Weekly Recruiting Update 12/9 - 12/15

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PassedOutAwake

PassedOutAwake

R.I.P RichRollin
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Great writeup on talent by state:

Current Commit News:
  • Jack Jones a 5.9 4 Star in the First Edition of the 2015 Rivals 100. Checks in at #78.
  • Owen Williams finished his juco career with an 11 tackle, 2 TFL performance in the Graphic Edge Bowl. 50 tackles, 7 sacks and 16.5 TFL on the year.
  • Lambert had 36 tackles, 8 sacks and 14 TFL on the year.
  • Charles Mosley commits to the Vols
  • "I've known for months. I've known for a while, "Mosley explained. "I just wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing. I started liking Auburn some, but I have no doubts about my decision. I know I want to go to Tennessee and be a Tennessee Vol." "What everybody doesn't know is I committed a few weeks ago," Mosley said. "Coach Jones asked my parents if they would be good with me going to Tennessee and they said, yes and that they trust him so I committed. "I came down to Knoxville and being with the players and they wanted me there, not just the coaches, but the players wanted me there and they wanted me to come in and help them get Tennessee back to where it belongs," Mosley explained. "Like Tiny, me and him talked and he just told me that losing isn't what Tennessee does and he believed that the class we have coming in is something special. They welcomed me. That's a feeling I didn't get anywhere else. That was just a big key-point for me." "It's going to mean a whole lot. Coach Jones told us at the junior day when we were all there and with the Berry twins, he pulled us in the room and said, 'If Tennessee is going to win we're going to do it with instate talent. That's how we're going to do it.' That's what he wants to win with and he's emphasized that the whole time." - VQ
  • “I love my state. I love Knoxville. I love the coaching staff up there. I love everything Coach (Butch) Jones has got going,” said Mosley, a four-star prospect who’s ranked by 247Sports as the nation’s No. 227 overall prospect and No. 18 defensive tackle in the 2014 class. “It’s a great school to be a part of, representing the Power ‘T,’ representing Tennessee — my state. It’s going to be good. A lot of folks are going to have to be worried. We’ve got a lot of talent coming in. (Jones) said I’m the missing piece to it all. It’s going to turn up on everybody, the SEC. Tennessee is going to be feared again.” “Everything he says, I’m buying into it,” Mosley said. “Everything he says, he shows his actions, with players and everything. Go to practice and watch them practice and all that. I mean, everything he says, he does. He’s a man of his word. That’s what I like about him. “Everything he said he was going to do, he’s been truthful about it and it has happened. I know they’re not going to a bowl game and stuff this year, and that’s not bothering me at all, because he told me it was going to be this type of year. He had a feeling, so he’s just ready for the next bunch to come in to get everything rolling. Coach Jones is a great coach, and I believe in what he’s doing.” -247
  • Woody Wommack on why Preston Williams didnt make the Rivals100, "I like him but he's still raw at the position. He put up some nice numbers, which were helped by some monster games, I just want to see the consistent effort at the position. I know you guys are up in arms because one site as him as five-star, but you have to take a look at their rankings as a whole before you hold them up as the industry standard."
  • Lambert signs his FAA
  • "Jones is expected to log more miles on Tuesday as he's expected to see D'Andre Payne and likely Neiko Creamer as well. Don't be surprised if Jones spends some time up in the Virginia, Washington D.C., Maryland area tomorrow or Wednesday as the Vols continue to make an effort to make that area more of a priority moving forward." - VQ on 12/10
  • Coach Strip visits Dewayne Hendrix
  • "Running backs coach Robert Gillespie was in middle Tennessee on Monday visiting with Jalen Hurd before he heads back down to Florida on Tuesday to check in on Cecil Cherry and the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla." - VQ
  • "Tennessee coaches were back on the road this week and Butch Jones was down in the Sunshine State Monday checking in on several commitments. Jones and linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen met with linebacker commitment Jakob Johnson in Jacksonville as Johnson is on track to be one of Tennessee's many early enrollees." - VQ
  • Cecil Cherry gets ranked #247 in Rivals 250
  • Preston Williams gets ranked #135 in Rivals 250
  • Andrew Butcher gets ranked #203 in Rivals 250
  • "I train four times a week in the morning at my high school and three times a week after school at Competitive Edge Sports, and once a week I'm doing yoga," said the Alpharetta, Ga., standout who committed to the Vols in early June. "My first get-off step, I'm training with former Tennessee Vol Constantin Ritzmann on that. He's taught me to pass rush a lot better. And I'm going to try to improve my weight and speed; I'm 240 now and I'd like to get to 255 or 260 by next season and get my 40 below 4.75." Butcher closed the year with 79 tackles, 25 of them behind foes' lines of scrimmage, and 13 sacks as well as eight forced fumbles and a blocked kick. His five-sack single-game outburst was the best individual performance in Alpharetta High School history and he's now the career sack leader with 20 notched and still a season to play. "It's very motivating. Because we want to be the best," Butcher said. "We want to be the teams that are playing in SEC Championships in a couple years. The only way to do that is with the best talent and hard work." "Just from visits, we've all got close and hang out when we're up there," Butcher said. "Me and Jack hung out and went to the lake together for a weekend in the summer. All the other people get to know each other and their families." - VQ
  • Medley per 247: “I mean, the hospitality was just very good,” “I think one thing that was different when I was up there was just the camaraderie with the recruits. We were all just like one big, happy family, and everybody was truly relaxed. We just had a really good time. I mean, people were joking around and laughing — even the coaches. We were truly relaxed and just comfortable with each other.” “They said that all three (spots) are wide open, and I certainly have the talent to win all three jobs,” Medley said. “But if we lived in a perfect world, I probably would only want to do one or two, just so I could focus my time on kicking or punting to get really good at that and possibly try to make it to the league in four years. “I think I’ll definitely be used for kickoffs, no question. Field goal, the chances are probably really, really good. And then punting, I’m not really sure about at all.” “I think I’m really strong in both (place-kicking and kickoff),” He said he drilled several kickoffs “through the uprights this year,” and he once made a 50-yard field goal in a game. “I feel confident from 50, I think, depending on the conditions,” Medley said. “If there’s a slight breeze in my face, I feel like I can still hit from 50. If it’s the other way, 53, 54. But around that range is probably my max.”
  • Lavon Pearson bumped from a 5.9* to a 6.0 4* on Rivals. "Not many receivers in the country had a bigger season than Feather River College star LaVon Pearson, who comes in at No. 2 on our list. Pearson went into every game this season as the top defensive assignment, and still came out the victor with 90 catches for 1,598 yards and 12 scores. At 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Pearson has some room for growth but has crazy athleticism and blinding speed with highlight-reel ability. He committed to Tennessee in October over Illinois and Utah, and likely would have had a lot more had he not played in one of the lower-tier conferences in Northern California. The product of Virginia looks sensational on film, making quick cuts with some of the best hands and acrobatic catches you can find on the web." - JCgridiron.com (Rivals JUCO)
  • Cory Thomas Visiting Clemson 01/12/14, Visiting Miss St 01/23/14 Per scout
  • Gillespie visited with Cherry on Tuesday per 247.
  • "Jones stopped at several schools in the Washington, D.C., area Tuesday before joining defensive backs coach Willie Martinez on an in-home visit with Top247 cornerback D’Andre Payne. Another projected early enrollee who’s committed to the Vols, Payne is scheduled to take his official visit to Tennessee this weekend." -247
  • "Wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni spent the early part of the week in California, where he visited Monday with four-star wide receiver Lavon Pearson of Feather River College in Quincy, Calif. Pearson posted Tuesday on his Twitter account that he has finished his final exams and he will “figure out in a few days” whether he will be enrolling at Tennessee next month." -247
  • Thig visited Gavin Bryant Tuesday per 247.
  • "Tennessee will see him later in the week. There doesn't seem to much concern about losing Lambert to Auburn. He continues to tell us he's solid." - Fortenberry
  • Rivals Top100 JUCOs were released: Pearson #3, Blair #7, Lambert #9, Weatherd #13, Owen Williams #53
  • "Talked to Cory after practice this morning at the AL-MS All-Star Game. Will have a full story on him later on but he told me that he is taking an official visit to Mississippi State and Clemson in January. He says that what he'll be looking at moving forward is "depth chart" said he's noticed how many players UT has got committed and how many DL are suddenly in the class and it has given him some reason for concern." - Barton Simmons
  • Treyvon Paulk per VQ: "It's going well," Paulk said. "My knee is ahead of schedule. I'm killing the rehab, but I'm still taking my time with with and listening to my PT (physical therapy) guy." "It was hard," Paulk said. "You want to be out there helping your team. You see something happen and think what could have been. There is a reason this happened to me. It made me slow down and realize some different things. It's a blessing and I will come back stronger." "Coach G came and saw me last week," Paulk said. "He was shocked at how much progress I've made. We just really talked football. He and coach Jones just told me to take my time and listen to my PT. That's what I'm doing." He also recently caught up with head coach Butch Jones. "I talked to him on Thanksgiving day," Paulk said. "We just mostly talked about my official and how my rehab is going. He's such a positive person and he was just reassuring me I'm going to come back stronger and they will need me at Tennessee." "I can't wait to get back up there," Paulk said. "I got my boy Ryan (Jenkins) up there. I'm ready to see it all again. It's been a minute since I've been up there. It will be nice to get back up there." "I kind of just chill," Paulk said. "I didn't get caught up in the hype of recruiting. I was into social media for a minute. I've been a few places and I just felt like Tennessee was the right place for me. Just the school and coach Jones are so easy to like."
  • "wednesday evening jones met with vol legacy and commitment neiko creamer." - VQ
  • Zach Stewart ranked 5.7 3 star on Rivals.
  • Paulk interview, Says he is set to enroll in June: Treyvon Paulk Interview 12.10.13 - YouTube
  • "jones is scheduled to join linebackers coach tommy thigpen on an in-home visit thursday with top247 wide receiver josh malone of gallatin, tenn., who announced his commitment to tennessee last week." - 247
  • "weatherd is scheduled to receive a visit from texas a&m coach kevin sumlin on thursday, and auburn coach gus malzahn is planning to see weatherd on friday. Both schools have continued to talk with weatherd and made it clear he’s a high priority for them, and he hasn’t ruled out perhaps taking an official visit to one or both schools in january. But weatherd insisted wednesday night that any additional visits he takes would be just for fun, and he doesn’t believe anything could convince him to back out on his commitment to the vols. He said it’s also possible that he could return to tennessee on an unofficial visit before national signing day." - 247
  • Jerome Dews senior highlights: Jerome Dews - Highlight Videos, Schedule & Roster - Hudl
  • 247 on Lambert: "look for jones to be on the road plenty over the next couple of days before the start of the quiet period at midnight sunday morning. On saturday, he’s scheduled to make his in-home visit with four-star defensive lineman davonte lambert, who continues to hear plenty from auburn leading up to the start of the early junior-college signing period wednesday. While lambert remains committed to tennessee, there have been some conflicting reports regarding exactly where things stand in his recruitment. Sources close to auburn indicated last week that the tigers were hopeful they could steal lambert from the vols, although he publicly refuted a report suggesting he already had flipped to auburn. But the tigers now seem to be increasingly optimistic about their chances. Lambert and his family, meanwhile, have continued to indicate that he’s firmly committed to tennessee. But this isn’t the first time schools have received mixed signals from lambert. Because of that, it’s tough to tell where things stand with him at the moment, but it’s safe to say he at least has some interest in auburn. The situation certainly bears worth watching over the next several days."
  • Ron Swanson summarizes VQ video on Cory Thomas: Video interview on Rivals and Cory had nothing but great things to say about UT. Said Jancek and Strip came and watched him play basketball last night. Said he's excited that UT is losing so many DL, he said UT wants him at DE. He's going to take his OV to UT next month and that's when coach Jones will do his in home. Talked about what a great recruiting class is coming in with him. Seems like status quo, nothing to worry about from that video.
  • D'Andre Payne's senior film: Season Highlights
  • "Tennessee is going to hold on to Jakob Johnson after there was a little concern with him a few weeks ago when he visited Florida but nothing has materialized with the Gators and he told Volquest earlier in the week he's more excited than ever to be back in Knoxville in January and to get to work." - VQ
  • “They talk to me on Twitter all day and stuff like that[.] I’m just trying to get the whole experience thing. But I’m definitely coming to Tennessee. There’s no other place I’m going right now.” Weatherd took an official visit to Tennessee in early September, and he said he has considered taking at least one additional visit “just for the food and the red carpet” that come with most official visits. “We haven’t scheduled anything yet,” he said. “We chatted briefly on it, with Coach Jancek and my mom. He was like, ‘Well, as long as you stay loyal, then there should be no problem,’ but he wouldn’t recommend me going anywhere. I told them we were thinking about it. “My mom’s all Tennessee. She wants me to get away from home, basically. A&M’s, like, two hours away, and Tennessee’s 12 hours away, so she wants that one, of course.” “My thing about Tennessee is it just feels like home because I’ve been up there so much, and all the love the coaches give me,” Weatherd said. “They actually care about you. I feel comfortable with Coach (Butch) Jones. I talk to him on a daily basis, almost. I don’t think anybody else checks up on you as much as he does just to tell you he loves you or something like that. ... I just think that place right there is right for me.” - 247
  • Preston Williams: "Coach Z coaches with flare," Williams said. "He is going to do whatever it takes to make you better. Our relationship has grown a lot with him recruiting Georgia on a more consistent basis. He tells me to stay strong and just stay focused. He says we will do big things when I get up there." "I could call him and he would do anything to help me," Williams said. "He's a good coach and I love him. He is there for his players and I think that is the best thing about him. I can't wait to get back up there," Williams said. "I just love the environment. It's a football town and the people make you feel welcome. It's just an awesome place." "Our team is basically all Juniors," Williams said. "I feel like we can definitely make a run next year. We weren't on the same page this season. We can't have any I players or me-me players. We need to have one heart beat." -VQ
  • Jakob Johnson: “This is going to be, like, my last real weekend with my family, and I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to go to Tennessee. I just went with my gut feeling on that. I mean, I had the chance to go on some more visits, but I really didn’t feel the need to. Just by looking at the schools’ majors and looking at the situations, I just felt that Tennessee was the right place. I talked a lot about it with my dad and my uncles here, and they all felt the same way. " “Some of my uncles got the chance to meet (Vols defensive coordinator John) Jancek (last week), and we are set on Tennessee now. I don’t think that anything could change my mind,” he added. “I just feel like Tennessee’s the right place.” “It just confirmed what I already felt,” Johnson said. “I just absolutely love Coach Jones’ vision for the program, and Coach Thig’, I’ve been talking to him from pretty much Day One that Tennessee’s been recruiting me, so I kind of got to know him a little bit better. I just want to get out of high school now and get going with this. I just want to get in the dorm room and get up there to Knoxville and start practicing with the team. “I’m definitely set on Tennessee. I can’t really think of a scenario that would change my mind. ... I mean, that’s the dream I always had. Playing in the SEC, it don’t really get no better than that,” Johnson said. “I’ve always dreamed of playing over here in America, and then I get a chance to play in the biggest league in college football with the team that has probably the most tradition in college football. This is like a dream to me. It’s all so unreal to me. I can’t even imagine coming up there in Knoxville on January 4th and really being there and doing this. I’m just really excited.” -247

QB Recruiting:
  • "At Army Player of the Year Award in NYC right now, and UGA running back commit Nick Chubb and Florida quarterback commit Will Grier both said Butch Jones has been in touch recently, with Mike Bajakian pushing to get Grier to visit this weekend. Not sure if Grier intends to visit yet as he has not spoken to his parents about it." -Kipp Adams
  • Any chance with Grier? "I don't think so. Grier has been very public about his commitment to Florida. We are making sure because it is the silly season, but I don't have any evidence of him listening to anyone else." - Hubbs

RB Recruiting:
  • "At Army Player of the Year Award in NYC right now, and UGA running back commit Nick Chubb and Florida quarterback commit Will Grier both said Butch Jones has been in touch recently." - Kipp Adams
  • LSU visits in home with Darrel Williams. Looks like they are pulling out all of the stops after losing a RB commit.
  • "Gillespie will check in on 2015 offensive lineman Tyree St. Louis but he'll also check in on running back Bo Scarborough. As we mentioned several weeks ago, Tennessee continues to swing with Scarborough as the Alabama commitment doesn't seem to be the most firm of commitments. He's already taken official visits to Ole Miss, Notre Dame and UCLA and it seems Tennessee is trying to get one of his final two remaining official visits for January." - Fortenberry
  • "south carolina has been widely viewed as the team to beat for scott over the past several months, but tennessee recently has emerged as a strong contender and now appears to be the biggest threat to the gamecocks. N.c. State also is in the picture, but he only has taken official visits to south carolina and tennessee to this point, and it’s shaping up to be a tight race between the vols and gamecocks." - 247
  • Darrel Williams commits to LSU
  • "Where does Tennessee turn at running back? All eyes continue to be on Derrell Scott as he Vols are right up there with South Carolina. Tennessee will see Scott later in the week and it seems like it's become an even race recently. Other than Scott, the Vols will continue to try and land Scarborough but that would have to be considered a long shot until he makes it on campus and the Vols continue to flirt with a few other backs with offers but right now it seems they may be in reset mode." - VQ
  • "Derrell Scott could commit in December, but he is not sure at this time. South Carolina and Tennessee lead, but North Carolina State has made a push." Chad Simmons, scout
  • "while ut might not give up on williams just yet, it seems unlikely at the moment that the vols will have much of a chance to steal him away from the tigers. Tennessee might make top247 all-purpose back derrell scott of havelock (n.c.) high school even more of a priority with williams now looking like a long shot. The vols and south carolina currently appear to be the front-runners for scott." - 247
  • Bo Scarbrough: "Tennessee has been in to see him in the last 48 hours but I don't think anything has greatly changed. As we said earlier this week his Alabama commitment isn't the firmest right now and he's looking at several schools. Ole Miss seems to be a player with him and if Tennessee can get him on campus in January for an official visit I think they can be a player as well. Credit Robert Gillespie for getting the Vols in on this one." - Fortenberry
  • Apparently Michael Clark, recruiting analyst for scout, said someone close to Scott told him this morning that UT leads but it's close.
  • "Many have asked about Darrell Scott and Tennessee is very much alive in that one. We continue to believe that right now it's a 50/50 race between the Vols and South Carolina and both staffs will be on hand this weekend for Scott's state championship game as Havelock will go for its third straight state championship. While certainly Scott and former teammate Kendal Vickers are friends, Scott is especially close to South Carolina wide receiver Pharoh Cooper and having Cooper in Garnett and Black certainly is helping the Gamecocks right now. If Tennessee doesn't land another back in this class of that caliber, and for the record it looks as though D.J. Law just won't make the cut academically, don't look for the Vols to reach as they will save that spot for 2015." -VQ
  • "Which SEC East program will land Derrell Scott? For most of the process, South Carolina has been the team to beat for Scott, the four-star all-purpose back from Havelock (N.C.) High, which has been a Gamecock pipeline in recent cycles. Tennessee, though, has charged to the forefront and is making things very interesting. In fact, the Vols may even have a slight edge at this point. Expect this one to go back-and-forth but there to be plenty of information coming out about his recruitment this week." - 247
  • Brandon Powell announcing final decision in upcoming week

OLine Recruiting:
  • Tennessee offers Derrick Kelly (former UK commit)
  • David Sharpe commits to UF
  • "It came out of nowhere for me so I was kind of surprised," Kelly said. "It's a good thing because it gives me more options and more things to think about." On Mahoney: "He showed me the facilities and stuff they have going on and he told me about what they expect to do in the future," Kelly explained. "He explained everything to me good. I'm definitely interested in learning more about Tennessee." "It's kind of exciting to know there's an opportunity to start or play as a true freshman," Kelly added. "It's still too early because I've got to talk things over with my mother before we scheduled anything yet," Kelly added. "I'm looking forward to checking out their academic support and just seeing if they have a good family environment because those are the things I'm looking for," Kelly said. -VQ
  • UT offers FL OT Benjamin Knox (Marlin Lane's cousin). Does he have interest in UT? "Yes, but it won't be easy to get him on campus. Has already taken two visits, has two more scheduled to Louisville and Kentucky and the Vols will be fighting Miami and UCLA for the last visit." -Fortenberry
  • Benjamin Knox: "They called me after my South Florida visit and they were saying they were going to keep on calling me and want me to come up there for a visit," Knox said. "But before, my cousin Marlin Lane was telling me that they liked my film and all of that." On Mahoney: "He told me he's going to keep calling me and that he's going to keep telling me about the program with the dead period starting," Knox said. "I'm going to give them a chance because it's the SEC and I feel like I can go in there and play early," Knox explained. "They are an SEC program and they need players who can play up front because they are losing a lot." Knox has talked to Lane about Tennessee several times and the Vol running back who has amassed 1,472 rushing yards has had nothing but good things to say about Rocky Top. "He's just told me that the coaches love me and that I should think about going up there," Knox said. "He told me I should go up there and play because he's going to be there for another year and he will be there to look out for me."

Dline Recruiting:
  • "Even with last Wednesday’s commit to Alabama, that hasn’t slowed Tennessee down in its pursuit of four-star JUCO defensive tackle Jarran Reed. The Vols haven’t given up and the plan is to see the parents of the prospect again this week. Word is that Reed’s mother prefers the Vols. Reed is a take even with Tennessee’s upcoming get of four-star defensive lineman Charles Mosley, perhaps later today. " - Ryan Bartow
  • Charles Mosley commits to UT
  • "jones will be on the road likely the majority of the remainder of the week as the vols try and see jarran reed one last time before junior college signing day, which is next wednesday" - VQ
  • Calvin Heurtelou: "Tennessee is still talking to him, but they haven't been pushing very hard here recently. I'll double check, but I don't even know if Tennessee coaches stopped by to see him in the past two weeks."- Fortenberry

DB Recruiting:
  • "wednesday morning defensive coordinator john jancek and defensive backs coach willie martinez were in east st. Louis to see adoree jackson's parents. Martinez then flew on to california to see jackson himself wednesday afternoon and evening. From talking to those in jackson's family, it continues to seem like four teams are still very much in it as florida, lsu, tennessee and usc are the teams in the best shape. But, jackson still has one more official remaining and that could be crucial come january if he takes that visit as oregon is the likely recipient of that visit. Tennessee is going to be in this one because of some family ties to tennessee and knoxville's location to east st. Louis, where jackson's family lives, but it still feels like the vols are underdogs here." - VQ
  • "After visiting with Weatherd, Jancek headed to the St. Louis area to visit with the parents of five-star cornerback Adoree’ Jackson of Gardena, Calif. Vols defensive backs coach Willie Martinez also was in California on Wednesday to visit with Jackson himself." - 247

2015 Recruiting:
  • 2015 Rivals250: Yahoo Sports: Rivals.com Ranking - Rivals.com Rivals250 2015
  • GA DE Arden Key: “I’m listening to every school right now,” Key said. “I have a couple of schools that I know will be in the top five of my list. Those two would be South Carolina and Tennessee.” - ESPN
  • Jaason Lewis: "Lewis named Tennessee his top school among his top five he revealed to Rivals.com's Mike Farrell Monday night. Following Tennessee was UCLA, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Arizona State, in order. Although Lewis has yet to visit Tennessee, he plans to make the voyage south in January, Lewis is still very intrigued by the Vols. "A lot of stuff has been catching eye," Lewis said. "The way they work and everything. They have been recruiting me hard for a long time." At 6-foot-3, 230-pounds, Lewis can project to multiple positions at the next level, but after excelling at wide receiver as a junior he hopes to be a playmaker at another offensive skill position. "I'm transferring to running back," Lewis said. "We're losing three running backs this year and I want to play running back in college. "It's my natural position and I've always played it my whole life. I really like that position." Lewis finished his junior season with 800 total yards, 19 total touchdowns and 3 interceptions." - VQ
  • Coach Gillispie visits FL OL Tyree St. Louis
  • "Tight ends coach Mark Elder was in North Carolina today checking in on several 2015 prospects including Darian Roseboro. Look for Elder in Missouri on Tuesday as he looks at several underclassmen prospects in that area as well." - VQ
  • wU-Tang Vol summarizes Scout article on Drew Richmond, "Coming out with a top 15 in Feb. Playing time, tradition are important to him. Distance is not a factor. Will take some visits in the spring/summer. Penn St visited MUS last Friday. Likes the class we have committed, enjoyed the game day atmosphere to every school he has been at. Good friends with Big Charles and Josh Malone. Waiting on Notre Dame, USC, and Texas offers. "
  • "Ugo Amadi is a priority of the Vols staff from what I'm told. I would consider him a Tennessee "fan" for what it's worth and he's also close with Josh Malone so I would give Tennessee the leg up there." - Woody Wommack
  • Drew Richmond per Rivals: "People think that I am sure fire for Ohio State because I cheer for them," Richmond said. "I'm going to cheer for them if I go to Ohio State and I'm going to cheer for them if I don't go to Ohio State, I'm going to always cheer for them. It hurt me that my boys took a loss though, but we've just got to bounce back and hopefully we can win the Orange Bowl against Clemson." Another school that figures to make the cut and be a major factor for the duration of Richmond's recruitment is in-state Tennessee. Richmond had plenty to say about the Vols' first season under new head coach Butch Jones. "I talked to Tiny Richardson before he even entered the draft and he told me that Tennessee was a special place," Richmond said. "He said that being from Tennessee I need to help them get back on top where they're supposed to be. Unfortunately they aren't going to a bowl game but they beat South Carolina and almost beat Georgia so they did good."
  • Carl Tucker: “I’d say top three would be, in no particular order, Tennessee, Chapel Hill and Clemson,” Tucker said. - Scout
  • Jaason Lewis tweeted that we are recruiting him for RB and here is Callahan's response: "Yeah, Lewis has expressed interest in playing running back at the next level. I think Tennessee is recruiting him as an athlete who could play a few different positions, including running back, wide receiver or perhaps even linebacker. But if he wants to play running back, sure, he's probably going to get a shot there. He's a good player who could end up playing any of a few different positions on either side of the ball." -Ryan Callahan
  • Gillespie visited with Taj Griffin Tuesday evening per 247.
  • Gillespie visited with Eric Swinney on Tuesday per 247.
  • Gillespie visited with Xavier and Kaleel Gaines Tuesday per 247. Teammate of Cecil Cherry
  • "One of the Vols’ coaches was in Stephenville, Texas, on Tuesday to check on Top247 junior quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who picked up an offer from Tennessee in July during an unofficial visit to Knoxville and appears to be one of UT’s early top targets at the position. Stidham also added an offer from Oregon on Tuesday." -247
  • UT offers FL DE Scott Patchan
  • "mark elder, the vols’ tight ends coach and special teams coordinator, was in north carolina on monday to see a number of 2015 prospects, including five-star defensive tackle shy tuttle, top247 defensive end darian roseboro and top247 cornerback mark fields." - 247
  • UT offers FL ATH Deon Cain
  • TN ATH CJ Sanders: "Sanders also said sharing the stage with the likes of Josh Malone, Todd Kelly Jr. and others during the ceremony continues to push him to not only be one of the state's best, but one of the nation's best players as well. "It motivates me and it sets the standard, especially with Derek being at my high school and seeing him and his success and seeing it first-hand, it motivates me to be a better player in every area," Sanders offered. "I just got back from Stanford for a game and that was my first visit there," Sanders said. "I went for the game when they played Notre Dame and it was great. It was nice and it's a beautiful campus and they're building a legacy there." Sanders visited Tennessee during the fall and believes a return trip will happen soon. "I'll be up there soon, I'm not sure when, but I'll be up there," Sanders offered. Sanders took note of the Tennessee coaches at the Mr. Football Awards and said he appreciated the support from the home state school. "It means a lot, for them to show their support behind the guys, it means a lot," Sanders added." - VQ
  • "jones also stopped by oscar smith high school to see four-star defensive end josh sweat" - VQ
  • TN TE Jackson Harris per Rivals: A number of other schools are coming after Harris and at this point in the process, the Tennessee native says that everyone is even when it comes to the battle for hi signature. "Florida State, Tennessee, Clemson, Kentucky, and Ohio State are all recruiting me pretty hard," he said. "Those schools and maybe some other too. I'm sure there are others. I don't have a leader right now though. I'm wide open." Claiming a leader isn't something Harris is ready to do just yet, but he does plan to make a decision in the not-so-distant future. The athletic tight end doesn't want to make any hasty decisions, but as a prospect that hopes to enroll next January, he understands his recruitment could be expedited. "I wanted to decide this summer, but with all of these top schools coming around and all, I could see it going longer than that," Harris said. "I definitely don't want to rush it or anything, but at the same time I hope to graduate and enroll early so we will just have to see how it goes."
  • "jones spent time in virginia and maryland on wednesday, checking on five-star junior athlete jaason lewis of ocean lakes high school in virginia beach, va., one of the vols’ early top targets in the 2015 class. Lewis recently has suggested that he could decide on a college within the next few months, and tennessee currently appears to be at the top of his list." - 247
  • "running backs coach robert gillespie was in the tampa, fla., area wednesday, extending offers to four-star 2015 athlete deon cain, three-star 2015 defensive end scott patchan and four-star 2015 athlete rayray mccloud iii, who attended one of tennessee’s camps earlier this year" - 247
  • "don mahoney was scheduled to be in memphis to check in on memphis university school offensive lineman drew richmond. tennessee remains in very good shape with richmond and he's certainly one of the top targets on the board for the vols in 2015." - VQ
  • "vols offensive line coach don mahoney is scheduled to be in memphis, tenn., on thursday to see top247 junior offensive tackle drew richmond, one of ut’s early top targets in the 2015 class. Tennessee is one of a handful of teams currently standing out to richmond, and the vols landing top247 senior lineman charles mosley of brighton (tenn.) high school — one of richmond’s close friends — certainly didn’t hurt their chances with him." - 247
  • "tennessee offensive coordinator mike bajakian continues to log a ton of miles on the recruiting trail, most of them west of the mississippi river, as the vols continue to hunt for a signal caller in the class of 2015. On wednesday bajakian saw albuquerque, n.m., to check in on four-star quarterback zach gentry. We spoke to gentry on wednesday night and he seems to have a legitimate interest to get to know the vols better and said bajakian and jones may be back to see him in january." - VQ
  • UT offers NM QB Zach Gentry: "Just an awesome feeling to know that the coaches at UT liked me enough to offer," Gentry said. "Great school with great tradition and history! "Nothing too serious before (Wednesday). I had started to get some letters from them recently, but besides that. It kind of did surprise me but it's a really cool experience so I was glad he came." "(Bajakian) said he's not just going to come down and see me and it's going to be dead, he said we'll communicate about where they are at and where they are at and everything," Gentry said. "He said that from an athletic standpoint there's no doubt that I can play, but he just thinks with the quarterback being the face of the program so we're just going to get to know each other more." "I've looked into it a little bit, but not a whole lot. I'm going to start to do more research into it," Gentry said. "I don't know too much, but I've been watching them on TV since I was little since they are televised a lot." "A few more schools will be coming in next month and coach Bajakian was talking about bringing in coach Jones in January and then the Oregon coaches are supposed to come back down then," Gentry offered. - VQ
  • Anything going on with Quarte Sapp and UT? "Yes, Tennessee offered this summer and I believe Gillespie stopped by his school in the fall or someone has already since the open period. There is mutual interest from both parties there." - Fortenberry
  • Anything new with Stidham? "Tennessee has been by the high school and they are recruiting him. They are hoping his family ties back to the region (in Kentucky) will help there. I think he has some interest in Tennessee and wants to explore them further. So we will see." - Hubbs
  • UT offers LA ATH Derrick Dillon
  • Fortenberry on Rico McGraw: Tennessee certainly wants him to be a part of their 2015 class, as does Alabama, Ohio State and others. Rico projects as a safety in college and he's playing corner in high school and I think that's probably hurt his stock a little bit. I think if he were to play safety people would really see why all those schools have offered him. Personally, I think Rico is a very good player. I've seen him several times now and think safety is his best position and he will be a good one. I've seen him make some very athletic plays at corner, too, just think he's a better fit at safety with his size and skills. Also, haven't heard any of the stuff implied in this thread about him being a bad kid. Everyone I've talked to likes him.
  • UT offers MS QB Jonnas Spivey
  • UT offers FL TE/DE Bowman Archibald
  • TN ATH Jauan Jennings: "Until it's proven he absolutely cannot get it done, Tennessee is going to recruit Jennings as a quarterback." -Danny Parker, scout
  • NM QB Zach Gentry: “It was amazing,” said Gentry, who’s ranked by 247Sports as the nation’s No. 242 overall prospect and No. 10 pro-style quarterback in the 2015 class. “I was not expecting it, but Tennessee’s a big-time school, big-time history and tradition. It was an amazing feeling hearing that from Coach Jones the other morning.” “Coach ‘Jake’ told me that they hadn’t planned on offering me this soon, but he took some video while he was out — a highlight tape,” said Gentry, who rushed for more than 1,100 yards this year and claims to have been timed at 4.68 seconds in the 40-yard dash. “Coach Jones told me they had analyzed it that morning, and he said they didn’t want to wait any longer because they like my athleticism and my throwing ability." “I’ve watched a lot of their games,” he said. “They’re always one of those teams that’s pretty heavily televised in this region, so I’ve always watched them when they were on TV growing up and everything. I’d really love to go up to Tennessee, for sure.” -247

2016 Recruiting:
  • Eric Kumah: “I have an offer from Tennessee,” said the 6-foot-3, 180-pound Kumah. “They offered me during the spring.“It felt really good to get the offer. For my first offer to be an SEC offer, it just makes me want to work harder. I haven’t visited yet, but I’m going to try to get down there soon.” - Scout
  • Dorian Banks: “I’m not concerned about wins and losses or anything like that. And I don’t think anyone is,” said Banks, who received a Tennessee offer after a camp this summer. “You can tell coach Jones is going to turn things around here. With all the recruiting success Tennessee is having and with all the right coaches here, you know they’ll be all right. Their future looks bright and everyone who comes here knows it.” “It just feels like home every time I’m here,” Banks said. - Scout

Weekly Recruiting Update History:
 
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#9
#9
I look forward to this read every week. Thanks POA. I did lol @ Cory saying he is concerned about how many DL we have coming in. Someone needs to remind him how thin we are at that position talent wise. :hi:
 
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#14
#14
This is such great information to have every week. Thank you for the time you take to let us have the latest info. in the recruiting world. It is greatly appreciated!
 
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