This Week in Recruiting.... From The Athletic

[SNAFU]

Can anything stop Tennessee?

Three weeks ago, Tennessee started a hot streak that hasn’t stopped. As a result, the Vols are getting close to finishing off their 2021 class.

Jeremy Pruitt and his staff got three more commitments this week, all from national top-300 prospects: dual-threat quarterback Kaidon Salter of Cedar Hill (Texas) High, defensive tackle KaTron Evans of Baltimore St. Frances Academy and outside linebacker Aaron Willis, Evans’ teammate at St. Frances.

Tennessee got commitments from two five-star prospects in less than a week’s time at the end of April — defensive end Dylan Brooks of Roanoke (Ala.) Handley and Terrence Lewis of Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep — but things have kept going at a rapid pace, and the Vols now have 21 commitments.

Willis is a national top-115 prospect, and Salter could be Tennessee’s quarterback of the future after choosing the Volunteers over offers from, among others, Arizona State, Auburn, Ole Miss, UCLA and Utah.

Tennessee is coming off a year in which it signed the No. 10 class in the country, a group that had an average player rating of .8992. That rating is higher than this year’s average player rating of .8969, but the Volunteers have a much more top-heavy class this time. Two five-star prospects in one class could be the jolt Tennessee needs to rise up in the SEC East.

Though Tennessee probably won’t finish with a top-five class, this is two solid classes in a row for Pruitt. If you’re a Tennessee fan hoping things are turning around, take solace in what’s happening in the realm of talent accumulation.

 

[norrislakevol]

Can anything stop Tennessee?

Three weeks ago, Tennessee started a hot streak that hasn’t stopped. As a result, the Vols are getting close to finishing off their 2021 class.

Jeremy Pruitt and his staff got three more commitments this week, all from national top-300 prospects: dual-threat quarterback Kaidon Salter of Cedar Hill (Texas) High, defensive tackle KaTron Evans of Baltimore St. Frances Academy and outside linebacker Aaron Willis, Evans’ teammate at St. Frances.

Tennessee got commitments from two five-star prospects in less than a week’s time at the end of April — defensive end Dylan Brooks of Roanoke (Ala.) Handley and Terrence Lewis of Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep — but things have kept going at a rapid pace, and the Vols now have 21 commitments.

Willis is a national top-115 prospect, and Salter could be Tennessee’s quarterback of the future after choosing the Volunteers over offers from, among others, Arizona State, Auburn, Ole Miss, UCLA and Utah.

Tennessee is coming off a year in which it signed the No. 10 class in the country, a group that had an average player rating of .8992. That rating is higher than this year’s average player rating of .8969, but the Volunteers have a much more top-heavy class this time. Two five-star prospects in one class could be the jolt Tennessee needs to rise up in the SEC East.

Though Tennessee probably won’t finish with a top-five class, this is two solid classes in a row for Pruitt. If you’re a Tennessee fan hoping things are turning around, take solace in what’s happening in the realm of talent accumulation.

If we can pull another top 10 class this year, which I think we will, that will be 3 top 15 classes in a row. That's what you have to have to be competitive and not get trounced by 3 or 4 TD's every time you go up against a Georgia or Alabama.

 

[Catbone]

Only @secking can stop this train

 

[HalfullVol]

final ratings for these young folks is a long time away

guessing several will move up and some will move out to make room for improvements

top 5 class probably

 

[FlyFishnVol]

Can anything stop Tennessee?

Three weeks ago, Tennessee started a hot streak that hasn’t stopped. As a result, the Vols are getting close to finishing off their 2021 class.

Jeremy Pruitt and his staff got three more commitments this week, all from national top-300 prospects: dual-threat quarterback Kaidon Salter of Cedar Hill (Texas) High, defensive tackle KaTron Evans of Baltimore St. Frances Academy and outside linebacker Aaron Willis, Evans’ teammate at St. Frances.

Tennessee got commitments from two five-star prospects in less than a week’s time at the end of April — defensive end Dylan Brooks of Roanoke (Ala.) Handley and Terrence Lewis of Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep — but things have kept going at a rapid pace, and the Vols now have 21 commitments.

Willis is a national top-115 prospect, and Salter could be Tennessee’s quarterback of the future after choosing the Volunteers over offers from, among others, Arizona State, Auburn, Ole Miss, UCLA and Utah.

Tennessee is coming off a year in which it signed the No. 10 class in the country, a group that had an average player rating of .8992. That rating is higher than this year’s average player rating of .8969, but the Volunteers have a much more top-heavy class this time. Two five-star prospects in one class could be the jolt Tennessee needs to rise up in the SEC East.

Though Tennessee probably won’t finish with a top-five class, this is two solid classes in a row for Pruitt. If you’re a Tennessee fan hoping things are turning around, take solace in what’s happening in the realm of talent accumulation.

Is it bad for me to feel disappointed when I come on the Volnation and not see another commitment? I was getting some serious adrenaline rushes for 3 weeks, and I'm addicted already, I need some new commitments dammit!..........jk.........but it was a fun ride

 

[njvols]

final ratings for these young folks is a long time away

guessing several will move up and some will move out to make room for improvements

top 5 class probably

Yeah, I'm going with 5, give or take...it's also balanced... though a couple big OL targets and maybe one more DL would probably round it off

 

[FlyFishnVol]

If we can pull another top 10 class this year, which I think we will, that will be 3 top 15 classes in a row. That's what you have to have to be competitive and not get trounced by 3 or 4 TD's every time you go up against a Georgia or Alabama.

But, but I want UT to trounce Bama, OU, Georgia, Florida etc.. according to your logic........that ain't going to happen =\

 

[norrislakevol]

But, but I want UT to trounce Bama, OU, Georgia, Florida etc.. according to your logic........that ain't going to happen =\

Oh the worm will turn eventually. I truly believe that we can eventually make our way into the top 7 in recruiting every year eventually. Then we can push for Championships.

 

[jakez4ut]

But, but I want UT to trounce Bama, OU, Georgia, Florida etc.. according to your logic........that ain't going to happen =\

that aint' gonna happen if we sign top 5 classes. all that would do is make us EVEN with the talen level already 3+ classes deep at those two schools.

the only way we pull ahead of those two is if they hit a big down turn like we di the past 12 years.

otherwise, all it's about right now is leveling the playing field as much as we can, talent wise.

 

[PACKERVOL]

Tennessee's current commitments stand at 21 with only 4 slots left for the annual 25 max. However, they are still very actively recruiting around another 12 to 15 prospects, many highly ranked. Of our first 11 commitments, 10 were low to mid 3*'s, but Coach Pruitt values his evaluations much higher than recruiting services which he should. . Then we hit the hot streak. All the experts say every year that the numbers will work themselves out, but with the number of highly ranked players, at positions of need, that we're still recruiting, it could leave the class a handful of players different than it currently stands.

 

[Eastknox865]

Ohio state, Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, and LSU will finish ahead of us. That being said we will finish in the top 10

 

[EricberryFAN]

How many are we taking this year in recruiting?

 

[bigdaddyh]

I thought I heard 28 but i could be wrong.

 

[Devo182]

Tennessee's current commitments stand at 21 with only 4 slots left for the annual 25 max. However, they are still very actively recruiting around another 12 to 15 prospects, many highly ranked. Of our first 11 commitments, 10 were low to mid 3*'s, but Coach Pruitt values his evaluations much higher than recruiting services which he should. . Then we hit the hot streak. All the experts say every year that the numbers will work themselves out, but with the number of highly ranked players, at positions of need, that we're still recruiting, it could leave the class a handful of players different than it currently stands.

This is every year. Past 3 years:
14 decommitments
9
21

We have a lot of decommits that will probably happen. Not unusual.

 

[Devo182]

I thought I heard 28 but i could be wrong.

Almost feel like a mod just threw that out there, being it is the most anyone can take in the SEC iirc.

Otherwise I don't see how we could have gone from an absolute max of 27 in 2020 and now increase it to 28 in 2021. It isn't like we undersigned. We may even take 26 for 2020.

Imo if we take one more in 2020, then 26 is our max in 2021. If we don't, then max is 27. Just how I see it looking at both signing and initial counters. Who tf knows

 

[Devo182]

that aint' gonna happen if we sign top 5 classes. all that would do is make us EVEN with the talen level already 3+ classes deep at those two schools.

the only way we pull ahead of those two is if they hit a big down turn like we di the past 12 years.

otherwise, all it's about right now is leveling the playing field as much as we can, talent wise.

Truth. As long as bama, uga keep signing 93-94 averages and we sign 89-91, the gap will remain significant. But shedding 2017, 2018 classes with 2 more top 10 classes goes a ways to catching up a bit for now.

I'll add this - INFLECTION POINTS. They are HUGE. It is when you have momentum and can cash in on it. It is also a point (~3 years in) where your recruiting message can no longer be "I'm new here and this time will be different" or "come rebuild with us". You have to show big progress and be able to sell "we are on the precipice". Butch blew his chance at this in 2015 by dropping ou, uf, bama, ark - very winnable games. It brought negative attention and then 2016 class took a big step back. It was a big MO killer. 2016 was this x 10.

Now it is CJP's inflection point. Here we are building a potentially top 5-7 class. Now...can we win a big national game and keep the MO through the season? Inflection points are critical and we have to get over the hump, to some degree, this time.

 

[MiramarVol]

Ohio state, Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, and LSU will finish ahead of us. That being said we will finish in the top 10

 

[Manning Up]

Reality:

Bad news: We will lose some of these commits.
Good news: We will flip players committed to other programs.

Another Top 10 class coming in.

 

[a vol n tears]

If Tenn can’t be competitive with Ga, Fl, and Bama with continual top 10 classes the coaching staff is not good enough. No matter how many great players a team has, they only have 11 on the field at any time. Clemson seems to have top 10 and they are very competitive with most everybody they play, including playoffs.

 

[1Volnation]

Reality:

Bad news: We will lose some of these commits.
Good news: We will flip players committed to other programs.

Another Top 10 class coming in.

Your sources?

 

[lifeisdeep]

Ohio state, Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, and LSU will finish ahead of us. That being said we will finish in the top 10

And you know this how? I bet you at least three of them don't.

 

[jakez4ut]

Truth. As long as bama, uga keep signing 93-94 averages and we sign 89-91, the gap will remain significant. But shedding 2017, 2018 classes with 2 more top 10 classes goes a ways to catching up a bit for now.

I'll add this - INFLECTION POINTS. They are HUGE. It is when you have momentum and can cash in on it. It is also a point (~3 years in) where your recruiting message can no longer be "I'm new here and this time will be different" or "come rebuild with us". You have to show big progress and be able to sell "we are on the precipice". Butch blew his chance at this in 2015 by dropping ou, uf, bama, ark - very winnable games. It brought negative attention and then 2016 class took a big step back. It was a big MO killer. 2016 was this x 10.

Now it is CJP's inflection point. Here we are building a potentially top 5-7 class. Now...can we win a big national game and keep the MO through the season? Inflection points are critical and we have to get over the hump, to some degree, this time.

Agree

 

[Eastknox865]

And you know this how? I bet you at least three of them don't.

I will take that bet..... name it with in reason

 

[VOLSONLY]

I will take that bet..... name it with in reason

EastKnox like

 

[Devo182]

And you know this how? I bet you at least three of them don't.

Would be awesome and I could see lsu and auburn, but idk of the other 4 who we could realistically top. I could see finishing 5th if lots of things go right. And that's more than enough to compete with this staff and incoming QBs.