Pepe
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Yeah, they’ve started to build a good relationship, and Bailey obviously has been back to Knoxville a few times recently to help recruit. King said Tennessee’s coaches have told him they’re open to taking a second QB in this class.
I think Bailey and his family are aware that Tennessee needs depth and more competition at the position and that, if the Vols do take a second QB — which is far from a given, and King will be a tough pull, to say the least — it’s more competition for Bailey but not an indication that Tennessee isn’t high on him.
Haynes King, Longview, Dual-Threat Quarterback
- POS DUAL
- HEIGHT 6-3
- WEIGHT 180
- HIGH SCHOOL Longview
- HOME TOWN Longview, TX
- CLASS 2020
Haynes King, 2020 Pro-style quarterback - Rivals
HAYNES KING on Hudl
-Gabe Brooks, 247
“It went pretty well,” said King, who’s ranked by 247Sports as the No. 31 overall prospect and No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 class. "I got to talk to Coach Chaney, (head) coach (Jeremy) Pruitt and Coach Weinke. I liked all three of them. They’re very smart on what they do, and that’s the reason why they’re very successful. “They’re definitely going to be in the mix now.”
“They like me,” said King, who recently earned an invitation to the Elite 11 Finals and was timed at 4.50 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the Dallas-area Nike The Opening Regional. “They think I can fit in their offense, offensive style. They’re trying to get better and win a national championship. That’s going to be their goal.”
Tennessee’s coaches told King — whose father, John King, is his head coach at Longview — that they like “the fact that I’ve been through a lot, knowing that my dad’s been a coach, so I’m somewhat ahead of the game, if you’d say so.” The younger King said he liked what he saw from the Vols on the field Monday afternoon during their third spring practice. “A bunch of it stood out,” he said. “They’re definitely practicing, trying to get better — all that stuff. They move with a purpose, and you’ve got to like that.”
King said he has enjoyed getting to know both Chaney and Weinke, and he likes “just the fact that they go out every day with a purpose, trying to get that team better and build great individuals around them.” He’s impressed by their backgrounds, too. “I’d say so,” King said. “Pretty much everywhere they’ve been, they’ve been successful at some point. And both of them are great coaches and both of them have been through a lot, had a lot of experience in most things.”
“They said they have three scholarship people right now, and they’re going to try to take two in the 2020 class,” he said. "I think it's a good opportunity. You can’t run away from competition, and there’s going to be competition everywhere you go.” King said he has “not really" decided on any favorites among the more than 20 schools pursuing him, adding that he’s “trying to keep an open mind.” But he said Tennessee was “in the mix” even before Monday’s visit, and he “definitely” plans to consider the Vols moving forward. He doesn’t expect to decide on a college for at least a couple more months. “It’s still somewhat a long way (away),” King said. "I think we’re planning on deciding somewhere in the summertime.”
"It was a good day," King said. "I got to talk to coach (Jeremy) Pruitt, coach (Jim) Chaney and coach (Chris) Weinke. I got to watch some football today and that was good. I liked how they got after it and how they got after the players. I've always been around that type of coaching."
King is the son of a coach, and so watching how coaches interact with their teams is something that comes natural. He was accompanied on the trip by his dad, and the elder King liked what he saw. "He liked it," King said of his dad. “He expected it to be really good and everything we saw today is what we expected."
Hoping to sign two quarterbacks in the 2020 class, Tennessee made sure King knew that he was high on its priority list to join Harrison Bailey in the quarterback room at Tennessee. "Their goal is to win a national championship," King said. "They want to improve day by day. I like coach Chaney a lot. He's got a great background and he knows his stuff. My dad and I like his personality. "He just talks about all that goes into playing quarterback and the expectations they have. Just those types of things."
"They have a rich history," King said. "They have a lot of support and I like that. I didn't get he chance to go to the stadium. I watched Peyton Manning in the NFL, but I've watched some Youtube videos and stuff like that." King remained in Knoxville on Monday night and will head back to campus Tuesday morning, which will include a tour of the stadium. He visited Arkansas earlier this week before making the drive to Knoxville.
"My dad and I have talked about doing it sometime at the beginning of the summer," King said. "Some schools that I've developed relationships with are Baylor, TCU, Arkansas, Auburn and a couple more to go with Tennessee." So where does Tennessee stand after this trip? "They are going to be one of my top teams right now, but I'm keeping an open mind," King said.