fall practice is looming, let’s take look at prospects that, over the last two to three months, Tennessee has helped themselves with (get it… Stock Up). Conversely, we'll also take a look at a handful of prospects Tennessee's position for whatever reason has slipped a little and in some cases maybe a lot (….Stock Down).

Regardless of whether a prospect falls under the “Stock Up” or the “Stock Down” side of the ledger, there is still 6 months until National Signing Day. Plenty of recruiting work yet to be done.

Can’t pass along everything but just remember ... spell the names right. Its "Basilio" and its “X”.

Have fun with it...


Stock Up.

Antonio Richardson, Ensworth High School, Nashville, Tennessee. Offensive Lineman. Richardson is the best prospect in the state of Tennessee for the 2011 class and it is not even close. Richardson is a nationally recognized recruit now and Tennessee people only expect his stock to skyrocket as his senior season at Ensworth unfolds. Though not in the business of predicting where prospects choose to sign, Tennessee on July 29th is in as good a position with Richardson as one could expect given all the uncertainty around the football program for the past few years. The key thing to watch, in addition to how the offensive line performs and progresses, is the stability of the offensive staff specifically Coaches Chaney and Hiestand. Both coaches, more so Coach Chaney, have forged excellent relationships with the Antonio Richardson and those close to him. Expect Richardson's recruitment to take a few twists and turns and don't look for a decision from him until late in the recruiting process.

Mack Crowder, Bristol High School, Bristol, Tennessee. Offensive Lineman (Center). Yes, one of the worst kept secrets in East Tennessee is Tennessee is leading the pack for a commitment from Mack Crowder. Appears I'm being the master of the obvious but follow me. Can anyone think of another prospect Tennessee has made up as much ground with in the past 2 to 3 months than Mack Crowder? Crowder has emerged from a group of 5 to 6 offensive line/center prospects to be the Number 1 prospect on Tennessee's board at the Center position ... a real position of need in this recruiting class. Remember Issac Luatua the center prospect from California? Luatua was at the top of Tennessee’s interior lineman board early on until the staff made a visual made and realized Luatua is not much taller than Basilio. After that, attention appeared to turn toward Ryan Kelley from West Chester, Ohio, or so we thought. My understanding is after Tennessee received and evaluated Crowder’s tape and worked him out, he emerged above all others as the #1 center prospect. It has been that way for a while.

I'm not certain any of the other schools recruiting Mack Crowder feel they are in as good a shape with him as Tennessee believes it is. Florida has pushed to get Crowder on campus but Florida is not a real threat. Virginia Tech may have been a concern at one time but not so much now.


Stephon Tuitt, Monroe High School, Monroe, Georgia. Defensive Lineman. Georgia Tech is still the team to beat for this prize of a defensive lineman who is the second best high school defensive lineman in Georgia. However, people closer to this situation than I expected Stephon Tuitt to have publicly committed to the Yellow Jackets by the end of the summer. That hasn’t happened and Tuitt continues to visits schools. He has been to the Tennessee campus at least twice over the summer. Georgia Tech will be tough to overcome; however, Tennessee has immediate playing time to offer for defensive lineman next season and Tuitt is one that you expect to play early wherever he goes to school. Consider too that elite defensive line prospects, like Tuitt, will sit back and watch how the defensive line responds to Chuck Smith during the season... could be a key factor with Tuitt and others as well.

Lateek Townsend, Marlboro County High School, Bennettsville, Georgia. Linebacker. Lateek Townsend shows up here for two reasons. One, linebacker is a continuing priority in this recruiting class. Tennessee needs linebackers (hopefully at least two) that have big play ability and Townsend certainly fits that bill. Second, two to three months ago Tennessee was not even showing up Townsend's recruiting radar. A couple of linebacker targets on Tennessee's radar look to be heading to other destinations. The staff 's persistence with Townsend along with the help of other prospects Tennessee is recruiting got Townsend to campus. Now, Tennessee appears to be in line for return visits this fall by Townsend… Townsend won’t make a decision anytime soon even if and he does expect his recruitment to be another one that takes a number of twists and turns before National Signing Day. Certainly expect Townsend to be back on campus this fall to check out the game day atmosphere.

Terry Bell, Teneroc High School, Lakeland, Florida. Defensive Tackle. You first read about Terry Bell in this market hear first (check the tape - June 4). Bell is simply a stud. He plays both ways ( offensive and defensive tackle) in high school. Tennessee likes Bell and is recruiting him as a defensive tackle. As I told you back in May, Bell has a Tennessee scholarship offer (though an offer from Tennessee doesn’t show up in Bell’s Rivals profile) . Bell holds scholarship offers from over 25 schools including all the major Florida schools. Bell would be tough to pull from Florida (Florida State seems to be in the lead). Depth chart issues may help Tennessee and other schools outside Florida here. We all know how well Florida has recruited across the defensive front in the past two years. Too, Florida State signed 4 defensive tackles in its 2010 recruiting class and already has 2 defensive tackle commitments for its 2011 class.

Bell consistently mentions Tennessee as one of his top schools. Tennessee is right there and the opportunity for early playing time works to Tennessee’s favor here.

Zac West. Lexington Christian High School, Lexington, Kentucky. Offensive Lineman (Guard). Zac West was first introduced as a Tennessee recruiting target this market right here on May 27. West projects as a guard and is rated as one of the top overall prospects in Kentucky for 2011. West has steadily climbed up Tennessee' s recruiting board. He has been to the Tennessee campus and now holds an offer from Tennessee. West fits a need for Tennessee at one of the interior line positions. West does not appear to be at the top of the list of interior line targets on Tennessee board but he is close. Expect West back during the fall.

Brandon Fulse, Fort Meade High School, Fort Meade, Florida. Tight End. Beating a dead horse but Basilio first introduced we introduced you to Brandon Fulse on April 4. Fulse is a specimen and one of the most physically imposing prospects on Tennessee's board. Fulse is being recruited as a tight end though he projects as possibly a defensive end or defensive tackle in college. He is a four star prospect that has consistently mentioned Tennessee among his favored schools. In interviews, he states Tennessee is recruiting him as a tight end. The kid is one of the most athletic kids on the board. Expect Fulse to be on campus this fall and expect Tennessee to be quite involved in this recruitment. Fulse holds over 25 offers but Tennessee has put themselves in a good position here.


Stock Down... Gonna get ripped for some of these but here goes.

Jeff Pagan, Asheville High School, Asheville, North Carolina. Defensive End. Maybe you can give this staff a pass on getting a late start recruiting one of the best defensive line prospects in the Southeast who happens to live 2 hours west of campus. I have a hard time though. Geez, Pagan has always liked Tennessee, lives within in an earshot, and by the way, he can play. Pagan committed to Florida this spring. Tennessee seemed to make up ground during spring evaluations and Pagan was on campus a couple of weeks ago. Too much point to Florida or possibly Clemson as an upset. Just not feeling Tennessee is good shape here.


Pat Martin, JL Mann High School, Greenville, South Carolina. Cornerback. Hear me out on this one.....Most think Pat Martin could be one of Tennessee's next commitments. Martin can play. He is a highly rated cornerback at a position of need in this recruiting class. However, in each recruiting class, there are always a couple of kids that play to the masses. I’m thinking Martin is that guy. Martin likes the attention and there is nothing wrong with it. Let the kid have his time. If Martin does commit to Tennessee soon, is it really over or will the recruitment play out in social media forums until National Signing Day? I’m not buying this one right now. I was a few weeks ago. Regardless, Pat Martin is a fantastic prospect. Tennessee needs an upgrade in its defensive backs and he is a prospect you definitely take. His recruitment will be both interesting and fun to follow.

Cameron Clear, Memphis Central High School, Memphis Tennessee. Tight End/Athlete. Tennessee is certainly in the thick of Clear's commitment. Clear, one of the top prospects in Tennessee, is a priority for the Tennessee staff not a doubt about it. Clear is being recruited as a tight end though he may play on Sunday's as a lineman on either side of the line of scrimmage. Honestly, many thought Clear’s name would have already shown in up Tennessee's commitment list by now and it hasn't. Clear's stock has risen and is now he is getting recruiting attention from the likes of Florida, Florida State, and Auburn among others. He also seems to be enjoying the recruiting process. Nothing indicates Tennessee has fallen out of the chase for Clear but schools like Florida and SEC West Division rivals Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Auburn are reasons to worry.

Rory Anderson, McEachern High School, Powder Springs, Georgia. Tight End/Athlete. Good grief! Rory Anderson’s star has fallen faster than Lindsay Lohan’s hasn’t it? Has any prospect whose commitment to Tennessee was thought to be a certainty in the spring seen his stock fall faster than Rory Anderson? Tennessee takes a commitment out of left field from Andrew Power a JUCO tight end. Then, Tennessee makes Bristol High tight end prospect Brendan Downs, former Duke and now Tennessee commitment, a priority. Also, remember Tennessee is right in the thick of recruiting battles for Brandon Fulse and Cameron Clear both being recruited as tight ends (though both may end up at different positions in college). None of this bodes well for Anderson. Now fast forwarding to July 30th in my opinion, there would have to be two or three "recruiting misses" before Anderson becomes a legitimate target again.


Torrey Campbell, Barron Collier High School, Naples, Florida. Cornerback. A week to ten days ago Torrey Campbell may have shown up in the “Stock Up” List. Campbell is a true cornerback with skills. Keep in mind one of the worst kept secrets around the complex is the collective displeasure with the current group of defensive backs on the roster. Whether it is that some lack athleticism and/or others just simply can’t be completed counted on, expect Tennessee to sign 4 to 6 defensive back/athlete types in the upcoming class. Tennessee has two prospects committed that project as defensive back commits now and is in great recruiting shape with a handful of other defensive backs (i.e., Pat Martin, Avery Walls, Chris Jones, Tino Thomas, to name a couple). Numbers are already starting to get tight for defensive backs.

Campbell is an impressive athlete. He was nowhere to be found with Tennessee until spring evaluations. Kudos to Coach Hinshaw and Coach Joseph getting Tennessee involved to where Tennessee is in Campbell's top two schools. Again, the good news is Tennessee is well positioned with a number of very good defensive back prospects and already has two committed. One wonders how hard Tennessee is or will push for a commitment from Campbell now.

Kent Turene, Boyd Anderson High School, Lauderdale Lakes, Florida. Linebacker. Maybe you were not surprised that Kent Turene verbally committed to USC a few weeks ago. It did take a few people within the Complex by surprise. Turene is a big time prospect holding over 20 offers (including one from Tennessee) with ties to the Tennessee program. People won’t say this but I believe Tennessee felt like it had as good a shot to land Turene as any school. That is the bad news he is committed to USC. The good news is Tennessee will not and has not quit recruiting Turene . I am going to pay attention to what goes with USC this season especially with that head coach and his staff. The Turene quick commitment was a bit odd, even suspicious, and is far from solid in my opinion. The last chapter in this recruitment has yet to be written.

Chris Milton, Charlton County High School, Folkston, Georgia. Athlete. Chris Milton is another prospect I view similarly to Torrey Campbell. Milton and Tennessee kind of popped up as an item at the beginning of the summer. Tennessee looked to be in good shape here and his leader for a period of time but things have changed. Even though Milton recently visited Tennessee, it looks like, for the same reasons as mentioned with Torrey Campbell, Chris Milton is a part of a “fall back” plan now.

D'Anthony Arnett, Saginaw High School, Saginaw, Michigan. Wide Receiver. Arnett is flat out one of the top wide receiver prospects in the country. Arnett along with his family just finished up a visit to the Tennessee campus. All reports indicate Arnett had a good trip. However, I just don’t see Tennessee being in the hunt when it comes to decision time for Arnett. My position is this is a prospect that can play immediately at most any college in the country. At Tennessee, the wide receiver depth chart may play a factor in his decision. Tennessee is well stocked (quantity and potential quality) at the wide receiver position. Arnett likes a couple of other schools where playing time may be more enticing. Hope something happens that changes my mind here. Arnett might be the best prospect on our board. Other wide receiver prospects like Darryl Collins, Vincent Dallas, or Chris Gallon may be more legitimate targets as of now.


Notes:

Tennessee got a nice one with the commitment of Justin Coleman from Brunswick, Georgia.

Has anyone checked out the offer list for Tennessee wide receiver/athlete target Vincent Dallas? Geesh, Dallas is a highly thought of prospect with just as impressive an offer list as any 4 or 5 star prospect…. and Dallas just has 3 stars by his name. Explain that one star grazers?

Don’t read too much into the written accounts of interviews granted by Gainesville, Georgia, linebacker prospect and Tennessee target AJ Johnson liking others schools more than Tennessee. As long as Lance Thompson remains on Tennessee’s staff, Tennessee will be in good shape with Johnson.

After initially being a bit concerned about defensive tackle recruiting, X is eating his words. Tennessee is hard after a number of well thought of defensive tackle prospects and I’m impressed. Add Deon Green from Orlando, Florida, to the list. Green who is a South Carolina commitment is being courted hard by Tennessee. You have to like these reports of Tennessee aggressively recruiting these prospects like Deon Green, Darryl Collins, Danny Woodson and a handful of others committed to other schools. Back to Green, look for him to be on campus this fall. Just another prospect to add to the list as one to watch.

Still like Tennessee and defensive back prospect Avery Walls though he has been quiet for awhile now.

Alan Posey, barring injury, will be a very good SEC offensive lineman.

Though Marietta, Georgia offensive lineman Thomas O'Reilly is committed to Auburn, but expect O'Reilly will be back to the Tennessee campus this fall (he was here over the summer) . Recruitment worth paying attention to.

In closing, if you have a friend you haven’t checked in on for awhile… Do it today. You never know when you’ll make that persons day and may save a life.

Peace

X
'X' Says:'I'm hearing different things on John Brown.


My guess is, as with most every JUCO kid we really need going into a season, Brown's eligibility will likely be something everyone will be talking about all the way until August.


Lets be clear. It is a big deal. He is a SEC caliber defensive tackle. And besides him we have two, young SEC defensive tackles and both are not proven commodities while each has had their share of nagging injuries.


As for the camps: The turnout both in terms of the number of campers attending AND the number of fairly high profile prospects showing up whether to participate or just to observe has been impressive .


Two names I believe will be on campus this week or this upcoming weekend are Georgia defensive backs Ra'Chard Pippens and Kadetrix Marcus.


Pippens, 6'0" 175 safety/athlete is a prospect that is getting a lot of interest from both ACC and SEC schools. Auburn has offered Pippens a scholarship. He doesn't have an offer from Tennessee yet. I believe in terms of priorities he is a bit down Tennessee's list. Brian Randolph and Avery Walls , both holding Tennessee offers, are higher on their board than Pippens right now.


Marcus on the other hand is a very good player who seems to be moving up the board quickly. Marcus too is a safety. He attends Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Georgia a school where Tennessee has very good connections. Tennessee is also recruiting at least two of Marcus's teammates: offensive lineman Tariq Cook and to a lesser extent running back Willie Davis (current South Florida commitment).


Also, expect Georgia defensive lineman Barron Dixon to be on campus for an unofficial visit. Last I heard he may just visit and not participate in camps. I will try to get a better idea on when he will be on campus.


Again, just another trio of really good 2011 Georgia football prospects Tennessee is involved with


As someone who pays attention to Tennessee's football recruiting, you have to be encouraged about the following: Tennessee is getting a number of high profile prospects to campus over the summer. 6 weeks ago I never thought I would be saying that. Tennessee wasn't even mentioned with many of these prospects prior to spring evaluations. Tennessee has offered 8 (eight), 2011 in state prospects. You can expect more in state prospects to be offered; and, though I'm not certain how 2011 recruiting will fare, if they keep the staff together, I expect very good things recruiting wise in 2012!

More when I get it.

'X'
'X' Says:This is my short and sweet pre-summer camp update. Here are a few prospects that have made their way onto and are moving up the Tennessee recruiting board. These prospects were nowhere to be found until the new staff stepped in and got their feet under them.

To the best of my knowledge, the prospects list below does not hold Tennessee scholarship offers. You should remember these names as each bears watching as recruiting ratchets up through the summer and into the fall.

Devonte Brown, Defensive Tackle, Jack Britt High School, Fayetteville , North Carolina. Devonte Brown may be a new name but his high school should be a familiar one. Brown is a high school teammate of former Tennessee and now Clemson commitment Eric MacLain. Just after National Signing Day in February, Tennessee was casually mentioned with Devonte Brown. Almost as fast as Brown emerged as a target with Tennessee, the talk went away. Brown is now a bonafide Tennessee defensive tackle target. Whether or not Brown camps at Tennessee is unknown. Tennessee is hovering around his top three to five schools at present. Expect him to visit Tennessee this fall before he finalizes his college decision.

Ruben Gonzales, Wide Receiver, Robinson High School, Tampa, Florida. Funny thing happened while the Tennessee staff was evaluating Tampa defensive end prospect Anthony Chickillo and linebacker Keith Lewis (both Tennessee targets). An athletic wide receiver kept showing up on tape/film making plays. That wide receiver was Ruben Gonzales. Gonzales , who does not have an offer, certainly fits Tennessee’s wide receiver profile. It is apparent Tennessee plans to sign more than one big, wide receiver/athlete type of prospect in the 2011 class just look at their offer list to wide receivers if you don't believe.

Ronnie Martin, 5’11” 175 pounds. Athlete/Defensive Back Spartanburg High School, South Carolina. Martin is the type of prospect spring evaluations are all about. A virtual unknown a few weeks ago. Martin is now receiving interest from most all the SEC schools.


Terry Bell, 6'5" 270 lbs from Lakeland, Florida. Bell is a prospect that plays both offensive and defensive tackle in high school and is being recruited by college to play either position. Bell may have recently received a Tennessee scholarship offer from Tennessee though I can’t confirm. Bell has between 15 and 20 offers including offers from all the major Florida schools. Bell would be tough to pull from Florida but Tennessee has need and opportunity for early playing time.


Desman Floyd, 6'4" 235 lbs from Union County High School, South Carolina. Floyd is a tight end/defensive line prospect who has publicly stated of his interest in Tennessee. Floyd is an accomplished athlete who Tennessee will take a long look at this fall. As a side note, it is good to see Tennessee making some progress in the recruiting areas of North and South Carolina


My attempt to focus this effort on prospects, other than those in the state of Georgia, has once again miserably failed. As said several times, (it bears repeating though) 2011 is a very good year for football talent in Georgia. Not only high-profile prospects every school in the country is recruiting , but there are many good, solid prospects in Georgia you can win football games with at a high level. Is it any wonder Tennessee has made the state of Georgia a recruiting priority? Say what you want about any perceived short comings of the Tennessee staff. With Lance Thompson, Coach Dooley, and Chuck Smith on staff, you have sufficient connections established in Georgia to make a pretty strong recruiting statement.


Here are just a few more Georgia prospects to add to the list.

Joshua King, 5’10” 180 lbs, Mt. Zion High School, Jonesboro, Georgia. King is another prospect who has started being noticed by SEC schools. Georgia just seems to be chocked full of cornerback/athletes who have big time skills and speed.


Kadetrix Marcus, 6'0"185 lbs, Stone Mountain High School. Marcus is a big time talent who recently transferred to Stone Mountain High School for his senior year. Tennessee has good recruiting connections at Stone Mountain High. Though Marcus does not have a scholarship offer, Tennessee is one of his top 3 or 4 schools. Marcus is a prospect who will be heavily recruited this fall leading up to National Signing Day.


Jarquez Samuel, 6'5" 250 lbs from Valdosta. Samuel has a handful of offers including one from LSU. Samuel would likely slide to defensive tackle in college. Samuel will get plenty of looks this fall and his high school team is loaded with 2011/2012 players that will play in the ACC or SEC. Tennessee staff is well aware of Samuels



‘X’s & O’s:

A little recruiting story that may interest only me. I found this story literally buried in the college sports section of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) yesterday. The AJC is one of those big market newspapers that do a reasonably good job of covering college football recruiting. Bit of a Georgia Bulldog bias and now that they've gotten beyond their Kiffin envy, their recruiting coverage is pretty good.

Anyway, here is the story. Georgia's 2010 football recruiting class continues to get plundered and just took another hit this week. It appears one of the cornerstones to that signing class, Jalen Fields, is not going to qualify academically to attend Georgia this fall. The writer attributed his information to Coach Mark Richt so I conclude the information is accurate.



If I’m a Georgia fan and I'm not, losing Fields hurts... no way to spin this positively. Fields was one of the top high school players in Georgia last season. He committed early in the process and would have surely played as a true freshman.


Even though Fields was committed to Georgia, the former Tennessee staff NEVER quit recruiting Fields.

I'm not saying Jalen Fields would have ended up de-committing from Georgia and committing to Tennessee if the former staff would have remained at Tennessee. I am saying as the recruiting process went on last fall and winter, the former Tennessee Recruiting Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach had his attention……. regardless of what was being portrayed in the media.


This hurts Georgia in a number of ways. This time last year Georgia's recruiting class was heading toward being one of the top classes in the country. However, after a sub-par season on the field, watching long time commitments like Nikell Robey, Deon Butler, Telvin Smith and Da-Rick Rogers sign with other schools, missing out on prospects like Juwuan James and Christian Green, and now seeing Jalen Fields headed off to get his grades in order well, for Georgia fans, its a bummer.

What this means now, regardless of what is reported in the media, Jalen Fields' recruitment is now open again. Chances are he still ends up at Georgia but that won’t stop other schools from recruiting him including one up I-75. Bank on It.

In State “X” travaganza.

Brief thoughts on a handful of in state prospects.


Keenan Crenshaw, 6'2" 295 pounds Ensworth High School. College recruiters will flock to Ensworth this fall to watch Antonio Richardson. Crenshaw will get plenty of looks


Keilyn Wells, 6"5" 230 lbs, Whitehaven High School. Another big athletic prospect on Tennessee's radar. Projects as tight end in college. Likes Tennessee but doesn't have an offer.

Julian Lewis, 6'0" 205 lbs, Whitehaven High School. Another in state linebacker just now beginning to see interest from the larger schools.


Brandon Miller, 6'4" 270 lbs Tullahoma High School. Miller needs to carry improvement from the spring to the summer and onto the playing field this fall. Interest though is beginning to pick up.

‘X’
'X' Says:‘This is a great time of the year . If you follow college football, and I assume you do if you are reading this , it is both a time of transition and anticipation.

There is a convergence of activities occurring that certainly will have an impact on college football recruiting and the 2010 football fortunes of many a college teams including the one in Knoxville.

On the recruiting front, coaching staffs across the country are finishing their last week on the road as the spring evaluation period winds down. 2010 signees are graduating from high school and are trying to square paperwork up with admissions offices and the NCAA clearinghouse. A week to 10 days from now the first wave of high school football stars begin moving into college dorms to begin a new phase of their lives…… a summer in a college football strength and conditioning program.

Optimism abounds doesn’t it? Sure, as a fan base most feel certain each and every prospect signed in 2010 is going to qualify for school and get through the Clearinghouse unscathed. Some have work to do but surely all can and will make it. We hear this every year.

If you follow recruiting closely, you are beginning to hear the Tennessee name connected to a growing number of prospects. Recruiting isn’t near as bleak as it seemed a few weeks ago but you would like to see this translate in a few more commitments.

During this final week of spring evaluations every school including Tennessee will try and close this phase of recruiting out with a bang. Tennessee for instance has staff dispatched to all points evaluating prospects, talking with high school coaches, gathering more and more video on more and more prospects. Staffs that aren’t out recruiting are in the office putting the final touches on summer camps which start in two weeks and are also trying to get a feel of exactly who is coming to camp(s). Can you really believe we are two weeks away from summer camps? Unbelievable.

Back to the prospects. Where were all these prospects 6 weeks ago? Gee whiz. Over the last few weeks, just how many new prospects have publicly commented on their interest in Tennessee or vice versa? If you are one that keeps a running tab on the number of scholarship offers extended (and I do), you have been busy lately just trying to keep the list current.

It is great to see Tennessee making progress though. I try to be fair here but by most all accounts Tennessee’s 2011 recruiting experience got off to a less than smooth start. Hopefully, the positive news is an indication things have gotten straightened out organizationally and starts leading to a few more public commitments.

Like most others I enjoy reading articles on prospects published by from the likes of Scout, Rivals, and ESPN. Even a few of the major market newspapers do a good job with their recruiting coverage.

Many prospects have indicated in interviews of their intention to either attend camp at Tennessee or drive over with their families for an unofficial visit. Getting prospects to campus during the summer is huge for Tennessee even more so this summer than in previous summers.

Getting prospects to campus gets you in the mix for an official visit and gives Coach Dooley and the prospect(s) time in a relaxed and informal setting. Remember Coach Dooley has not had the opportunity to go out on the road during spring evaluations. Therefore, getting these prospects and parents and coaches to campus gives everyone a chance to know one another better.

My advice for the following few weeks is not to pay attention to what these prospects said they were going to do. Rather, pay attention to what they do.

Prospects can’t visit and camp at every school recruiting them. Logistical and financial realities have to be considered in their decision making process. At that point, the legitimacy of their decision making process begins to occur.

So, with that said, here are a few of prospects to watch. Pay attention to what they do (i.e., attend a Tennessee camp /take an unofficial visit to Tennessee campus with a parent or coach). All is not lost if a prospect who says he is camping here or visiting doesn’t. It is just a sign there is more recruiting work to do.

You’ll notice as you review the names of prospects some are considered long shots, some prospects though Tennessee has a real chance of landing, and there are also a few prospects listed just beginning to show up on Tennessee's radar.

I have focused primarily on the key positions of need in 2011….those being offensive and defensive line, tight end, linebacker and defensive back.

Offensive Line

Isaac Lusatia (6'2" 300 lbs from La Mirada, Ca). Some believe Lusatia is the top center prospect on Tennessee’s board right now. Regarded as one of if not the top center prospect in the country, Lusatia has publicly stated Tennessee is a school at the top of his list as well. Really? If Lusatia makes a trip to Tennessee this summer, which he says he plans to do, come back and talk to me. Tennessee is not a serious contender for Lusatia’s commitment until he shows up on campus this summer. For now, I’m just not buying. By the way, Lusatia was recently extended a scholarship offer by UCLA..... Ouch.

Ryan Kelley (6'4" 275 lbs from West Chester, Ohio). Bazillion was out in front in this market letting everyone know of the mutual interest between Tennessee and Ryan Kelley even before the Orange and White game. Kelley, who has already been on campus once, holds a Tennessee offer and offers from 20 plus schools. For all the grief the Tennessee staff received for being too slow to pull the trigger on offering scholarships to certain prospects, Tennessee beat both Alabama and Florida to the draw in offering Ryan Kelly a scholarship. I don’t see Ryan Kelly making a decision anytime soon. If he makes it to campus over the summer, Tennessee has a legitimate shot here. Kelley, in my opinion, makes more sense than Lusatia

Cyrus Hobbi (6'4" 285 lbs from Scottsdale, Arizona). If nothing else, Hobbi has been consistent. He has stated in interviews multiple times mind you that Tennessee is a school he has tremendous interest in. Indications are he plans to visit Tennessee during the summer. Hobbi is certainly a talented offensive line prospect. It is a long, long way from Arizona to Knoxville. Until he visits, don’t get too excited.

Zac West, (6"5" 300 lbs Lexington, Kentucky) . West projects as a guard and is rated as the sixth best prospect in Kentucky for 2011. West has received the most recruiting attention to date from Midwestern schools and is just not starting to pick up SEC interest. Tennessee is recruiting West though he doesn’t have an offer. Expect West to visit campus during the summer and possibly camp here as well. West fits a need at guard.

Antonio Richardson (Ellsworth High School) and Kyler Kerbyson (Knoxville Catholic). Depending on whom you listen two, these two kids in any order are the top prospects in the state of Tennessee for 2011. Both are at the top of Tennessee’s offensive line board as well. Tennessee is in a good spot with each. If you are a Tennessee fan, you would like to see both kids on campus at least one more time during the summer.

With Allan Posey committed and other offensive lineman “on the board” Tennessee looks to be in good shape with offensive line recruiting is a 2011 bright spot.

Defensive Line

With very little pomp and circumstance, Tennessee is putting together a nice portfolio of defensive line targets who appear to have legitimate interest. Here is just a sampling.

Jeff Pagan (6'4" 250 lbs from Asheville, North Carolina). Pagan committed to Florida this spring. Tennessee got a late start recruiting Jeff Pagan for whatever reason. Pagan, one of the top defensive line prospects in the southeast, is still being recruited by Tennessee along with, Clemson, North Carolina and many others. Don’t expect Tennessee to let up or give up on its pursuit of Pagan. Let’s see if he makes a trip across the mountain this summer to check out Tennessee. Lots of rumors out there about Pagan’s recruitment and his interest in Tennessee. Right now, this seems to be just rumor. I have maintained since he committed to Florida this is a recruiting story that is far from complete.

Jessie Hayes (6'4" 250 lbs from Cincinnati, Ohio). Tennessee is in as good a shape as one can expect at this point with Jessie Hayes. Tennessee targeted Hayes early and is right now is near the top of his list along with Wisconsin. Tennessee beat a number of teams to the punch in identifying and offering Jessie Hayes a scholarship. He is no longer a secret though as he just received offers from the likes of Oregon and Florida State. Hayes is as impressive as any of the defensive end prospects Tennessee is pursuing. Expect him to visit campus over the summer.

Stephon Tuitt (6'5" 260 lbs from Monroe, Georgia). Tuitt maybe the best defensive line prospect in the state of Georgia not named Ray Drew. Says something about Stephon Tuitt's potential given the level of high school talent in the state of Georgia this year. For the longest time, many, including me, felt Tuitt would end up at Georgia Tech or at Georgia and he still may. However, Tuitt has consistently mentioned Tennessee in his top five schools and has indicated he will visit the campus. Stay tuned. Tuitt isn’t necessarily in that long shot category but there is still work to be done.

Colt Lyeria (6'5" 225 lbs from Hillsboro, Oregon). Tennessee staff has been working very hard to get front and center with Lyeria. There are connections there between Tennessee staff and the Lyeria camp. However, much like Issac Luatua, Lyeria would have to fly over a number of schools where he can play football before he lands in Knoxville. Indications are Lyeria may visit campus this summer. Let’s see if he does before he is moved up the list as a legitimate target.

Ray Drew (6'5" 250 lbs from Thomasville, Georgia) . If the #2 defensive end prospect in the state of Georgia is mentioned herein, we are compelled to mention the #1 prospect, right? Georgia and Florida State are front runners now for Ray Drew. Drew has been to campus once. Let’s see if he gets back over the summer. Drew has the potential to be a game changer. He is a big-time talent. Tennessee has got his attention.

Ricardo Williams (6’5” 220 lbs, Homestead, Florida). Williams is an athletic weak side end/outside linebacker who has recently received an offer from Tennessee. Williams may be tough to pull from the Florida schools; however, Williams has continued to speak of his interest in Tennessee regularly.

Gabriel Wright (6'3" 270 lbs from Columbus, Georgia). Well chronicled that seemingly out of nowhere Gabriel Wright shows up on campus a few weeks ago. Once Gabriel Wright popped up as a target, other defensive tackle prospects on Tennessee’s list moved further down the list. Whether to participate in summer camp or just a visit, you would like to see Gabriel Wright back on campus this summer.

DeMarcus Hodge (6'1" 280 lbs from Monroe, Louisiana) . Hodge is not as highly rated a defensive tackle prospect as others. However, he does have a Tennessee scholarship offer. Built in the same mold as a Marlon Wall type defensive tackle, Tennessee looks to be battling Arkansas for Hodge. Tennessee likes Hodge a lot. Hopeful that he makes it to campus over the summer

Here are a few other defensive linemen that bear watching over the summer. Georgia defensive lineman Darrius Caldwell, Barron Dixon, Chris Mayes, Grady Jarrett and Deron Wright; Louisiana defensive linemen Gerard Johnson and Mickey Johnson; Mississippi defensive lineman PJ Jones; and, Jacksonville defensive tackle Chris Jones.


Tight Ends

The way Tennessee seems to be recruiting tight ends these days you begin to wonder just how many will be signed in this recruiting class. While Jay Rome (6'6" 240 lbs from Valdosta, Georgia). is the #1 tight end prospect on their board (as he is on every major college football program in the South), Tennessee has plenty of other targets on its tight end board. One note on Jay Rome. Unlike many others, I’m not ready to close the door on Tennessee and Jay Rome quite yet for any number of reasons.

Eric McClain, (6'4" 245 lbs from Fayetteville, North Carolina). Here is another tight end prospect that shouldn’t be completely written off either. A prospect that was a Tennessee commitment for the longest time. New staff may have miss-stepped a bit early on with the McClain camp and then a somewhat public divorce from Tennessee followed.

Given the craziness around McLain's whirlwind recruitment after de-committing from Tennessee, would anyone be surprised if he visited Tennessee or other schools over the summer? Clemson was money early on landing 6 or 7 early verbal commitments for its 2011 recruiting class. One by one a number of Clemson’s “committed” prospects are beginning to explore other options. McClain could well end up signing with Clemson…. or Duke….or Tennessee for that matter. Point being here. Don’t be surprised if McClain looks around a bit between now and signing day. Tennessee makes a lot of sense.

Here are three other tight end prospects being evaluated Collin Jarbo (6'4" 225 lbs Gadsen, Alabama); Kennard Backmon (6'3" 225 lbs from Mableton, Georgia); and, John Banks, (6'4" 235 lbs from Baton Rouge. LA). Watch over the summer to see if any of these prospects attend camp or visit the campus.


Linebackers

Again, along with the defensive lineman, Tennessee is positioning itself well with a fairly solid group of linebackers.

Kent Turene, (6'3" 230 lbs from Lauderdale Lakes, Florida) . 6'3"230 pounds? He looks every bit of it on video. Kent Turene is the top linebacker on my board for those that care. Turene is another prospect Tennessee offered a scholarship to early on beat the likes of Alabama to the draw. Turene will be a prospect recruited by schools all over the country. He likes Tennessee and has connections to the Program. There is optimism that he will indeed visit campus over the summer. Turene will be a tough pull from Miami but he is a prospect from Florida that Tennessee has made fairly good progress with.

Gionni Paul (6'0" 210 lbs from Lakeland Florida). Paul is another impact type linebacker that has appears to have legitimate interest in Tennessee. Paul has the ability to play any of the three linebacker position and possesses athleticism to rush the quarterback from the edge… At one point, many expected Paul to end his recruitment over the summer. Now, it appears he isn’t in a hurry to make a decision. I wouldn’t go as far as saying Tennessee leads for Paul but I will say Tennessee is in a good spot with him.

Stephone Anthony (6'5" 225 lbs from Wadesboro, North Carolina) ., Anthony is the #1 prospect in the state of North Carolina for 2011. During this evaluation period, Anthony has received heavy interest from Tennessee. I believe Tennessee is just on the outside looking in with Stephone Anthony for now…..that being said it wouldn’t surprise me if he visited campus over the summer.

CJ Johnson, (6'2" 225 lbs from Philadelphia, Mississippi). Johnson is a Mississippi State commitment. That didn’t stop him from visiting Tennessee this spring. Publicly, he remains committed to Mississippi State though schools like Tennessee and LSU seem to be schools he really likes. Keep this kid in mind. He'll be on campus this summer or in the fall.

Here are a couple of other linebackers to keep an eye on. Georgia linebacker Justin Garrett; and South Carolina linebacker BJ Goodson.

Defensive Backs

Jabriel Washington (5"10" 165 lbs from Jackson, Tennessee) . The only Tennessee prospect included in this part of the report. Washington is one of those prospects Tennessee did not get out of the gate with quickly. Washington is committed to Alabama. Tennessee’s staff has continued to recruit him. Tennessee has prospects on their board that are better prospects than Washington in my opinion. We’ll see if Washington shows up on campus anytime over the summer.

Avery Walls (5" 11" 185 lbs from Union Grove, Georgia). Walls has over 30 scholarship offers and was on campus during the spring. Another prospect Tennessee feels good about. You would like to see Walls back on campus over the summer break. Though Georgia has not offered Walls a scholarship, Tennessee should be worried about Georgia more so than any other school Walls is considering even though Walls doesn’t have an offer from Georgia at this point.

Pat Martin (6"0" 190 lbs from Greenville, South Carolina). Tennessee likes Pat Martin a lot and the feeling appears to be reciprocal. Martin has mentioned Tennessee prominently as a school where he will attend camp or visit unofficially over the summer. Many feel Tennessee is in a good place with Martin. Let’s see if he makes it in.

Chris Jones (6’0” 185 lbs from Adamsville, Georgia). Chris Jones is interesting. Jones has been on campus, holds a Tennessee offer, and has consistently mentioned Tennessee as one of his favorites. Auburn has always seemed to be the school to beat for Jones. Don’t consider Tennessee on the outside looking in here at all. Jones has connections to Tennessee and Lance Thompson has done a nice job keeping Tennessee in the mix with Jones this spring as his offer list has exploded. Expect him back on campus this summer and if not he’ll be here this fall.

In State "X" tra.

As mentioned right here months ago, the state of Tennessee has higher number of prospects in 2011 being recruited “high level” FBS schools than in years gone by.

Here are a few quick regarding a handful of in-state prospects to keep watch on.

Tino Thomas, Memphis Melrose. Maybe the best athlete/ defensive back in state. Thomas comes from good bloodlines. Expect Thomas to camp at Tennessee.

Cody Robinson, Offensive/Defensive Lineman, McMinnville. Robinson has had as good a spring as any prospect on Tennessee's board. Needs to follow up spring with a good showing at Tennessee's summer camp.

Christian Coleman, Defensive Lineman/Tight End. Injury plagued junior year and has caused Coleman's recruitment to be slow. Needs to have good summer and fall. Coleman, if healthy, is a top prospect in the state.

Charles Harris, Linebacker/Defensive Lineman, Whitehaven. The most underrated prospect in the state of Tennessee not named Deon Meadows.

Alexander Antoine, Antioch, Tennessee. Most underrated prospect in state not named Harris or Meadows. Plans to camp at Tennessee. This kid is on Tennessee’s radar.

Dametrius Thomas RB (5'10 185) Fulton High School- Not certain Thomas is a high level FBS prospect, he can play though. He'll touch the ball frequently this fall in Buck Coatney’s offense. Definitely one to watch


‘x’
'X' Says:'Since this is all in fun, let me throw out a couple of other scenarios that would throw the above into a tizzy. Let’s say a prospect holding an offer like an Isaac Luatua a 6'2" 300 lb center from La Mirada, California, or a Gionni Paul a 6'0" 220 lb outside linebacker from Lakeland, Florida, visits Tennessee in early June and pulls the trigger. Could well happen. Luatua has long named Tennessee as his leader. Luatua fills a real need as a bona fide center. You always have a concern about an early commitment especially from a prospect as far away from your school as Luatua. Plus, the fact that he is a very good prospect is not a secret to rival programs. Paul likes Tennessee and plans visiting Tennessee during the summer. Paul is an explosive, play making linebacker prospect something Tennessee is lacking. This one may be a prospect to watch if indeed he visits.


Here is another thought. Lance Thompson hasn't been spending most every waking hour in Georgia because he is a big Braves fan. Right now, Tennessee looks to be in good shape with a number of offensive line targets in this class that project as offensive tackles. So......., the recruiting focus appears to now have shifted to interior offensive line targets and three of the top possibilities are from the greater Atlanta. They are: Tariq Cook (center/guard from Stephenson High School); Justin Floyd (tackle guard from Cartersville, Georgia); and, Kyle Harris (guard/center from Pepperell, Georgia). These are three prospects without offers from Tennessee, but all are being recruited by Tennessee. Any one or two of the three could wind up with an offer between now and the completion of summer camps. All three like Tennessee.


None of these scenarios are out of the realm of possibilities. Should be an interesting couple of months.


Notes:


Whether you agree or disagree with this, let’s put our differences aside for a moment. Forget all the anti-Titan and anti-Commodore sentiment. Keep the folks in Nashville impacted by the floods in your prayers.


No mention of Kyle Kerbyson or Justin Worley? Don't freak out! Tennessee is in great shape with each prospect. Kerbyson is either the top or at the top list in terms of prospects most wanted by Tennessee. Worley isn't far behind. In fact, Basilio has said for weeks right here Justin Worley is the top quarterback prospect on Tennessee's board. I didn't mention either because well what fun would that be or each may visit a few other schools before finalizing their respective college decisions.



From the doing less with more file........ It is the month of May and time for the University of Georgia to start "kickin it” on the recruiting trail. Seems to happen every year about this time. Georgia gets on a recruiting roll and lands a bunch of commitments from highly rated prospects... I would expect this May and June to be no different . Doesn't seem to have translated from the recruiting trail to the field in Athens. Have to wonder if this pattern holds, how much time that Georgia staff has left.


Great sign that two highly rated prospects from Michigan plan to visit Tennessee over the summer. Wide receiver D'Anthony Arnett and running back Justice Hayes both plan to make unofficial visits to the campus over the summer. D'Arnett is a high profile wide receiver recruit who visited Tennessee last summer. Hayes is the highest rated running back Tennessee has a legitimate shot at signing...in my opinion. Both prospects hold Tennessee offers and both appear to have legitimate interest in Tennessee.


The John Brown does he get in school or doesn't he watch begins..........


Stay tuned.... I would expect more good recruiting news in the days and weeks that follow. Remember a couple more weeks of spring evaluations then summer camps.

Peace

'x'
'X' Says:The next four commitments..... Sounds fairly easy. Contrary to all the "doom and gloomers" that believe Tennessee's football program has flat lined, the football recruiting operation is alive and well. Consider that right now there are anywhere between a half-dozen and a dozen prospects, holding scholarship offers, Tennessee either leads for their commitment or Tennessee is in their top two or three schools of choice. Remember also this is the middle of the spring evaluation period. Still two full weeks of spring evaluations to go. There are another four to six prospects that would commit to Tennessee, or come close to it, if anyone one of them received a scholarship offer from Tennessee.


So, any of the next four commitments could come from any number of different directions: A prospect(s) holding a scholarship offer(s); prospects expecting to pick up an offer during spring evaluations; or, a prospect who seemingly comes out of nowhere that receives a scholarship offer based upon his performance at Tennessee summer camp as did Marquis Pair last season.




While I could throw the names of four prospects that are seemingly slam dunks, what fun is that? Those perceived “slam dunks" may not necessarily be the next four who publicly commit to Tennessee. By the way as you know by now, there is no such thing in recruiting as a "slam dunk".


Though I personally believe it is a bit too early to get hung up on the number of commitments Tennessee has or their lack thereof, here are my next four commitments.




Cameron Clear, Memphis Central High School, Memphis, Tennessee. Basilio has been singing the praises of Cameron Clear long before other outlets recognized this prospect as one the state’s best for 2011. Clear is one of the most intriguing prospects on Tennessee's board. He is a big kid (6'6" 265 lbs if you believe ESPN) and has the body type to grow into an offensive or defensive lineman. However, Tennessee, having a glaring need at tight end with the departure of Luke Stocker after the 2010 season, may look at Clear’s athleticism and project him as a tight end. Clear is no longer a secret either. He is receiving a ton of interest from many SEC schools. Tennessee is in a good place with Cameron Clear right now.


Avery Walls. It is hard to get a read on which prospect or prospects are top targets especially on the defensive side of the ball. Realizing the signing of multiple defensive linemen in 2011 is a huge positional priority; Avery Walls is a prospect that has climbed to the top or close to the top of the defensive recruiting board. Walls (5'11, 185 lbs from McDonough, Georgia) is an athletic defensive back prospect , holds scholarship offers from 25 or more schools including many SEC schools, and projects as a January enrollee. Tennessee got a bit of a late start recruiting Walls but they have done an excellent job of making up ground. Walls is the caliber of prospect that can almost be penciled in to be a significant contributor as a freshman regardless of whether you return significant secondary depth or not.


Some believe another Georgia defensive back may be closer to committing to Tennessee than Avery Walls. Brian Randolph is a name you have heard mentioned frequently with Tennessee for the longest time. He may indeed commit to Tennessee in time. However, the name I keep hearing is Avery Walls so that is what I’m going with here. Nonetheless, both very good prospects.


Rory Anderson. Anderson is a 6'4" 200 lb tight end/athlete from Powder Springs, Georgia. In addition to being a coveted football recruit, Anderson is an accomplished high school and AAU basketball player at Powder Springs. Most confidently believe Anderson's collegiate future is on the football field. Tennessee projects Anderson as a tight end who has untapped potential once he focuses strictly on football and football training. It wouldn't be a stretch for Tennessee to sign two or three tight end/athlete types in their 2011 class given our Head Football Coach's proclivity for using multiple tight end sets. Anderson doesn't look like a college tight end now at 200 pounds. I would imagine splitting time between the football field and the basketball court makes it tough to commit the necessary time to a football focused strength and conditioning program. His size and speed (4.7/40) make him an interesting recruiting target. Anderson has ties to Tennessee and has long proclaimed Tennessee as the top school on his list. Anderson may be a prospect who needs to redshirt a year and work with Coach Bennie Wylie in order to get his body SEC ready.


Thomas Niles, 6'2" 260 lbs from Gainesville, Georgia. Tennessee was the first college to offer Niles a scholarship. With defensive lineman a priority for Tennessee, Niles was identified early on as a defensive tackle prospect that fits the new scheme. Niles is a prospect expected to make a decision in the next few weeks. Niles has been to campus a couple of times and is expected back for summer camp. Tennessee and North Carolina State seem to have emerged as the co-leaders to land his commitment.

Come back tomorrow at Tonybasilio.com and I'll have some stuff on you that could throw a monkey-wrench into these four. See you then.


'X'
'X' Says:For you loyalists, who make the Basilio site a must-read every day, recall back on July 20th, 2009. It was then a report was posted entitled, " A Look Ahead - 2011 Quarterbacks". Anyone remember this? What we did was take a look ahead at a handful of the early 2011 UT’s top quarterback targets. At the conclusion of the posting, I mentioned that around March 1, 2010, I would take a look back at the prospects in the post to see which prospects emerged as legitimate 2011 quarterback targets and which ones have fallen by the wayside. I’m late…..

So much has changed between July 2009 and April …almost May 2010. While there indeed has been a regime change that jilted recruiting, the constant throughout the regime change has been that Coach Jim Chaney remains as the Offensive Coordinator. It appears, and this is just as important to recruits, the offensive scheme looks to be the same or even more quarterback friendly as the scheme ran last football season. In some respects, Jim Chaney remaining as the Offensive Coordinator has mitigated any damage done to quarterback recruiting due to the departure of Lane Kiffin.

What I have done, and I thought this was interesting, was take all the names I provided in the July 20th report, updated the list to show which prospects are still legitimate targets, and updated the list to show prospects that have gone in another direction.

The names below come directly from the July 20th report.

Christian Lemay. In July 2009, Christian Lemay was at the top if not the top target on UT’s 2011 quarterback recruiting radar. There was a certain level of interest there from the LeMay camp and he does have a UT offer. However, once Lane Kiffin and David Reaves departed, any likely opportunity UT had with Lemay went out the window.

Everett Golson. Golson holds a UT offer. However, Golson is “off the board”. He has been committed to North Carolina for months. I don’t see UT getting involved here at all.

Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater holds a UT offer. In my opinion, any chance of getting Bridgewater to campus and possibly to UT went out the window when Eddie Gran left for Florida State. It is unlikely Bridgewater leaves the state of Florida to play college football.

Jake Overbey, University High School in Jackson, Tennessee is “being evaluated” by UT. My translation here for “being evaluated”: There are other prospects on the 2011 quarterback board UT likes better than Overbey. Unfortunate because, he is a good looking prospect.

Michael Johnson, Briarcrest High School in Memphis: See above. Another good prospect with a big arm. Johnson is being evaluated many of the SEC schools including UT. However, at this time he doesn’t have any SEC scholarship offers.

CJ Uzomah, from North Gwinett High School, Georgia. Uzomah has a scholarship offer and is actively being recruited by UT. Uzomah likely will end up playing tight end or another other position in college not quarterback (Uzomah is a big kid (6’5/215-220 lbs). UT likes this prospect.

Austin Brown, from Habersham Central HS from Mount Airy, Georgia: No longer being recruited by UT

Tony Daniel, 6’5” 188 lbs from South Paulding HS in Douglasville, Georgia. Daniel loves UT and has been on campus many times. He does not have a scholarship offer from UT. Again, there are prospects on UT’s quarterback board projected (by UT) as better college quarterback prospects than Daniel.

Nick Marshall, 6'2" 190 lbs, Wilcox County High School, Rochelle, Georgia. Marshall is one of the top 20111 QB prospects in the state of Georgia. Marshall recently received a UT offer. Many believe Marshall winds up at wide receiver or defensive back in college. If Christian LeMay commits to Georgia as many expect, it wouldn’t surprise me for Marshall to take a closer look at UT. Still, I think it’s a long shot that he ends up at UT.

Phillip Ely, Plant High School, Tampa Florida. Not currently being recruited by UT

Jeff Driskel, 6’4” 233 lbs, Hagerty High School, Oviedo, Florida. We thought 8 months ago Jeff Driskel had the makings of a prospect that would make him one of the hottest 2011 quarterbacking commodities in the state of Florida. Driskel hasn’t disappointed. He has emerged as one of the top pro-style quarterbacks in Florida if not the nation.. Driskel has UT offer but for the time being is “off the board”. Driskel has verbally committed to the University of Florida. I’m not sure that is a great scheme fit for Driskel so his recruitment may not be finished.

David Ash, Belton High School, Belton, Texas. Ash has verbally committed to Texas and is no longer being pursued by UT.

JW Walsh, Guyer High School, Texas. UT is not actively recruiting Walsh.

Justin Worley, 6’4” 180 lbs, Rock Hill Northwestern, Rock Hill, South Carolina. Here are my July 2009 comments regarding Worley, "In addition to a rising pro-style quarterback prospect, Justin Worley may have a future as a baseball player as well. Early on, he looks to be a prototypical drop back /pro-style passer and one UT is really interested in. This is another prospect I would expect UT to make a strong run after."

Worley has emerged as the #1 Quarterback target on UT’s recruiting board…. it appears. Worley will be a top rated pro style quarterback when the national rankings are released in the not too distant future. Worley’s status as an uncommitted prospect may be something to watch. Once the top rated high school quarterbacks start committing to colleges (i.e., Golson, Driskel, and Lemay (soon)), other top rated quarterbacks tend to follow suit. Quarterbacks more so than any other position.

Here is my concern as it relates to Worley. If UT commits to Worley as their “2011 quarterback and quarterback of the future”, how committed is Worley to a future at UT or a future as a professional baseball player? This bears watching! Nonetheless, Worley is a very good prospect who has been to UT numerous times during the last year who likes UT …. A lot.

Prince Litton, Charlotte Providence Day High School, Charlotte, North Carolina. To my knowledge, UT is no longer recruiting Prince Litton.

Marquise Williams, Charlotte Mallard Creek High School, Charlotte, NC. Dual threat prospect being evaluated by UT right now.

Vad Lee, Hillside High School, Durham, North Carolina. Doesn’t appear there is anything going on here with this prospect and UT.

Brandon Allen, Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville, Arkansas. To my knowledge, UT is not recruiting Allen at this time.

Kiehl Frazier, Shiloh Christian High School, Arkansas. UT is evaluating Frazier but as of now he does not have a scholarship offer.
******************.

So out of the nineteen quarterbacks profiled in the July 2009 report, seven of those prospects have UT offers (though two (Marshall and Uzomah) it appears are being recruited for positions other than quarterback); four other prospects are still being evaluated by UT ; and, one (Worley) of the seven offered gives all appearances of emerging as the #1 quarterback target on UT’s board.

Why do I bring this up? Each year, the high profile quarterback recruits tend to start flying off the board about this time. 2011 appears to be no different. In addition to the Driskell and Golson commitments, a Lemay commitment appears to be imminent. You can also include Matt Wittek another hotshot quarterback prospect to this list who just committed to Southern California. There are others as well.

Back to my point, if Worley is the guy, based upon recent history, I would expect we will know sooner than later whether Tennessee is his school of choice. A commitment from a high profile quarterback prospect and a couple of lineman would get the 2011 recruiting class in gear.


UT coaches have been dispatched all over the southeast as we are now in the spring evaluation period of senior to be high school football prospects. Coaches can go to high schools, visit with coaches and administrators, watch practice though coaches can’t have contact with the prospects.

One of the in state names you’ll start hearing a lot about is an in state tight end/defensive end /athlete named Cameron Clear from Central High School in Memphis. Clear seems to be a prospect that is rising up the boards with many a SEC school including Tennessee.

We told you about Cameron Clear here first…. In our March 15 report

Peace
‘x’
'X' Says:'Given UT's obvious need a for offensive line depth, I'm sure hoping our recruiting brain trust feels really, really good about where they sit with offensive line prospects like Kyler Kerbyson, Alan Posey, Antonio Richardson. Why you ask?

If you didn't feel good about your position with these prospects, why do you let offensive line prospect Trip Thurman leave Knoxville without a scholarship offer? Thurman stands 6-1 and is a biscuit over 300 pounds. He holds scholarship offers from 15 schools including Florida and he should receive an offer from Penn State during the spring evaluation period.

Thurman is a prospect who grew up a UT fan. He probably would commit on the spot or shortly thereafter if UT offered a scholarship and his recruitment would be over .

Was it not just two Saturdays ago UT didn't have enough scholarship offensive lineman to fill out the Orange and the White offensive lines?

********.

A couple of words about Jabriel Washington, the in state athlete from Trinity Christian High who verbally committed to Alabama last week. My opinion: Washington is a very good athlete and a top prospect in the state; however, Washington is not a huge loss to UT's 2011 recruiting class.

Washington wasn't at the top of UT's board for similarly skilled athletes and he wasn't even at the top of their board for similarly skilled athletes in the state of Tennessee.

I'm calling Derek King from Brentwood the #1 in-state athlete /corner back prospect on UT's board. If your read 'X', you'll recall that I have mentioned Derek King before. King runs a 4.32 forty is a state 100 meter champion and was one of the very first prospects the new UT staff offered a scholarship once they got settled in. Also, Tino Thomas a similarly skilled defensive back/athlete from the Memphis area UT is another athlete UT is very interested in although Thomas has yet to be offered a scholarship.

UT covets defensive back/athletes Avery Walls from McDonough Georgia, and Ronnie Harris from Westlake, Georgia. Walls and Harris have had exceptional high school careers to date against much tougher high school competition than Jabriel Washington.

Any school, including UT, never really wants to lose an instate prospect to a rival. However, losing Washington, who I'm not sure UT ever had much of a shot anyway, isn't a huge setback.

Are you ready for recruiting news? Most are without question. We are coming up on the spring evaluations period where staff members can be out evaluating prospects. I would expect the recruiting activity including new recruiting news to begin to ramp up between now until the end of May.

*********.

It is that time of the year when enough grade /test score information trickles out on three or four kids in your signing class you'll worry about until they get on campus. This year is no exception. All eyes will be on John Brown, the JUCO defensive tackle, for sure. Right now, most seem cautiously optimistic that Brown will get in school at UT. However, it is important that he gets on campus in June not August. Brown is already being counted on to provide much needed and much lacking defensive tackle depth this fall. You get him on campus in June, where he can participate in summer conditioning, he has a chance to be more than just another name on your depth chart this season. Though a little different circumstance, remember last season Marlon Walls missed all summer and pre-season workouts? Walls was never really much of a factor last season and was never really in playing shape either..

UT has not had tremendous success with JUCOs, the admissions process, and getting JUCOs enrolled with relative ease. Here is hoping Brown is an exception.

************.
Few draft observations:

Im still in shock over the Broncos drafting Tim Tebow;

Love Jon Gruden but ESPN's coverage on the first two days of the draft seemed choppy. The NFL didn't give ESPN enough time between draft picks for all their on camera to get their two cents worth in. NFL Network seemed to do a much better job in this respect.

Roughly as many kids that were rated as 2 -stars coming out of high school got drafted in the first round as did kids that were rated as 5-stars (six of each ) .... varies slightly depending on which recruiting service you use ;

Mamas let your babies grow up to be tight ends! I lost count but somewhere between 22 and 24 tight ends got drafted over the weekend. Almost twice as many tight ends were drafted as running backs. Says as much about offensive coordinators trying to create mismatches offensively as it does about the same offensive coordinators trying to counter defenses which seem to be bringing more and more pressure coming off the edge ;

I confess I watched plenty of the draft each day. Was it just me or did it seem that almost every other defensive back drafted was from the state of Florida?

I bet Monte had a lot to do with Rico McCoy signing as a free agent with Tampa Bay. That is a great spot for him and I wish him luck.

Check back later this week or maybe the top of next when I bring you some stuff on the QB's UT is looking at.

Peace

'X'
'X' Says:Young team, not much depth, but I think they’ll be fun to watch


They have weapons....


Milton has a chance to be really good before he leaves here


Poole is very good


Jones is best wide receiver but I’m ready for him to leave


Believe we may have something to talk about until September


Bray clearly looks like the better QB..... Better touch, better arm, moves around in pocket really well... very impressed with Bray


Young and there will be bumps in the road with him but he looked anything but like a freshman


When you split the teams up like they have you see just how thin they are in the lines especially the offensive line


If one of those freshman coming in Fulton, Stone, pair are physically ready (I saw Fulton and my gosh he looks ready right now) my guess is they'll get every chance to be a starter.

They need some size inside.


Not worried about defense think they'll be ok especially if john brown or the kid from Warner-Robbins can give em some snaps.


The back up defensive tackles didn’t stand out at all... Marlon Walls needs about 15/20 lbs on him or he'll get hammered…..This is one of UT’s their biggest concerns


This will be a good defense if they don’t get hammered by injuries.


Jacquez Smith looks huge ...What an off-season in the weight room!

Austin Johnson looks at home as linebacker...

We have very young secondary but all those kids look very athletic...

Gordon reminds me a lot of Rogan.

Janzen Jackson is our best player...

All around better than I expected...

Crowd was better than I expected too!!!

Should be a fun team to watch!!!

‘X’
'X' Says:While I had the opportunity to attend , I opted out of going to the “pay per view” event Saturday afternoon. While out and about, I caught a couple of the local call in radio shows which I found interesting. My take, from listening to these shows, was how so many can have such a bleak outlook on the 2010 football season when so few have had a chance to watch practices and decide for themselves.

So much worry about the offensive line. I recall that last season UT started two walk-ons, a redshirt freshman tackle with no game experience, and two other career under performers across the offensive front for most of the season. There didn’t seem to be near as much doom and gloom emanating from fans last year with that ensemble when compared to what UT will trot out on the field in early September 2010.

UT fans should note there is life after inexperienced offensive lines. Last season, North Carolina started three freshman on its offensive line. Granted the ACC is not the SEC, but North Carolina's offensive line held their own and ended up rushing for an average of roughly 130 yards per game over a 13 game schedule. This year, North Carolina’s offensive line looks to be one of its strengths.. but I digress.

Every fan has his/her own opinion about the upcoming season, the state of the program, recruiting, whether Coach Dooley wears enough orange and so on. What I found most interesting is many seem to be laying blame for the current plight of the program at the feet of Coach Dooley. This new coach does come across a bit bristly at times, but the state of the program is not of his doing. Last I checked, he was able to reel in a top 10 recruiting class literally with one hand tied behind his back.

The infrastructure of the football program has been eroding for a few years. Anyone close to it will tell you as much. Coach Kiffin and his regime did little to change things except chase off a few kids that could not play SEC football and rally a faction of the fan base.

The dip in talent and the lack of experience has been coming for a couple of years. Even former Coach Kiffin publicly stated toward the end of the 2009 season, the 2010 season was going to be a challenge under the best circumstances and it probably will be.

I heard one account stating that over the last few years thirty or more scholarship players have left the UT football program for one reason or another and approximately one-third to one –half of these players that left the program were offensive/defensive lineman.


That, in itself, is hard to overcome. Most think this is the sole reason why our interior line depth is virtually non-existent. Truly, it does appear along the way there were some hiccups associated with personnel and recruiting evaluations.


However, I maintain this is only part of the recruiting faux paus that have contributed to the depletion of the talent and experience along the interior lines. Do any of these names ring a bell? David Spurlock (Florida State); Garrett Reynolds and Michael McAdoo (North Carolina); Greg Hardy (Ole Miss); Michael Hoag (Wake Forest); Wesley Johnson (Vanderbilt); James Williams (Vanderbilt) ; Alex Hurst (LSU); Jeremy Jarmon (Kentucky), and, Will Jackson (Georgia Tech). All of these kids are instate lineman and for whatever reason UT either passed on these kids or slow played their recruitments to the point all decided to pursue their football careers at other schools. I contend most - maybe not all - of these in-state kids would have loved to have had the opportunity to play college football for UT.

On some of these kids, you can’t really say much except UT just drop the ball evaluation-wise. Some will say, a couple of these kids are nothing more than ACC caliber lineman which may be a fair point. However, maybe, one or two of these ACC caliber lineman could have been pieces to the puzzle that are sorely needed right now at UT and more importantly would have provided needed depth. Full disclosure here: The list of interior lineman above is off the top of my head at midnight. I’m sure there are probably more….. Don’t even get me started on in-state skill guys that ended up going other places…..

Here is my point and take it for what it is worth …. Look at the attrition that has taken place in this program. Look at all the kids UT has mis-evaluated or just simply didn’t recruit that have gone on to have respectable football careers elsewhere. Look at all the high profile recruits UT has signed (sans Eric Berry) that have fizzled out once they got to campus, and all those recruits fans ooohed and aaaawed over who never made it to campus because of academics or other reasons.

With all that needs “fixin” around this football program, the entire personnel evaluations, recruiting and personal/player development process should be right at the top of the list. If you read some comments made by staff members, I think that is their contention as well. Now on to recruiting…….

This new recruiting approach is gonna be tough on you star gazers and those who are into comparing UT’s recruiting ranking against its rivals. The 2011 class Coach Dooley will assemble is going to be full of offensive/defensive lineman some of whom will not be highly thought of by the recruiting services. However, these will be prospects the coaching staff believes are smart football players, fit their schemes, can get in school, and want to be at UT.

Tracking 2011 recruiting, I’m convinced UT is laying the groundwork to meet its biggest needs which is offensive and defensive lineman in this and future recruiting classes. Why am I convinced? I give you two reasons for starters - Harry Hiestand and Chuck Smith.

Coach Heistand is not a household name but he is a very good offensive line coach. Most importantly, he, Coach Chaney and Coach Dooley are all on the same page. The guy has almost thirty years of coaching offensive linemen and tight ends in both college and the NFL. Remember that while Coach Hiestand was at Illinois, he coached 12 All-Big Ten Conference offensive lineman and every starting offensive lineman he coached during his first five or six years with Illinois had the opportunity to play in the NFL. He also coached in the NFL for the Chicago Bears. My guess is he knows what to look for when evaluating offensive line prospects and doesn’t pay too much attention to stars or rankings beside a prospects name. He will not be overwhelmed with the task of rebuilding UT’s offense line.

On defense, most every UT fan is intrigued about how well Chuck Smith takes to rigors of coaching and recruiting on the collegiate level. Coach Smith is every bit as intense as our previous defensive line coach everyone was in love with. This little tidbit on Coach Smith is interesting and I feel confident it has been passed along to many a defensive line prospect. During the first five rounds of the 2009 NFL draft, 9 of the defensive lineman drafted were personally trained by Chuck Smith. This would be impressive to any 18 year old defensive lineman with aspirations to play on Sundays.

If these two coaches think a kid has what it takes to play at this level, I’m inclined to trust their evaluations.

Let’s put things in perspective. Its April 2010, this staff has been together for 2 plus months, high school coaches, parents and prospects still have much to learn about these coaches, and UT has yet to run a play from scrimmage that counts. Also, high school prospect rankings by the recruiting services are a work in process, many prospects have not been ranked/evaluated, and spring evaluations which start within the next few weeks will be important to this new staff. So there are a bunch of loose ends associated with recruiting to be sure.

Right now, it appears UT is a little ahead in its pursuit of offensive lineman compared to defensive lineman.

Starting with the obvious: Folks that follow UT's recruiting are familiar with the four names at the top of UT's offensive lineman want list: Kyler Kerbyson, Antonio Richardson, Watts Dantzler, and Alan Posey. I would not go as far as to say UT is a clear cut leader for each prospect, but it would be fair to say UT is in good position with each.

One note here, UT is back in the middle of the recruiting battle for North Carolina prospect Eric MacLain. MacLain was at one time projected to be an offensive tackle and he may still grow into an offensive tackle. Currently, MacLain is being recruited as a tight end by UT and others. If you like following recruiting dramas, Eric MacLain’s recruitment is one you may want to follow.

There is a clear second level of offensive line prospects that have been on campus or are heading to campus that have a clear interest in UT. Here are a few names: Trip Thurman (6’5” 300 pounds from Dover, Delaware); Jason Rexroad (6’3” 270 pounds Myrtle Beach, SC); Tyler Philpott (6’2” 280 pounds Columbus, North Carolina); Justin Floyd (6’5” 290 pounds Cartersville, Georgia); Hunter Long (6’4” 280 pounds from Briarcrest Christian, Tennessee); and, Lamont Hardy (6’5” 320 pounds from Lovejoy, Georgia) just to name a few. Expect a handful of these prospects to be on campus this week to watch practice or this weekend for the Orange and White Game.

As I have said before, 2010 is a very good year for in state talent particularly for offensive lineman. I mentioned many of these prospects in a previous posting. These kids will continue to be evaluated as UT moves in spring evaluations and the summer camp circuit.


• Keep an eye out for other offense lineman to show up on the radar. Prospects like Tarik Cook (6’2” 290 pounds from Stephenson High School, Stone Mountain, Georgia), and an Ohio prospect Ryan Kelly (6’5”, 265 pounds) from Lakota West to name a couple.

I’m holding out hope that out of this bunch one or two of these kids snap the ball to the QB.

**********.
It seems like there is more heavy lifting to do associated with the defensive line recruiting. With our three top defensive ends leaving after this season , UT will start being mentioned more prominently with defensive line prospects as the season draws closer.

UT is fighting an uphill recruiting battle for each of the top three defensive line prospects on their board. Ray Drew is a highly sought after defensive end prospect from Georgia and UT looks to be on the outside looking in as Georgia and Florida State appear to be his early leaders; Jeff Pagan, a defensive end /defensive tackle prospect from Asheville, North Carolina, has Florida clearly ahead of all other suitors right now; and, Sterling Bailey, another highly sought after defensive end from Georgia, has Georgia ahead of everyone else at this juncture. Particularly with Pagan and Bailey their recruitments are far from being over…….

I haven’t been able to confirm whether any of the following prospects will be in town for the Orange and White game (Jeff Pagan (above) is a possible attendee) but here are a few prospects that don’t have offers but are being recruited and will be further evaluated during the spring and summer. Defensive end Barron Dixon (6’4” 255 pounds from Alpharetta, Georgia); Defensive tackle Gerald Dixon (6’2” 255 pounds from Rock Hill, South Carolina); Defensive end Brandon Fulse (6’5” 250 pounds from Fort Meade, Florida); defensive end/tackle Giovanni Francois (6’2” 250 pounds from Bradenton, Florida); Defensive tackle Devonte Brown (6’4” 260 pounds from Fayetteville, North Carolina) ; defensive tackle David Washington (6’2” 270 pounds Lovejoy, Georgia); and, Chris Mayes (6’4” 290 pounds from Spaulding, Georgia).

Also, don’t forget there are a number of in state defensive line prospects especially in middle to west Tennessee that are being recruited by UT as well as the above prospects.


Again, it is going to be interesting to see what kids make it in for practice this week and for the Orange and White game.

All I have for now. More to follow .


You should tell the new station owner to fix the internet stream. Many out of market people look to you to keep them up to date on what is going on with UT athletics.


‘X’
'X' Says:'UT picked up its first football commitment for the 2011 recruiting class over the weekend from Christian Harris of Etowah High School in Woodstock, Georgia. Harris is 6'1" - 6'2" ish and weighs around 225 pounds and is being recruited by UT as a middle linebacker though he has spent most of his playing time in high school as an outside linebacker.


In pre-season watch lists, Harris is not projected as a top 100 player in Georgia for the 2011 high school football season. To be fair, it is way too early in the 2011 recruiting season and state rankings for most states including Georgia are still works in progress.


I have been able to find out a bit of information from someone in the high school coaching fraternity who has seen him play. Take it for what it is....


First, Harris is known to be a good kid, from a good family, with good bloodlines. Harris’ father played college football in the SEC (quarterback at UGA in the early to mid 1980s).


Coaches will not need to be shown Harris where the weight room is. Harris is already known as one of the top power lifters in his weight class in the state of Georgia.


While I do not feel qualified to voice an informed opinion about a prospect's skills, I have been sent and watched video of Christian Harris as a junior. My coaching friend who has seen him play a few times says as an outside linebacker, "he shows up on film but he does not stand out". In fairness, video shows Harris playing as an outside linebacker while UT is recruiting him as a middle linebacker.


Harris is a Lance Thompson recruit which makes me feel good about this prospect and the commitment. Remember Michael Taylor? Not many of us knew about Michael Taylor a year or so ago. Look how his stock rose throughout Taylor’s senior season and post season all star games. How many Vol fans would like for Michael Taylor to be wearing orange next year?


Also, remember last year/previous regime, I believe UT missed out on more than one prospect who choose other schools because UT waited too long to take their commitment . Coincidentally, those prospects were recruited by Lance Thompson.


And, for you readers enamored with stars it’s a little too early in the process. Harris is not yet rated by Scout, Rivals, or ESPN and he doesn't have a ton of offers. In fact, UT's offer may have been his only one to date. Also, Etowah High does not have a track record of turning out high profile college football prospects and my guess though I don't know for certain is that Harris did not spend a lot of time making the camp circuit as a junior. Therefore, sounds to me like this is the kind of prospect that may go largely unnoticed by a Scout or a Rivals service until Harris makes the camp circuit this upcoming summer.


If Coaches Thompson and Dooley think he can play, right now that works for me. Coach Dooley isn't taking a commitment just to take a commitment. Too much at stake. He knows it.


Should expect lots of visitor news over the next week as pad poppin starts tomorrow


Good luck Basketvols


Support our baseball players


'X'
'X' Says:'Anyone besides me ready for spring football practice? Can I get an amen? I thought last year was the most anticipated UT spring football practice in recent memory; however, you could make the argument there are as many or even more compelling storylines attached to the looming 2010 spring practice that will make this spring even more intriguing than any in recent memory.

Face it; the Big Orange fan base really doesn't know these coaches except for Masers. Chaney and Thompson. Some may have an idea what the offense will look like under Jim Chaney and how it will differ from Lane Kiffin’s but not really. Does anyone really have an idea what to expect from a Justin Wilcox defense given talent left for him to work with? From a coach them up perspective, let’s see what Chuck Smith can do with our returning defense lineman and pass rushers. These are just storylines for the coaching staff.

Let’s get to players. I want to see the dozen or so redshirts from Lane Kiffin's lone signing class and the handful of mid-term enrollees.... in pads. Most have matured physically. It will fun to watch how they progress under the new staff and schemes leading up to the Orange and White game. Be honest, many these kids are going to be counted on to contribute this fall. Anyone else interested to see which players change positions this spring, who steps ahead of the pack at quarterback, running back, and corner, which players flourish under the new staff, and which players falter?

*************.

The UT fans are no different than most SEC fan bases. Fan bases live in the now and it’s a “what have you done for us lately” mentality. Seems like many have forgot about Coach Dooley and a hastily halfway assembled coaching staff haued in a consensus top ten recruiting class just six weeks ago. True though, since then Coach Dooley has shunned most media opportunities, it does feel like National Signing Day was six months ago and like the air has been let out of the Program to some extent. So, bring on spring practice. Remember Rajaan Neal, Da-Rick Rogers, Nash Nance and James Stone (and others) will be on UT's campus this summer because of the efforts of Coach Dooley and the new staff.

While less ... what the best word here.... flamboyant than the former staff, Coach Dooley and staff have been hard at work. Lots to be done. The day Coach Dooley accepted the job he was immediately playing catch up in recruiting. First, he was faced with keeping midterm enrollees in school, salvaging the remainder of the 2010 recruiting class and already behind looking toward the 2011 and 2012 recruiting classes. Now with a full complement of coaches and a recruiting coordinator, much of their time has been spent looking to the immediate future (evaluating 2011 prospects, putting the final touches on recruiting events this spring, targets of spring evaluations and their summer camp schedule) with one eye looking ahead for 2012. One note here. 2012 looks to be another good year for football prospects in the state of Tennessee and the state of Georgia.

************.

Unless you just popped up from a winter slumber, you know the recruiting priorities for this staff in 2011 are lineman ... on both sides of the ball and lots of them. With that being said, there are a couple of other things picked up on over the last week that are worthy of sharing. There is not a ton of fresh recruiting information out there. I would be lying if I said there was.

First, the whole recruiting approach has and will look different. Maybe not so much outwardly but its different... Without getting real specific let’s just say the approach is more focused and organized. Think the general public will see this over time. Thank goodness for organization. The previous recruiting structure oft times resembled what you would find in a spring break beach house shared by a flock of twenty-somethings.



Next, UT has been very active in its evaluation and pursuit of quarterback prospects. This is Jim Chaney's offense now and outside of the Nash Nance recruitment, who really knows how much Coach Chaney was involved in the Nick Lamaison, Matt Simms, or Tyler Bray recruitments? Nick Stephens, the heir apparent to the quarterback spot, will be gone after this season and it is possible that somewhere between March 18 and December 1st UT could lose another quarterback, in addition to Nick Stephens, for whatever reason...maybe lack of opportunity, not a fit with the new scheme, or just looking for greener pastures... Coach Chaney might be looking for his own type of quarterback and that may not necessarily be a pro style type.

For those who have been already following 2011 recruiting, the early quarterback names connected to UT are familiar ones. UT has extended scholarship offers to Stephen Rivers from Alabama (brother of Phillip Rivers); Justin Worley from Rock Hill, South Carolina; and Jeff Disked from the Orlando, Florida area. Drinker’s is a prospect whose stock has skyrocketed up many recruiting boards based upon his recent performances at these early season all star skills events. All these kids were shown recruiting love by the former staff and are all pro style type quarterbacks.


UT has offered a scholarship to one of the top dual threat quarterbacks in the country that being Braxton Miller a 6'3" 190 lb prospect from Huber Heights, Ohio. You may not know Braxton Miller's name now but you will by December. Miller will be one of the most coveted recruits in the country for 2011 before all said and done. Miller is an athletic quarterback prospect (nice arm and good feet) may well fit Coach Chaney's offense because of the ability to make a play or two with his legs better than some of the other pro style prospects under consideration. Every school in the country will have an interest in Braxton Miller. UT has offered a couple other dual threat quarterback prospects but seems to this point Coach Chaney has done an good recruiting job so far of keeping UT in the picture with Braxton Miller.

Is it possible that if UT loses another quarterback in addition to Nick Stephens after the season they would sign two quarterbacks in 2011? Keep these prospects in mind if UT does opt to go the pro style route and prospects like Worley, Disked or Rivers don’t work out. Michael Johnson a 6'6" 200 lb prospect from Briarwood , Tennessee, and Tony Daniel a 6"5" 190 lb prospect from South Paulding High School in Douglassville, Georgia. Both are raw prospects with big throwing arms. Though neither have a scholarship offer from UT, both are in the conversation.

For each prospect, spring evaluations, summer camps and strong performances this fall will be key. Johnson and Daniel have long been interested in UT, attended UT’s Junior Day in February, and are expected back on campus this spring along with the other quarterback prospects mentioned above. Johnson in particular is getting a lot of SEC interest.

***********.
Another position of recruiting interest that may interest only me is the tight end position and prospects that play tight end in high school that project at other positions in college. With Luke Stocker graduating, UT will be looking for a down the field tight end threat or two that can step in at the start of the 2011 season and contribute. Seems word has too leaked out Coach Chaney will employ a lot of multiple tight end sets eventually. The bodies aren’t there now to do this on a regular basis.

Accordingly, UT really stepped up its recruiting of tight end prospects. They have their sights set high already offering scholarships to three of the nation’s top 2011 tight end prospects: Jay Rome from Valdosta, Georgia; Nick O'Leary from West Palm Beach, Florida; and, Austin Sefarian Jenkins from Gig Harbor, Washington. Tough to imagine any one of those kids winding up at UT in all honestly.

There is a close second tier of tight end prospects possessing good athleticism and speed that could very well stay at tight end, slide inside to an offensive tackle, or maybe even move to a defensive line position. Heaven knows UT has needs at each and every one of these positions.

Prospects (with offers) at this tier include Eric McClain from Fayetteville, North Carolina; Jeff Huererman from Naples, Florida; and Rory Anderson from McEachern High in Georgia. Commonality here is big, athletic kids with speed that could play multiple positions.

UT seems to be ahead of the curve at the tight end position but look for them to remain active in evaluating/recruiting tight end or athletes of similar builds to tight end prospects for reasons mentioned above. Here are four of these type athletes UT is evaluating. Only one Bryant DuBose, has an offer from UT. The others could pick up offers as the recruiting evaluation process continues.

Two of the four prospects are in state prospects. These kids along with other in state prospects are going to be closely evaluated by this staff. This staff at least early on seems more serious about evaluating in state kids compared to the last two coaching staffs.... my opinion here.

The two in state prospects are tight end/athlete types are Keilyn Wells and Cameron Clear. Keilyn Wells is a 6'5" 225 lb tight end/athlete from one of the best football programs in Tennessee, Whitehaven High School. Next, there is Cameron Clear a 6"5" 265 lb prospect from Memphis Central High School. Keep an eye on both. Interest in each is just beginning to pick up (SEC schools like Alabama and Auburn have shown interest) .Both have interest in Tennessee.

Also, there is Drew Owens from Charlotte, North Carolina. Owens, at 6"5" 230 lbs, is projected to be one of the top prospects at any position in North Carolina for 2011. Owens already holds scholarship offers from most of the ACC schools and two or three SEC schools. Owens is another prospect that continues to be evaluated.


Then there is Bryant Dubose a 6'3" 225 lbs from Northeast High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Dubose has a scholarship offer and has UT toward the top of his list. DuBose is probably ticketed to defensive end in college but he is big athletic kid and is one UT identified and offered fairly early in the 2011 recruiting process which speaks volumes to me. At the end of the day, Miami will be tough to beat for DuBose....


******.

Couple of other items

Here is something that does not bother me so much as I found it odd. With the depth at running back and at the wide receiver positions and for this early in the recruiting process, UT has offered scholarships to a disproportionate number of running back/wide receiver/athlete type prospects. Disproportionate in terms of the number of prospects offered this early versus the perceived 2011 recruiting need(s) (i.e., LINEMAN)

Lots of you have been waiting for an uptick in recruiting activity. Expect it soon when spring practice gets ramped up (end of March leading up to the Orange and White game).

This is a good year for in-state football prospects especially lineman. Many in-state kids will get serious consideration from Tennessee and other schools.

Support the UT baseball players………

Who Am I…? X am I'
'X' Says:'Kyler Kerbyson, lineman from Knox Catholic . I would feel good about.....

Jeff Pagan. Long ways to go but I see his recruitment when all said and done to UT/Florida/North Carolina

Jabriel Washington... Bama is team to beat

Antonio Richardson, Give Tennessee a good shot here

A few to feel good about:

Brian Randolph, safety from Georgia

Alan Posey, lineman Georgia

Still believe Tennessee will be in the thick of it for CJ Uzomah (big time athlete) from North Gwinett, Georgia AND Jay Rome #1 tight end prospect in country from Valdosta , Georgia.......

Note: One of Chuck Smith's pupils is Derek Morgan DE from Georgia Tech project as a top 15 pick in the upcoming draft. Think those defensive ends/tackles from Georgia notice that.'

Note II: The new staff has already formally extended scholarships to five (5) in state prospects compared to last year Kiffin's group only offered 4 in state prospects

There are at least a 4 to 8 or more in state prospects that it wouldn't surprise me if they ultimately receive offers.'

'x'
'X' Says:'The University of Tennessee Football Program is holding its first recruiting event of the 2011 recruiting campaign on Saturday with what most schools refer to as “Junior Day”. In the business world, these type of gatherings are referred to as “dog and pony” shows. It is what it is.

Coach Dooley has been swimming upstream since accepting the Head Coach job roughly 6 weeks ago. Consider too he assigned the title of recruiting coordinator to Mickey Joseph who he brought with him from Louisiana Tech and his staff chocked full of coaches (outside of Lance Thompson and Jim Chaney) that, to be honest, don’t have a ton of recruiting experience in the Southeast or against SEC schools for that matter.

Even with these perceived disadvantages and only being on the job a few weeks, you should expect a fairly good turnout of prospects here on Saturday. I have my “list of prospects” tentatively planning to attend and it stands at 40 or so…. The thing is you never really know until the morning of the event because kids and their schedules change. However, I easily expect more than 50 prospects to attend.


A few things about Junior Day. Five of the top in state lineman in the 2011 class (Antonio Richardson, Kyle Kerbyson and Zac Cooper from Knoxville Catholic, Hunter Long, and Cody Robinson) plan to attend; all have fairly high interest in UT even Hunter Long whose brother is at Georgia; and, Robinson's father Ray is a former Vol from the mid 1980s; lots of Georgia talent will be here Saturday including five or six of the top ten 2011 prospects from the state of Georgia including Jay Rome - Valdosta; Damian Swann - Grady; CJ Uzomah, North Gwinett (hope he brings his teammate Brandon McGowan); Xzavier Dickson - Griffin; and Brain Randolph from Kell. One of best middle linebackers in the Southeast CJ Johnson from Philadephia, Mississippi will attend as will Zeph Grimes strong safety/linebacker type from Bamburg, South Carolina .

*************************

In time, Coach Dooley and his staff will become a more “effective” recruiting staff compared to the former staff. The former staff was not what I would call a “well-oiled machine” when it came to recruiting. While the former staff was full of coaches who were excellent recruiters, all recruiting related decisions were dominated by two Coaches (Orgeron and Lane Kiffin). Also, the two “decision makers” openly bemoaned the fact about it was so difficult to get good players interested in coming to UT. Thought that was what good recruiters got paid to do. Never heard former Coach Gran or Coach Thompson complain about it.

Though much remains to be seen and everyone will be watching to evaluate Coach Dooley’s recruiting prowess and approach, it does appears early on recruiting will become a much more collaborative undertaking with Coach Dooley and Lance Thompson has got to like that.

Speaking of Coach Thompson, many UT followers expected him to be named Recruiting Coordinator not Mickey Joseph when Coach Dooley finalized his staff assignments. Don’t read too much into that. Being a Recruiting Coordinator involves a considerable amount of time “coordinating and administrating” not doing direct recruiting work. Trust me I know of what I speak about here. Lance Thompson needs to be doing what he is so very good at and that is recruiting not coordinating recruiting.

While my opinion does not count for much, my opinion is 2011 recruiting -after a slow beginning - is now getting in motion. Look for a much larger recruiting event/turnout for the Orange and White Game in April. That is the plan....

*************************

Still can’t figure out why UT is not camped out en masse in Asheville, North Carolina, trying to make up recruiting ground with Jeff Pagan. This one is a head scratcher. This UT football team has a dire need for defensive lineman especially those that have a chance to play at an elite level. In Pagan, you have a defensive line prospect who is roughly 6’4” 250 pounds and reportedly runs a 4.6/4.7 forty. Pagan may not a well known prospect around Lake Loudon Boulevard in Knoxville but he is well known around other football facilities virtually from one coast to the other.

I never have nor will I ever profess to be a talent evaluator… but given that Pagan holds offers from 20 plus schools including the likes of Florida, Alabama, Georgia, USC, LSU, Ohio State, Florida State, and Notre Dame I’m inclined to believe the kid can play a little and I’m even more inclined to wonder why UT isn't mentioned AT ALL with this kid.

Here is what I can’t figure out. The East Tennessee area including western North Carolina is not like Atlanta, Georgia; or Tampa, Florida; or Baton Rouge, Louisiana; or Miami, Florida; or, well you get it. You can shake a tree in those areas and find a handful of very good high level Division 1 football prospects and maybe a good defensive line prospect who has the potential to be a great one. Prospects like Pagan don’t come around this area very often. To that point I consider prospects from Asheville, North Carolina “in-state" prospects. Closer than Nashville about same distance as Chattanooga….You have to check this kid out dont you? By the way, found this interesting… Pagan attends the same high school as Leonard Little did back in his day.

All I got for now

Peace 'x'
'X' Says:'Though ESPN, Rivals or Scout have not published any 2011 rankings ESPN has 7 Tennessee prospects on their 2011 ESPN 150 Watch List. This is unprecedented for the state of Tennessee.

In 2011, there are three in state quarterback prospects: Michael Johnson- Briarcrest, Memphis (Threw for 21 TDs as a junior); Jake Overbey- Jackson (2,700 passing yards, 44 TDs); and, Mike Wegzyn 6’5” 220 lbs at Knoxville Catholic are three quarterback prospects being evaluated by any number of schools including UT.

In terms of running backs prospects, Artaves Gibson- Mitchell, Memphis; Jeremiah Bryson- Smyrna; Gerald Sensabaugh from Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett are probably the top three in the state of Tennessee maybe add Devrin Young from Knox Bearden in there too). These four really don’t have to take a back seat to very many running back prospects in the Southeast…. Gibson and Young for sure will get looks from UT.. Not certain about Bryson or Sensabaugh through both already have ACC offers.

John Brice said yesterday on the show that 'nobody (in this class in the state) compares to Stone or Jacquez? C'Mon! I love em both and glad they both are Vols.....But Antonio Richardson, Jabriel Washington, this Kerbyson kid, the Redden kid from Memphis are all as talented as Stone and Smith at the same time in their careers... Those four kids also have or will have offers from ALL the big schools. Watch and see...

There are many more top level prospects than can play in the SEC this year compared to last as well. Time will tell on this but I'm very confident he is wrong in his assessment of the in state talent for 2011.

I love John Brice and respect the job he does day in and day out, but today I completely disagree with him.

My two cents worth.

Check Back

'X''
'X' Says:2011.... First Look Ahead.... Defensive Backs and Linebackers


Four quick things. Under defensive backs I have included cornerbacks, safeties, and "athletes"; a few of the outside linebacker names listed "project" as defensive ends in college; this is an early list fluid and sure to change; and, Georgia is just loaded with Division 1 prospects.


Defensive Backs

In-state to start. Tennessee could meet a big part of its 2011 defensive backs needs with in state prospects. Cornerback/"athlete" Jabriel Washington (5' 11" 170 pounds) from Trinity Christian Academy maybe be the # 1 prospect in the state for 2011. Washington is a talent and, though the level of competition he plays against is questionable, he is being recruited by most of the SEC power programs. Washington has a Tennessee offer and is a top 2011 priority. Look for Washington to attend UT's upcoming junior day at the end of February.

Lonnie Ballentine is a 6'3" 190 pound safety prospect from Southwind High School in Memphis. Ballentine plays safety in high school and may move to outside linebacker type in college. Ballentine holds a UT offer and is too a priority. Ballentine has interest from LSU, Alabama and other major college programs. Ballentine projects to as a January 2011 enrollee.

Another in state defensive back that is beginning to garner attention from a number of colleges is Tino Thomas. Thomas, a 6'0" 190 pound "athlete" attending Melrose High School in Memphis, Tennessee. Thomas is a top 10 - top 15 type prospect in the state for 2011. With spring evaluations, summer camps, and a full senior season ahead, my guess Thomas will shoot up many a 2011 recruiting boards.

There is one more in state defensive back/athlete prospect sure to fly under the radar but is worth paying attention to. Derek King a 5’10” 180 pound defensive back/athlete from Brentwood Academy. King is sure to draw more interest as the season nears. He may be one of the best “athletes” playing football in the state as King is a very accomplished track star. Auburn has already shown interest.

OUT OF STATE


Hakeem Flowers, is a 6'3" 180 pound 'athlete" from Greenville, South Carolina. Flowers has one of the most impressive offer lists of any prospect Tennessee is recruiting. Flowers has a committable Tennessee offer and our new staff has significant interest in Flowers. Expect Flowers to give Tennessee a closer look between now and next February.

Jaquese Kirk, is a 5'11" 180 pounds defensive back Walker High School, in Jasper, Alabama. Kirk may be one of the top defensive back in the state of Alabama for 2011. Alabama loaded up on defensive backs in 2010 and the number of defensive backs they take in 2011 will be limited. Nonetheless, Bama and Auburn for that matter will still get their fair share. However, their backlogs at defensive back may open a door with Kirk for Tennessee.

Dominque Terrell, 5’ 11” 180 pound defensive back/athlete from Osbourne Park High School in Manassas, Virginia. Though many states are only beginning to publish preliminary 2011 “watch lists”, Terrell may well end up being the top-ranked prospect in Virginia . Whether as a quarterback, running back, kick returner or as a defensive back, Terrell has caught the eye of major college programs all up and down the eastern seaboard. Tennessee has interest. Appears Penn State is an early leader.

Tyler Hunter, 6’0” 190 pounds from Lowndes, Valdosta, Georgia. Hunter who holds a UT offer is already receiving interest from most every SEC school. Another Division 1 defensive back produced by the state of Georgia.

Clifton Richardson 6’1” 200 pounds from Menchville High School, Newport News, Virginia. In college, Richardson likely winds up at strong safety or linebacker. Previous UT staff offered Richardson and Richardson was high on their board. New staff has interest as well.

TJ Thorpe, 5’11” 175 pound defensive back/athlete type from Jordan High School, Charlotte North Carolina. Thorpe who runs a 4.4 forty is one of those prospects who is just beginning to have college recruiters show up on his doorstep. Garnering interest from ACC and a few SEC schools including Tennessee.

Zeph Grimes, 6’0” 200 pound strong safety prospect from Eberhardt High School in Bamberg, South Carolina. Tennessee is interested as are many SEC schools. Some already are saying the battle for Grimes is shaping up as a South Carolina/Clemson match. Interesting to see if Grimes shows up for Junior Day.

TK Fleming, 6’3” 200 pounds defensive back from Benton High School in Benton, Louisiana. Fleming has relationship with Coach Dooley and Coach Joseph from their Louisiana Tech days. Already holds approximately 10 offers including one from UT. LSU has not offered and will be tough to beat if they do.

Bruce Dukes, 5’10” 170 pound cornerback from Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, Georgia. Another SEC-caliber defensive back prospect from one of better high school programs in Georgia. Dukes already holds an offer from Mississippi State and is receiving interest from Auburn and Tennessee.

Avery Walls, 5'11" 184 pounds defensive back from Union Grove High School in McDonough, Georgia. The thing to remember with all these Georgia defensive backs is Georgia signed four defensive backs in its 2010 signing class and already has two defensive back/athletes committed for its 2011 class. Walls is a highly regarded prospect that I don't see Georgia having room for. Walls has offers from LSU, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Stanford, Northwestern, East Carolina and Connecticut, and Texas A&M.

Sam Watkins, 6’1” 180 pounds defensive back from South Fort Myers High School in Fort Myers, Florida. One of the best defensive backs in state of Florida. Will be highly recruited by all the Florida schools and other major college programs. Holds Tennessee offer.

Wayne Lyons, 6’0” 190 pound safety from Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Lyons is included because he does have a UT offer. Getting him to Tennessee is a long shot but early he has expressed interest in UT.

Brian Randolph, 6' 1" 180 pound safety from Kell High School in Marietta, Georgia. Randolph has a Tennessee offer and is a prospect UT was in good shape with before the regime change back in January. Expect UT to be in the mix for Randolph before all is said and done. Randolph is an active defender (watch his film) and is also a very good running back.

Damian Swann, 6'0" 175 pound cornerback/safety from Grady High School in Atlanta, Georgia. Swann is another Georgia prospect who has fairly significant UT interest.

Justus Pickett is a 5' 11" 180 pound defensive back/athlete from Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. Pickett is fairly high on The UT board. Holds UT offer and has interest. Another North Carolina prospect expected to give UT a much closer look.

Brandon Ellerbe, 6'1 " 205 pound strong safety type from Wadesboro Anson. Ellerbe is an early commitment to Clemson. Likely position in college is a safety but a very good high school running back in addition to being a major college prospect at safety.

Pat Martin, 6'0" 205 pounds strong safety from JL Mann High School in Greeneville, South Carolina. Martin has already drawn interest from most all the Carolina schools. Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Tennessee are just a few of the other schools interested.

Malcolm Mitchell, a 6'1", 170 safety from Valdosta High School in Valdosta , Tennessee. Mitchell is a skinny, speedy safety prospect who needs a lot of strength and conditioning work. Already holding offers from Georgia, Clemson, Georgia Tech, South Carolina. Another one of top defensive backs in Georgia. Friend and former teammate of UT freshman to be Dontavious Sapp. Mitchell is one of many high level Division 1 prospects on the 2011 Valdosta team (more to follow).

Keenard Blackman, 6'4" 210 pound (athlete type) safety from Whitefield Academy, Mableton, Georgia. Blackman may be one of most sought after "athletes" in Georgia for 2011. Blackman has frame to move to linebacker even down lineman in college.



Linebackers

Always like to head these lists with in state prospects. The first prospect worthy of mention is Deon Meadows a 5' 11" 200 linebacker for New Smyrna High School in Smyrna, Tennessee. Meadows maybe the best football prospect in the state of Tennessee people don't know about now…. but will come next February. Meadows has all the physical tools. Has Tennessee interest.

Another in state linebacker to watch is Charles Harris a 6’2” 200 pound linebacker from Whitehaven High School. By the way, Whitehaven is loaded with Division 1 football talent. Harris has frame/size where some will project him to play a down lineman in college. Harris is a definite Division 1 prospect and will be highly recruited.


Out of state


C.J. Johnson, a 6'2", 225 pound middle linebacker from Philadelphia High School in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Johnson committed early to Miss State but we’ll see. One of best in the state of Mississippi for 2011 and a Rivals 250 type prospect. Johnson is planning to attend UT's Junior Day. Though early, that would be a big statement if Johnson makes it in .


One of most intriguing prospects on UT's board is James Wilder. Wilder is 6'3" 220 pounds from Plant High School in Tampa, Florida. Wilder may be the best 2011 football player in the state of Florida. Wilder is an elite prospect on offensive as a running back and on defensive as a linebacker and is a prospect being recruited by schools all over the country. Wilder has a Tennessee offer and in early interviews/articles has listed UT as a school of interest. Really don’t expect Wilder gets away from the Florida schools in the end; however, it is interesting his continued mentioning of Tennessee.

James Vaughters, 6’2” 225 pounds from Tucker High School in Tucker, Georgia. Vaughters along with a handful of other of the elite Georgia 2011 prospects are "statement" type recruits. Meaning recruits coveted by all the big time programs including UT and signing this caliber of prospect such as Vaughters makes a statement about your recruiting prowess and your program. Vaughters is an inside linebacker prospect who has all the physical tools to play early in college. Big kid. Great speed.

A.J. Johnson, 6’3” 230 pounds from Gainesville High School, Gainesville, Georgia. Johnson was committed to UT and during the coaching change decided to re-open his recruitment. Good news is Tennessee remains at or near the top of his list. Another prospect having all the skills and speed to play early at the college level.

Shannon Brown , 6' 2" 240 pound inside linebacker from Cook High School in Adel Georgia. Tennessee has offered and though its early Tennessee is in Brown's top three. Brown had a so-so junior season and ended up not finishing the year as part of the Cook High School team. Understand though all has been worked out. In addition to being a national recruit as a linebacker, Brown is a very good fullback and could end up on offense in college. Brown's skills are impressive.

Terrance Smith a 6'4"210 pounds outside linebacker from Southwest DeKalb High School. In a state full of good linebacker prospects, Smith is well one of the top linebacker/athlete types in the state. Tennessee and Alabama both like Smith. Smith will get both exposure and recognition as season goes along. Southwest DeKalb High will be one of best in state for 2010 season.

Lamar Dawson, 6’3” 220 pounds from Boyle County, Kentucky. As I mentioned in my last article, 2011 is an above average year for Division 1 football prospects in Kentucky. Dawson is one of those SEC caliber prospects. Already holds offers from Kentucky and Louisville. Tennessee is evaluating.


Curtis Grant, 6'3" 225 pound linebacker from Hermitage High School in Richmond, Virginia. Grant is a national recruit. Check his offer list. Impressive. As good a prospect looks to be, my opinion is there are other linebackers higher on the UT board than Grant at this time.


Kendall Walker, 6’1” 195 pounds from Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Walker's father played at Maryland but the younger Walker looks to land at a higher profile program to play his college football. The Cincinnati area in general is an area you can expect this new UT staff to focus on. Walker is an ESPN 150 type player who is beginning to receive interest from SEC and ACC schools. Already has offers from a couple of Big Ten schools.


Brandon McGowan, 6’2” 220 pound outside linebacker from North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia. McGowan was overshadowed a bit last year because two or three of his teammates were heavily recruited which took some attention away from what an excellent prospect McGowan is. He and teammate CJ Uzomah (quarterback/athlete/receiver) will be recruited by every SEC school. UT likes both of these prospects especially McGowan.. Can’t hurt that McGowan’s former teammate and friend is UT freshman JuWuan James.


Jermaine Holmes, 5"11 230 pounds an inside linebacker from Valdosta High School in Valdosta, Georgia. The only thing keeping Holmes from being one of the top linebackers in Georgia for 2011 is his height. Holmes is teammates with Jay Rome (tight end/defensive end) who will be one of most sought after prospects in the country in 2011 so Holmes will get plenty of looks. You can be assured, the good guys know about Holmes along with his teammate Jarquez Samuels ( a 6'5" 240 pound defensive end/off the edge pass rusher). Keep an eye on both. These kids are former teammates of Vol to be Dontavious Sapp.


Chris Landrum, 6’2” 200 pounds from Sweetwater High School in Sweetwater, Alabama. Landrum is one of top “athletes” in the state of Alabama for 2011. Landrum is an off the edge type who could end up at linebacker or as a pass rush defensive end. Landrum is a bit under the radar right now as a prospect. Right now, Landrum is a top 15 - top 20 2011 prospect. Landrum is likely to be recruited as a tight end/H-Back as well.


Ryan Shazier, 6'3" 210 pounds from Plantation High School in Plantation, Florida. Shazier has Tennessee offer and there is interest there. Shazier is being recruited as both a defensive end and an outside linebacker. This is one prospect from Florida UT could be a player for.


Ken Hankerson, 6’2” 200 pounds from Saint Thomas Aquinas High, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Hankerson is an ESPN Top 150 talent and is likely to be one of the top 50 players in Florida when rankings are published. While I don't look for Tennessee to be very active in Florida in 2011, Hankerson is one prospect Tennessee may become involved with.


Zeek Bigger, 6’2” 205 pounds from Ashbrook High School in Gastonia, North Carolina. Bigger is a talent. Already shown up on ESPN 150 2011 Watch List and is showing up on many ACC and SEC recruiting boards. Has Tennessee interest. Hope he gets here for Junior Day.


Antonio Marsh, 6’2” 205 pounds from M.T. Blount High School in Pritchard, Alabama. Marsh is projected to be one of top players in Alabama when the 2010 rankings are published. Has only played linebacker for approximately half a season after spending first year and a half in high school playing as a down lineman. Alabama and Auburn will be tough to beat but UT has interest.


Other


A theme is emerging here. Georgia is loaded with Division 1 football prospects in 2011 and Tennessee knows it. Georgia's Football Program as well as its is Head Coach Mark Richt are under fire.
Georgia kids have shown they'll leave the state to play college football. Consider that in both 2009 and 2010 only 7 of the top 20 prospects in Georgia each year signed with Georgia or Georgia Tech. Also in Georgia, you know the enemy for the most part ...its Georgia. Georgia Tech provides little resistance (past two years signing only 2 total top 20 prospects). Other programs compete for players across the state but for the most part you have to beat Georgia.


In the states of Florida and North Carolina its different. In the state Florida, (2010) 13 of the top 20 prospects signed with in state schools. In the year 2009, 10 out of 20 signed with in state schools. North Carolina is much the same as Florida. For the recruiting class just signed 11 of the top 20 in state prospects signed with in state schools (in 2009, 15 out of 20 signed with the in state schools). In Florida, to get a prospect to leave the state UT is competing against 3 to 5 in state programs while in North Carolina you have two somewhat major programs and 3 others that are second tier schools. Rivals are the source of this information.


Don't put much stock in "commitments" this early in the recruiting calendar. With that said, while the following three prospects are "committed" to other schools, expect each to give UT more than a casual look. Jon Davis (6'3" 225 pound athlete from Eastern High School, Louisville, Kentucky) committed to Kentucky; Chris Sanders ( 6'1" 190 pound defensive back from Tucker high School in Tucker, Georgia) committed to Georgia; and, Marlin Lane (6'1" 200 pound running/defensive back from Mainland High School, in Daytona Beach, Florida) committed to Clemson....
Way too early to project any of these kids going anywhere. Will be interesting to see how it all pans out.



Who Am I? X Am I!
'X' Says:Part 2 of 3:

Linebackers

Always like to head these lists with in state prospects. The first prospect worthy of mention is Deon Meadows a 5' 11" 200 linebacker for New Smyrna High School in Smyrna, Tennessee. Meadows maybe the best football prospect in the state of Tennessee people don't know about now…. but will come next February. Meadows has all the physical tools. Has Tennessee interest.

Another in state linebacker to watch is Charles Harris a 6’2” 200 pound linebacker from Whitehaven High School. By the way, Whitehaven is loaded with Division 1 football talent. Harris has frame/size where some will project him to play a down lineman in college. Harris is a definite Division 1 prospect and will be highly recruited.


Out of state


C.J. Johnson, a 6'2", 225 pound middle linebacker from Philadelphia High School in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Johnson committed early to Miss State but we’ll see. One of best in the state of Mississippi for 2011 and a Rivals 250 type prospect. Johnson is planning to attend UT's Junior Day. Though early, that would be a big statement if Johnson makes it in .


One of most intriguing prospects on UT's board is James Wilder. Wilder is 6'3" 220 pounds from Plant High School in Tampa, Florida. Wilder may be the best 2011 football player in the state of Florida. Wilder is an elite prospect on offensive as a running back and on defensive as a linebacker and is a prospect being recruited by schools all over the country. Wilder has a Tennessee offer and in early interviews/articles has listed UT as a school of interest. Really don’t expect Wilder gets away from the Florida schools in the end; however, it is interesting his continued mentioning of Tennessee.

James Vaughters, 6’2” 225 pounds from Tucker High School in Tucker, Georgia. Vaughters along with a handful of other of the elite Georgia 2011 prospects are "statement" type recruits. Meaning recruits coveted by all the big time programs including UT and signing this caliber of prospect such as Vaughters makes a statement about your recruiting prowess and your program. Vaughters is an inside linebacker prospect who has all the physical tools to play early in college. Big kid. Great speed.

A.J. Johnson, 6’3” 230 pounds from Gainesville High School, Gainesville, Georgia. Johnson was committed to UT and during the coaching change decided to re-open his recruitment. Good news is Tennessee remains at or near the top of his list. Another prospect having all the skills and speed to play early at the college level.

Shannon Brown , 6' 2" 240 pound inside linebacker from Cook High School in Adel Georgia. Tennessee has offered and though its early Tennessee is in Brown's top three. Brown had a so-so junior season and ended up not finishing the year as part of the Cook High School team. Understand though all has been worked out. In addition to being a national recruit as a linebacker, Brown is a very good fullback and could end up on offense in college. Brown's skills are impressive.

Terrance Smith a 6'4"210 pounds outside linebacker from Southwest DeKalb High School. In a state full of good linebacker prospects, Smith is well one of the top linebacker/athlete types in the state. Tennessee and Alabama both like Smith. Smith will get both exposure and recognition as season goes along. Southwest DeKalb High will be one of best in state for 2010 season.

Lamar Dawson, 6’3” 220 pounds from Boyle County, Kentucky. As I mentioned in my last article, 2011 is an above average year for Division 1 football prospects in Kentucky. Dawson is one of those SEC caliber prospects. Already holds offers from Kentucky and Louisville. Tennessee is evaluating.


Curtis Grant, 6'3" 225 pound linebacker from Hermitage High School in Richmond, Virginia. Grant is a national recruit. Check his offer list. Impressive. As good a prospect looks to be, my opinion is there are other linebackers higher on the UT board than Grant at this time.


Kendall Walker, 6’1” 195 pounds from Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Walker's father played at Maryland but the younger Walker looks to land at a higher profile program to play his college football. The Cincinnati area in general is an area you can expect this new UT staff to focus on. Walker is an ESPN 150 type player who is beginning to receive interest from SEC and ACC schools. Already has offers from a couple of Big Ten schools.


Brandon McGowan, 6’2” 220 pound outside linebacker from North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia. McGowan was overshadowed a bit last year because two or three of his teammates were heavily recruited which took some attention away from what an excellent prospect McGowan is. He and teammate CJ Uzomah (quarterback/athlete/receiver) will be recruited by every SEC school. UT likes both of these prospects especially McGowan.. Can’t hurt that McGowan’s former teammate and friend is UT freshman JuWuan James.


Jermaine Holmes, 5"11 230 pounds an inside linebacker from Valdosta High School in Valdosta, Georgia. The only thing keeping Holmes from being one of the top linebackers in Georgia for 2011 is his height. Holmes is teammates with Jay Rome (tight end/defensive end) who will be one of most sought after prospects in the country in 2011 so Holmes will get plenty of looks. You can be assured, the good guys know about Holmes along with his teammate Jarquez Samuels ( a 6'5" 240 pound defensive end/off the edge pass rusher). Keep an eye on both. These kids are former teammates of Vol to be Dontavious Sapp.


Chris Landrum, 6’2” 200 pounds from Sweetwater High School in Sweetwater, Alabama. Landrum is one of top “athletes” in the state of Alabama for 2011. Landrum is an off the edge type who could end up at linebacker or as a pass rush defensive end. Landrum is a bit under the radar right now as a prospect. Right now, Landrum is a top 15 - top 20 2011 prospect. Landrum is likely to be recruited as a tight end/H-Back as well.


Ryan Shazier, 6'3" 210 pounds from Plantation High School in Plantation, Florida. Shazier has Tennessee offer and there is interest there. Shazier is being recruited as both a defensive end and an outside linebacker. This is one prospect from Florida UT could be a player for.

Ken Hankerson, 6’2” 200 pounds from Saint Thomas Aquinas High, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Hankerson is an ESPN Top 150 talent and is likely to be one of the top 50 players in Florida when rankings are published. While I don't look for Tennessee to be very active in Florida in 2011, Hankerson is one prospect Tennessee may become involved with.

Zeek Bigger, 6’2” 205 pounds from Ashbrook High School in Gastonia, North Carolina. Bigger is a talent. Already shown up on ESPN 150 2011 Watch List and is showing up on many ACC and SEC recruiting boards. Has Tennessee interest. Hope he gets here for Junior Day.


Antonio Marsh, 6’2” 205 pounds from M.T. Blount High School in Pritchard, Alabama. Marsh is projected to be one of top players in Alabama when the 2010 rankings are published. Has only played linebacker for approximately half a season after spending first year and a half in high school playing as a down lineman. Alabama and Auburn will be tough to beat but UT has interest.

Come on back tomorrow and we'll give you the complete report along with my state analysis...

Peace

'X'
'X' Says:'X' says you will see a couple of these guys sign next year with UT. See if he's right!

2011.... First Look Ahead.... Defensive Backs and Linebackers


Four quick things. Under defensive backs I have included cornerbacks, safeties, and "athletes"; a few of the outside linebacker names listed "project" as defensive ends in college; this is an early list fluid and sure to change; and, Georgia is just loaded with Division 1 prospects.


Defensive Backs

In-state to start. Tennessee could meet a big part of its 2011 defensive backs needs with in state prospects. Cornerback/"athlete" Jabriel Washington (5' 11" 170 pounds) from Trinity Christian Academy maybe be the # 1 prospect in the state for 2011. Washington is a talent and, though the level of competition he plays against is questionable, he is being recruited by most of the SEC power programs. Washington has a Tennessee offer and is a top 2011 priority. Look for Washington to attend UT's upcoming junior day at the end of February.

Lonnie Ballentine is a 6'3" 190 pound safety prospect from Southwind High School in Memphis. Ballentine plays safety in high school and may move to outside linebacker type in college. Ballentine holds a UT offer and is too a priority. Ballentine has interest from LSU, Alabama and other major college programs. Ballentine projects to as a January 2011 enrollee.

Another in state defensive back that is beginning to garner attention from a number of colleges is Tino Thomas. Thomas, a 6'0" 190 pound "athlete" attending Melrose High School in Memphis, Tennessee. Thomas is a top 10 - top 15 type prospect in the state for 2011. With spring evaluations, summer camps, and a full senior season ahead, my guess Thomas will shoot up many a 2011 recruiting boards.

There is one more in state defensive back/athlete prospect sure to fly under the radar but is worth paying attention to. Derek King a 5’10” 180 pound defensive back/athlete from Brentwood Academy. King is sure to draw more interest as the season nears. He may be one of the best “athletes” playing football in the state as King is a very accomplished track star. Auburn has already shown interest.

OUT OF STATE


Hakeem Flowers, is a 6'3" 180 pound 'athlete" from Greenville, South Carolina. Flowers has one of the most impressive offer lists of any prospect Tennessee is recruiting. Flowers has a committable Tennessee offer and our new staff has significant interest in Flowers. Expect Flowers to give Tennessee a closer look between now and next February.

Jaquese Kirk, is a 5'11" 180 pounds defensive back Walker High School, in Jasper, Alabama. Kirk may be one of the top defensive back in the state of Alabama for 2011. Alabama loaded up on defensive backs in 2010 and the number of defensive backs they take in 2011 will be limited. Nonetheless, Bama and Auburn for that matter will still get their fair share. However, their backlogs at defensive back may open a door with Kirk for Tennessee.

Dominque Terrell, 5’ 11” 180 pound defensive back/athlete from Osbourne Park High School in Manassas, Virginia. Though many states are only beginning to publish preliminary 2011 “watch lists”, Terrell may well end up being the top-ranked prospect in Virginia . Whether as a quarterback, running back, kick returner or as a defensive back, Terrell has caught the eye of major college programs all up and down the eastern seaboard. Tennessee has interest. Appears Penn State is an early leader.

Tyler Hunter, 6’0” 190 pounds from Lowndes, Valdosta, Georgia. Hunter who holds a UT offer is already receiving interest from most every SEC school. Another Division 1 defensive back produced by the state of Georgia.

Clifton Richardson 6’1” 200 pounds from Menchville High School, Newport News, Virginia. In college, Richardson likely winds up at strong safety or linebacker. Previous UT staff offered Richardson and Richardson was high on their board. New staff has interest as well.

TJ Thorpe, 5’11” 175 pound defensive back/athlete type from Jordan High School, Charlotte North Carolina. Thorpe who runs a 4.4 forty is one of those prospects who is just beginning to have college recruiters show up on his doorstep. Garnering interest from ACC and a few SEC schools including Tennessee.

Zeph Grimes, 6’0” 200 pound strong safety prospect from Eberhardt High School in Bamberg, South Carolina. Tennessee is interested as are many SEC schools. Some already are saying the battle for Grimes is shaping up as a South Carolina/Clemson match. Interesting to see if Grimes shows up for Junior Day.

TK Fleming, 6’3” 200 pounds defensive back from Benton High School in Benton, Louisiana. Fleming has relationship with Coach Dooley and Coach Joseph from their Louisiana Tech days. Already holds approximately 10 offers including one from UT. LSU has not offered and will be tough to beat if they do.

Bruce Dukes, 5’10” 170 pound cornerback from Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, Georgia. Another SEC-caliber defensive back prospect from one of better high school programs in Georgia. Dukes already holds an offer from Mississippi State and is receiving interest from Auburn and Tennessee.


Avery Walls, 5'11" 184 pounds defensive back from Union Grove High School in McDonough, Georgia. The thing to remember with all these Georgia defensive backs is Georgia signed four defensive backs in its 2010 signing class and already has two defensive back/athletes committed for its 2011 class. Walls is a highly regarded prospect that I don't see Georgia having room for. Walls has offers from LSU, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Stanford, Northwestern, East Carolina and Connecticut, and Texas A&M.



Sam Watkins, 6’1” 180 pounds defensive back from South Fort Myers High School in Fort Myers, Florida. One of the best defensive backs in state of Florida. Will be highly recruited by all the Florida schools and other major college programs. Holds Tennessee offer.

Wayne Lyons, 6’0” 190 pound safety from Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Lyons is included because he does have a UT offer. Getting him to Tennessee is a long shot but early he has expressed interest in UT.

Brian Randolph, 6' 1" 180 pound safety from Kell High School in Marietta, Georgia. Randolph has a Tennessee offer and is a prospect UT was in good shape with before the regime change back in January. Expect UT to be in the mix for Randolph before all is said and done. Randolph is an active defender (watch his film) and is also a very good running back.

Damian Swann, 6'0" 175 pound cornerback/safety from Grady High School in Atlanta, Georgia. Swann is another Georgia prospect who has fairly significant UT interest.

Justus Pickett is a 5' 11" 180 pound defensive back/athlete from Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. Pickett is fairly high on The UT board. Holds UT offer and has interest. Another North Carolina prospect expected to give UT a much closer look.

Brandon Ellerbe, 6'1 " 205 pound strong safety type from Wadesboro Anson. Ellerbe is an early commitment to Clemson. Likely position in college is a safety but a very good high school running back in addition to being a major college prospect at safety.

Pat Martin, 6'0" 205 pounds strong safety from JL Mann High School in Greeneville, South Carolina. Martin has already drawn interest from most all the Carolina schools. Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Tennessee are just a few of the other schools interested.

Malcolm Mitchell, a 6'1", 170 safety from Valdosta High School in Valdosta , Tennessee. Mitchell is a skinny, speedy safety prospect who needs a lot of strength and conditioning work. Already holding offers from Georgia, Clemson, Georgia Tech, South Carolina. Another one of top defensive backs in Georgia. Friend and former teammate of UT freshman to be Dontavious Sapp. Mitchell is one of many high level Division 1 prospects on the 2011 Valdosta team (more to follow).



Keenard Blackman, 6'4" 210 pound (athlete type) safety from Whitefield Academy, Mableton, Georgia. Blackman may be one of most sought after "athletes" in Georgia for 2011. Blackman has frame to move to linebacker even down lineman in college.

Tomorrow...We look at Linebackers...I'll have about 30 or so players the UT is evaluating...Hope you found this helpful and interesting...

'X'
'X' Says:RECRUITING 2011....A Look Ahead ... Offensive and Defensive Line Targets

With the 2010 signing class tucked away and as everyone looks eagerly forward to spring practice, let’s take an early look at a few offensive and defensive line targets on UT's 2011 radar. A few thoughts first.

It’s no secret UT would have liked to signed at least one more offensive lineman and one to two more defensive lineman in the 2010 signing class.. provided a) the prospect(s) could get in school and of course b) the prospect(s) could play. As Tennessee continues to look around for 2010 prospects and, while nothing surprises me, I doubt UT signs anymore prospects for its 2010 class. Maybe a preferred walk-on or two.

Now onto 2011, for you star grazers and people who are into team rankings and so forth, you may be disappointed with the 2011 class. The 2011 signing class may not be a top five type of class maybe not even top 10. The reason simply is the 2011 signing will be heavily populated with offensive and defensive lineman which meet critical needs though positions that are not traditionally rated as highly by the services. You should expect UT to sign a quarterback, a receiver or so but those aren’t priorities. Lineman on both side of the ball are.

Upon first glance for 2011, the states of Florida and Georgia are again loaded with high level Division 1 football talent. Also, it is an above average year for high level Division 1 football talent in South Carolina and it’s a good year in North Carolina. Interesting that there are an above average number of good prospects in Kentucky for 2011. In-state (Tennessee) talent is the best it has been in years especially the quality and quantity of football prospects at many positions including lineman. In the state, there are already a number of prospects receiving SEC and national recruiting attention. I’m partial to in state prospects and therefore I have listed a few worth keeping an eye on throughout the recruiting process.


Remember it’s early. This is a first pass in developing a pool of prospects that have interest in UT and UT likewise has interest in. Most of these prospects listed will be or are already being recruited by colleges in the major conferences including Tennessee. However, as recruiting moves toward the spring with Junior days, spring evaluations, and academic standing of prospects becomes clearer, this list will evolve.

What I’m saying is be prepared for change. Names will go off the board, new names will emerge, and of course UT will be involved with many of the prospects and more until next February.

UT is already a little behind in 2011 recruiting...largely because the new staff has adopted more of a regional approach to recruiting going forward as opposed to the last staff. Too, this staff appears to be taking a longer look at more in state prospects than the former regime.

As I mentioned above, Georgia again is loaded with football prospects. UT has made Georgia a battleground state. Top prospects in the state of Georgia do leave the state to play college football. Georgia is vulnerable. Georgia Tech has proved to be little resistance in recruiting. Look for UT to be active within the state of Georgia.
Should first mention UT already has one commitment for its 2011 class and that is Eric MacLain a 6’5”265 pound tight end/offensive lineman type from Fayetteville Britt High School, North Carolina. For the star grazers, MacLain is projected to be a solid four star type prospect when 2011 rankings come out. More importantly, he has remained a firm commitment to UT through two coaching staff changes and wants to be a Volunteer.

Let’s get going with a look first at OFFENSIVE LINE prospects and there is no better place to begin than in the state of Tennessee.

Though it’s early, there are a handful of in state offensive line prospects that will garner interest from major college football programs.

The prospect at the top of everyone’s list will be Antonio Richardson a 6'6", 310 pound offensive and defensive lineman from Ensworth High School in the Nashville area. Either Richardson or Jabriel Washington an athlete from Trinity High School will be ranked as the Number 1 prospect in the state for 2011. Both can play and both have received national recruiting interest.

Kyler Kerbyson a 6’5”, 290 pound offensive lineman from Knoxville Catholic. Kerbyson is also already receiving interest from SEC and ACC schools. Kerbyson plans to camp at UT this summer. It is early but Tennessee should be right in there. Knoxville Catholic has another lineman (Zac Cooper) that will be recruited heavily as well.
Hunter Long, 6'4", 285 pound interior lineman from Briarcrest Christian. Long is another in state offensive lineman who will receive consideration from SEC schools. Note Hunter Long is the brother of Austin Long who signed with Georgia a couple of years ago. Many believe he will follow his brother’s footsteps to Georgia.
There are a couple of other offensive line prospects in the mid-state area worth keeping an eye on. Honestly, I don’t know at what level either will be recruited but these kids are already receiving SEC/ACC interest. They are Brandon Miller a 6'5", 275 pound, offensive lineman from Tullahoma; Lucas Patrick 6'3", 280 pound offensive lineman from Brentwood High; and, Chris Turrentine
a 6’4” 310 pound offensive/defensive lineman from Smyrna High School, Smyrna, Tennessee. By the way, Smyrna High School has two or three other prospects that will be highly recruited in 2011. More to follow on those kids in later updates.

In Upper East Tennessee, one of the better offensive line prospects is Mac Crowder a 6’4” 270 pound interior offensive/defensive lineman from Tennessee High in Bristol. Virginia Tech will be hard to beat here but Crowder is drawing interest from a number of SEC and ACC schools.


Here are other out of state offensive line prospects to watch with Tennessee.

Brandon Shell, 6’7” 310 pounds from Goose Creek, South Carolina. Shell, the nephew Art Shell, maybe be ranked as the Number 1 offensive line prospect in the state of South Carolina for 2011. Huge kid with great feet which translates into an SEC offensive tackle. Shell already has offers from Clemson and South Carolina, along with SEC powers Florida, Georgia and Louisiana State. Tennessee hasn’t offered but is evaluating.

Tyler Moore, 6’6” 290 pounds from Countryside High School, Clearwater (FL). Committed to Nebraska but that won’t keep teams like Tennessee away.

Kyle Harris a 6’4” 255 pound offensive lineman from Pepperell High School in Lindale, Georgia. Has Tennessee interest but does not have a Tennessee offer yet.
Zach West, 6’5” 300 pounds from LCA, Lexington, Kentucky. One of top offensive line prospects in the state of Kentucky for 2011. Could play either guard or tackle has the size to play Guard or Tackle. SEC caliber offensive line prospect.

Darrien Miller, 6’6” 290 pounds, Bryan Station High School. Miller is committed to Kentucky but that won’t stop him from being heavily recruited by most every SEC program.
Dillon Cornet, 6’8 300 pounds from Perry County Central High School. He’s a little raw, and his level of competition is not where you’d like it to be, but Cornett is huge and could play offense or defense.

Alan Posey 6’5 310 pound offensive lineman from Clark Central High School, Georgia. Posey attends the same high school as Coaches Dooley and Smith. Projects as interior lineman in college. Has Georgia Tech offer and has interest from other schools including Georgia and Tennessee.

Tarik Cook, 6’1” 280 pounds for Stephenson High School, Stone Mountain, Georgia. A prospect from one of best high school programs in the state of Georgia. Last season 29 of the 32 seniors on the football team received scholarship offers. Has Tennessee interest.

Watts Dantzler, 6’7” 310 pounds from Dalton High School, Dalton, Georgia. Personally, I think he is playing the recruiting game right now. I would be shocked if Dantzler ends up anywhere but Georgia.

Marcus Jackson, 6”3”280 pound offensive lineman from Vero Beach High School, Vero Beach, Florida. “Soft” commitment to Miami… whatever that means. One of top offensive line prospects in a state loaded with them for 2011.

Errin Joe, 6’4” 285 offensive lineman from Union County High School, Lake Butler, Florida. Joe is not the only prospect from Lake Butler UT has interest in for 2011.

Trip Thurman, 6’5” 290 Dover High School, Dover Delaware. Why include an offensive lineman from Delaware in the review? His parents have Tennessee (specifically Knoxville ties) and the kid has Tennessee interest.

Mike Romano, 6’3” 275 pound offensive guard from Treasure Coast High School in Port St. Lucie Florida

Expect UT to try and make additional inroads into Virginia in 2011. With that said, watch UT and offensive tackle prospect Grant Jones from Liberty Christian Academy in Lynchburg Virginia. Jones stands 6’5 298 pounds and is what you look for in a tackle good size, agile for a big kid who is still growing with long arms.
Interior Defensive lineman.

Again, I always like to start with in state prospects and there are a handful of defensive linemen worth keeping an eye on.

The first is Christian Coleman, a 6’4” 250 pound defensive lineman/tight end from Milan High School, Milan, Tennessee. The former staff paid little attention to Coleman and very few in state kids for that matter. UT has catching up to do here.

Most who follow recruiting are familiar with the name of Terry Redden. Redden is a 6’1” 280 pound defensive tackle prospect from Whitehaven High School and is one of the better best defensive line prospects (other than Antonio Richardson) in the state for 2011. However, Redden has a couple of teammates who are also defensive lineman that will be heavily recruited as well. They are Trovante Thompson, (6'1"ish 280 pounds) and Marvin Barton (6’3” 290 pounds). The SEC west schools are ahead of UT in the recruitment of these prospects.

Here are a few defensive tackle prospects worth keeping watching.

Chris Mayes. 6’5” 290 pounds from Griffin, Georgia. Mayes may be one to keep an eye on with UT. UT has a history of getting good football players from Griffin. Mayes, who likes Tennessee, will only be entering his second season of organized football and is already emerging as a top prospect in the state of Georgia.

Joey Grant, 6’4” 265 pound defensive tackle/defensive lineman from Lake Brantley High School. I don’t have much information on a number of these kids … its early. Can tell you though this is one UT likes an awful lot……
Phillip Dukes, 6’3” 280 pound defensive tackle Manning, South Carolina. Tennessee is involved here but so are many other schools like Alabama, South Carolina, LSU, and others.

Isiah Norton, 6’5”290 pound defensive tackle from Kimball High School, Dallas Texas. Already has an offer from Tennessee and has Tennessee interest.

Jamon Brown 6’3 290 pound defensive tackle , Already committed to Louisville. Will be one of nation’s best and most hotly recruited defensive line prospects.

Corey Rodgers, 6’6” 245 pound defensive lineman from Clarke County High School, Kentucky. Prospect that could play strong-side end or play defensive tackle. DT. As you can see, very good year for prospects in the state of Kentucky.

Gabriel Wright, 6’1” 260 pounds from Carver High School, Columbus, Georgia. One of best in state of Georgia for 2011. Has Tennessee interest. Alabama involved here too.

De Shaun Williams, 6’1” 290 pounds from DW Daniel High School, Central, South Carolina. Sure to be highly recruited by most programs in the southeast. ESPN 150 level player.

Jonathan Battle 6'1 275 pounds from Sumter County Comprehensive High School, Americus, (Georgia). Battle may fly a bit under the radar being that he missed most of junior year because of knee injury. Has Tennessee interest.

Tim Jernigan 6'2 270 Columbia (FL) . Runs a 4.6 40, and will be among the nation’s best next season. Jernigan says he has more than 30 scholarship offers with Florida leading.
Lonnie Gosha, 6’3” 260 pound defensive tackle from Union County High School, Lake Butler, Florida. One of the best in the state for 2011. The Florida schools will be tough to beat.

Demetrae Griffin, 6’2” 280 pounds. Speake High School, Danville, Alabama. Don’t know if any recall the kid from Alabama who got shot in his hometown right around Tennessee junior day last season. Well, Griffin is the kid. Still recovering though from the accident but had a very good junior season. Ranked as one of top players in Alabama and one UT may have a shot with. Can play offensive line as well.


Defensive Ends
Good news is that UT is already positioning itself with a number of the elite defensive end prospects in the Southeast. Bad news is UT’s new staff has a ton of ground to make up with most of these prospects.

A the top of the list will be is Jeff Pagan, 6’4” 250 pounds from Asheville, North Carolina. One of top prospects at any position in the Southeast. UT will have a ton of ground to make up on the likes of Florida and Georgia.
Another one that will be a headliner is Jadevon Clowney, 6’5” 235 pound defensive end from South Pointe High School in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Tennessee has had success in Rock Hill. Will probably play at 260 -270 pounds in college and will be one of the most sought after recruits in the country.

Stephon Tuitt, 6’5” 260 pounds from Monroe County, Georgia. Will be one of the most highly recruited prospects in Georgia for 2011. Could play offensive tackle but most seem to think he is best suited as a strongside defensive end. UT recruiting as defensive end.

Ray Drew, 6’5” 230 pounds from Thomas County Central High School, Thomasville, Georgia. Drew is one of top players in Southeast and maybe top prospect in Georgia for 2011. Tennessee is in there along with everyone else. The positive for UT is an of course it’s early but Drew consistently has mentioned interest in Tennessee.

Ira McCune, 6’2” 245 pounds from Hillgrove High School, Powder Springs Georgia. Anyone seeing a theme here that the state of Georgia is loaded with defensive line prospects. Another defensive line prospect that will be highly sought after.

Jay Rome, 6’5” 230 pounds from Valdosta High School, Valdosta, Georgia. Along with Drew, Rome maybe the top prospect in Georgia for 2011. Rome could conceivably be the Number #1 rated athlete (tight end/defensive end in the country for 2011). Rome is interested in Tennessee. Clemson is thought to be a leader at this early stage. Doesn’t hurt that one of Rome’s best friends Dontavious Sapp will be wearing Orange Next season.

Stephone Anthony, 6’3” 220 pounds from Anson High School Wadesboro , North Carolina. Runs a 4.65 time in the 40: A top-100 player on all the recruiting service lists, Anthony is fast and strong and hard to block. Already has a number of offers from as far away as UCLA.

Norkeithus Otis, 6’3” 210 pounds LB/DE from Ashbrook High School in Gastonia North Carolina. Athletic prospect with speed and pursuit ability who is drawing more interest every day. Already holds offers from South Carolina, Florida and Maryland. Has Tennessee interest.
Curt Maggett, 6’4 215 pounds from Dwyer High School in Palm Beach Gardens in Florida. Arguably the top pass rush prospect in the state of Florida in an area that is predominantly Florida/FSU.

Sterling Bailey, 6’5” 240 pounds from East Hall High School, Gainesville, Georgia. This is another Georgia kid that is already proclaiming Tennessee to be in the top three schools he is interested in.

Giorgio Newberry, 6’5” 250 pounds from Fort Pierce Central High School, Fort Pierce, Florida. Newberry is already listed as a 2011 ESPN 150 talent. I would expect after camps, evaluations and so forth for his stock to continue to rise. Newberry will be courted by all the Florida schools. Newberry has Tennessee interest.

Josh Tann, 6’4” 220 pounds Panther Creek High School, Cary, North Carolina. Tann is a bit of a sleeper. He is one I have seen play in person.. Talented kid with tons of athleticism. After another year of strength/conditioning work and maturation, I would expect Tann to be one of top recruits in North Carolina for 2011.
First pass at prospects at the other positions of need will follow in the coming weeks.

Check Back and tell a friend.

'x'
'X' Says:I know we all loathe Lane Kiffin but the Tennessee faithful need to give Kiffin and Coach O their due. In my opinion, Kiffin and Orgeron got in the head of Coach Richt and it effected their recruiting .... in my opinion. '

After UT wax'd Georgia back in October, UT began a relentless assault on most every prospect committed to Georgia. With Georgia's defensive coordinator and most of the defensive his staff under fire, I think Mark Richt was became consumed with trying to stay a step ahead of UT 's pursuit of their prized commitments namely Nikell Robey, TJ Stripling, Jalen Fields, Da-Rick Rogers, and Alec Ogletree.

In my opinion , UT forced Georgia into a couple of really questionable decisions. First, UT went as hard after Georgia commit defensive back Alec Ogletree and any of the Georgia commitments outside of Rogers of course. If Kiffin and Orgeron gletree were still at UT, Ogletree would at a minimum have visited UT and maybe signed here who knows. How did Richt counter UT's recruitment of Ogletree, he offered Alec Ogletree's brother, Zander, a scholarship . Zander Ogletree is a fairly good running back but he is not an SEC running back at 5'9 210 lbs. Seems clear to me Richt burned one scholarship to save another.

Also, after taking two very good quarterbacks in their 2009 signing class Georgia felt compelled to take a quarterback in this class. a Once Georgia received a commitment from in state quarterback Hutson Mason.... Kiffin and Oregeron really turned up the heat on Nash Nance and Da-Rick Rogers.. Knowing that Richt, given his quarterback depth chart, really could not afford to burn another scholarship on Nance to try and keep Rogers firmly committed to Georgia.

I don't think Rogers or Nance wind up at UT if Kiffin were still the Head Coach; however, Kiffin and Orgeron laid the groundwork for Chaney , Baggett and Dooley to make their pitch.

At one time Georgia was putting together a top five recruiting class nationally but the wheels started falling off about mid-October . I credit part of that to the former UT regime. I think for 3 months Mark Richt was so pre-occupied with trying to hold off UT's pursuit of his commitments (remember UT beat them for Juwuan James as well during that time) that he may have taken his eye off the target to some extent

One more thing, for all the ‘ X’ haters especially those who contend I gets his stuff off message boards.... First, gimme a break and second please refer to the ‘X’ post of October 21, 2009 under the subject of wide receivers......Hmm a post about UT and Da-Rick Rogers . I was given indication as far back as mid-October that regardless of what was said in the media before all was said and done UT would be a major player for Da-Rick Rogers.

How'd that work out?

Don't sweat Glen Stanley going to USC. He would have never had academics in order to get into an SEC school.

Happy Signing Day

‘x’

XPS: 'Checked with two different people I respect who are in the know in Nashville this morning.... both still seem to think Stone to Tennessee. Everybody around him including the UT staff seems to think that!


Saw where Robey is headed to USC... he too doesnt have the academics in order or would have a bit of a tough time getting them on order to get into an SEC school as I undertsand it.'

'x'