SIAP
"Sunday morning one source inside the Tennessee program described the flurry of commitments as unreal.
Eight total.
Seven in the 2017 class.
Butch Jones and his staff expected two or three on what is always a huge recruiting weekend in Knoxville, but as the afternoon heated up, so did the 247Sports Commitment tracker as prospect after prospect said they were coming.
Tennessee went from No. 22 to No. 7 in the 247Sports Recruiting Rankings. The Vols are now building depth within a program that has been rebuilt by Jones and company into a National Title contender. The roster has been completely overhauled and this 2017 class is on track to supplement whats been done the previous years where Tennessee signed the No. 14 class in 2016, No. 4 in 2015 and No. 7 in 2014 per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite Rankings.
Defensive end Tre Lawson of North Augusta, S.C., defensive back Theo Jackson of Nashville, Tenn., wide receiver Princeton Fant of La Vergne, Tenn., defensive end LaTrell Bumphus of Savannah, Tenn., running back Trey Coleman of West Monroe, La., offensive lineman Jordan Tucker of Roswell, Ga., and linebacker/safety Jaquan Henderson of Covington, Ga., all committed to Tennessee on Saturday, along with four-star Class of 2018 athlete Alontae Taylor of Manchester, Tenn.
Three I really like from this group are Lawson, Coleman and Henderson.
At 6-foot-7, 250-pounds, Lawson reminds me of Malik McDowell, Michigan States stud defensive tackle when he was coming out of high school. Lawson can certainly play across the front but I ultimately see him as a force inside, quickly shooting through gaps, controlling the point of attack, knocking down footballs and closing fast on ball carriers and quarterbacks. Ranked by 247Sports as the nations No. 14 strong-side defensive end, Lawson chose the Vols over Florida State, Ole Miss and South Carolina.
Depending on who declares for the NFL draft early, I could see Coleman making an immediate impact in the Tennessee backfield. At 6-foot-2, 200-pounds, hes going to be a load in the SEC. I like the balance he runs with, has bounce, hes slippery, subtle wiggle allows him to shake would-be tackles and clear them into the open field and once he finds the second level he has some juice to go the distance.
Henderson is a three-down player, an authoritative tackler and physical football player that runs through contact and ball carriers. He plays fundamentally sound, wraps up when tackling in space, and also shows he can play the football in the air and run with running backs downfield in coverage. Hes a safety, he could be a linebacker, but no question hes going to be a good player for the Vols. A thumper.
You take Lawson, Henderson and Marquez Bembry, those are three three-star commits in Tennessees class with outstanding upside and potential to make that grade look awful!
Looking ahead to this fall, Fant is certainly going to be intriguing to watch. He had the injury that took his junior year away from him but from limited tape he looks like a powerful runner that defensive backs are going to have trouble getting to the turf in the open field.
Tucker has the dough to be molded into a big, physical offensive lineman. Bumphus does a little of everything on Friday nights for his team including returning kicks. Jackson is a free safety with a knack for being around the football."
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