raherndon
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2008
- Messages
- 697
- Likes
- 0
Good Story on This Year's Recruiting
- Thread starter raherndon
- Start date
VolinConcord
Knowledge is good
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2008
- Messages
- 2,794
- Likes
- 194
TennesseePride
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2007
- Messages
- 6,370
- Likes
- 2
DC Vol
Agent Orange
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2007
- Messages
- 11,460
- Likes
- 601
vols496
Unrepentant Vol-aholic
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2009
- Messages
- 434
- Likes
- 38
Pepe_Silvia
#mikehawk
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2006
- Messages
- 23,014
- Likes
- 45,954
NYYVol
Help Me To Help You
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2008
- Messages
- 15,585
- Likes
- 7
alaVOL
ORANGE U THANKFUL
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2007
- Messages
- 8,210
- Likes
- 3,803
THE TENNESSEAN
KNOXVILLE In eight days, a new class of football players will enter the University of Tennessee. With it, there will be a new coaching staff and a fresh outlook for UT fans.
The 2009 class already has many followers smiling. A symbol of the optimistic view is UT's latest commitment, Mike Edwards, a stellar cornerback from Cleveland, Ohio.
"I liked the coaching staff and the academic support and how I can take my game to another level," Edwards said.
Edwards (5-10, 170) is a three-star recruit and is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 48 cornerback in the nation. He became UT's 18th commitment and there's no sign of the coaching staff stopping any time soon.
It's unclear how many players UT Coach Lane Kiffin will sign, although it could reach the mid-20s. As of Tuesday evening, UT had the nation's No. 15 recruiting class, according to Rivals.
The Vols had 16 visitors on campus taking official visits this past weekend. It was an ongoing rebuilding process after a handful of prospects decommitted in December following the ouster of Coach Phillip Fulmer. But since then, Kiffin has landed some big-name prospects, and more are expected now that Kiffin has his impressive staff in place.
"As far as recruiting, this could be the best staff in the country," said Barton Simmons, Rivals' Southeast recruiting analyst. "With the recruiting prowess that those coaches have, they have attacked some elite prospects who have already committed (to other schools). They are not backing down from anybody."
The expansive recruiting expertise on UT's current staff can be described as overwhelming. Kiffin helped land Heisman Trophy winners at Southern Cal. Defensive line Coach Ed Orgeron also helped route superstars to Southern Cal and later as the head coach at Ole Miss. Then there is linebacker Coach Lance Thompson, who was Rivals' National Recruiter of the Year in 2008 when he was at Alabama.
And even though defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin hasn't recruited in years, it's clear he has made an impression already. His supreme success with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he was known as one of the NFL's best defensive coordinators of all time, is making waves on the college football recruiting front.
"I think the new staff is doing an excellent job," said Chad Simmons, a recruiting analyst for Scout.com.
"Numerous underclassmen have already been mentioning Monte Kiffin. They know who he is, what he has done in Tampa Bay, and these underclassmen on the defensive side of the ball are very interested to see what he will do at UT next year."
With one week remaining to shore up the class of 2009, UT's coaches are working particularly hard on two prospects. The first is four-star athlete Marsalis Teague of Henry County, who committed to Florida.
But UT's sights are focused most on receiver Marlon Brown from Harding Academy in Memphis. Brown is a four-star prospect who remains uncommitted.
He has offers from every elite program in the nation, including Southern Cal, Florida, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Notre Dame.
"They've made it clear he is a major priority and I think he should be," Barton Simmons said. He's the top player in the state. They want to lock down the borders in the state."
KNOXVILLE In eight days, a new class of football players will enter the University of Tennessee. With it, there will be a new coaching staff and a fresh outlook for UT fans.
The 2009 class already has many followers smiling. A symbol of the optimistic view is UT's latest commitment, Mike Edwards, a stellar cornerback from Cleveland, Ohio.
"I liked the coaching staff and the academic support and how I can take my game to another level," Edwards said.
Edwards (5-10, 170) is a three-star recruit and is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 48 cornerback in the nation. He became UT's 18th commitment and there's no sign of the coaching staff stopping any time soon.
It's unclear how many players UT Coach Lane Kiffin will sign, although it could reach the mid-20s. As of Tuesday evening, UT had the nation's No. 15 recruiting class, according to Rivals.
The Vols had 16 visitors on campus taking official visits this past weekend. It was an ongoing rebuilding process after a handful of prospects decommitted in December following the ouster of Coach Phillip Fulmer. But since then, Kiffin has landed some big-name prospects, and more are expected now that Kiffin has his impressive staff in place.
"As far as recruiting, this could be the best staff in the country," said Barton Simmons, Rivals' Southeast recruiting analyst. "With the recruiting prowess that those coaches have, they have attacked some elite prospects who have already committed (to other schools). They are not backing down from anybody."
The expansive recruiting expertise on UT's current staff can be described as overwhelming. Kiffin helped land Heisman Trophy winners at Southern Cal. Defensive line Coach Ed Orgeron also helped route superstars to Southern Cal and later as the head coach at Ole Miss. Then there is linebacker Coach Lance Thompson, who was Rivals' National Recruiter of the Year in 2008 when he was at Alabama.
And even though defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin hasn't recruited in years, it's clear he has made an impression already. His supreme success with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he was known as one of the NFL's best defensive coordinators of all time, is making waves on the college football recruiting front.
"I think the new staff is doing an excellent job," said Chad Simmons, a recruiting analyst for Scout.com.
"Numerous underclassmen have already been mentioning Monte Kiffin. They know who he is, what he has done in Tampa Bay, and these underclassmen on the defensive side of the ball are very interested to see what he will do at UT next year."
With one week remaining to shore up the class of 2009, UT's coaches are working particularly hard on two prospects. The first is four-star athlete Marsalis Teague of Henry County, who committed to Florida.
But UT's sights are focused most on receiver Marlon Brown from Harding Academy in Memphis. Brown is a four-star prospect who remains uncommitted.
He has offers from every elite program in the nation, including Southern Cal, Florida, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Notre Dame.
"They've made it clear he is a major priority and I think he should be," Barton Simmons said. He's the top player in the state. They want to lock down the borders in the state."
G0V0LS33
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2007
- Messages
- 6,860
- Likes
- 2,631
Advertisement
