Weekly Recruiting Update 4/28 - 5/4

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PassedOutAwake

PassedOutAwake

R.I.P RichRollin
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Current Commits:
Tuesday:
  • Emmitt Gooden decommits

QB Recruiting:
Friday:
  • Brady White commits to ASU

ATH Recruiting:
Tuesday:
  • Vols offer Deandre McNeal
Thursday:
  • Vols offer Ryan Davis
Saturday:
  • Ryan Davis: “It’s huge, man. Just huge,” Davis told InsideTennessee. “Like, really huge.” “That’s one of those big time places,” Davis said. “It always has been. That’s the top right there. I know they have an awesome fan base. I mean, when I got the offer Vol Nation showed me so much love, man. My twitter blew up from those guys. That was awesome.” It’s a place that has great tradition. You know, they got Peyton Manning*and all those other guys,” Davis told IT. “They beat Florida State in the national championship, I know that. I know they have a great tradition and they get a lot of talent through there. You know, guys like Cordarrelle Patterson and those guys.” “That’s Wide Receiver U, man. I mean, look, the last two receivers they had ended up in the league — Hunter and Patterson. I feel like I can be that guy,” Davis said. “You know, it’s a place that gets talent at the receiver position. I like that a lot. That’s big. As a receiver, that’s the place right there. They produce and get you in the league.” -scout

RB Recruiting:
Tuesday:
  • Bryce Love: "Wake Forest running back Bryce Love showed his speed this weekend at the Nike Football Training Camp and he earned an invite to The Opening. Stanford is a school that caught his attention when he visited earlier this spring. The Cardinal are up there, but he has no list yet. In-state schools*East Carolina, North Carolina, and N.C. State are in strong pursuit as well. Tennessee is another school coming hard after the four-star playmaker. A decision could come over the summer." -Chad Simmons, scout
  • Johnny Frasier: Told Chad Simmons of scout that UGA and FSU, as of now, are standing out but has no intentions of cutting his list anytime soon. Said he "really" wants to get out to Tennessee, and "likes what they're offering" to him. Wants to be in an engineering program and likes we have a good program for that. Will visit this summer

WR Recruiting:
Sunday:
  • Van Jefferson: "Van Jefferson said Tennessee, Ohio State, Purdue and Georgia are really recruiting him hard. He said his dad really likes Azzanni, as does he." -Fortenberry

TE Recruiting:
Tuesday:
  • Chris Clark says he will visit UT on June 2nd

OLine Recruiting:
Tuesday:
  • Brandon Kennedy: "It's going pretty good," Kennedy said. "I just got two more offers this week from Mississippi State and Tennessee. I've been talking to several schools as well. It shows that all the work I've put in is paying off." "I just started researching them," Kennedy said. "I know Peyton Manning went there and it really surprised me when coach Thigpen called me and offered me. He seems like a really nice guy and he's coming by my school this week." "I've really narrowed it down to the SEC schools," Kennedy said. "Things that are important to me are academics and location. It wouldn't bother me to leave the state, but I think some of the other schools offer a lot as well." So when might a decision come? Kennedy is hoping to take trips this spring and summer that will allow him to make a decision that is well thought out. "I want to get it done by the end of the summer," Kennedy said. "I want to get it over with before football starts so I don't have to worry about anything. I'm graduating early and I want to make sure I can be an early enrollee." -VQ
  • UT offers Jalin Barnett
Thursday:
  • Austin Clark: From the Roanoke Times this morning: Not many college football prospects have come through Timesland with an offer list to match Austin Clark’s. Clark, a 6-foot-6, 296-pound offensive lineman from Rockbridge County High School, recently trimmed his list of possible college destinations to seven. Making the cut were Clemson, Ohio State, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Clark, a first-team All-Timesland selection in 2013, has a total of 16 offers according to the rivals.com database. “It’s a solid top seven,” Clark said Wednesday.”Things aren’t going to change very much but I’m going to talk to schools that haven’t offered me yet.” Clark has said he would like to complete his academic requirements in time to enroll in college for the second semester. That was a route taken by his fellow All-Timesland selection, Fort Chiswell offensive lineman Coleman Thomas, who recently completed spring practice at Tennessee and is projected to start. “I talk to him a good bit on Facebook and through text,” Clark said. “Before I decided to graduate early, I made it a point to talk to him and see what his thoughts were. He’s one of the main reasons I’m doing it this way.” Clark, whose father quarterbacked Lexington’s state championship team in 1988, has been rated the No. 66 prospect in the country by rivals.com. “Less than a year ago was when I got my first offer from UVa,” he said. “I remember how excited I was then and I’m still excited when I get an offer now. “Just this weekend, I spoke to Alabama and Ole Miss on Twitter. Now that I’ve started to get attention, the bigger schools are saying, ‘Whoa, hold on here.’ “They like what they see, I hope. When you hear from Alabama, you must be doing something right.”
  • Vols offer Grant Newsome

DLine Recruiting:
Monday:
  • Darvin Taylor: The 6-foot-2, 311-pound defensive lineman stays in contact with Azzanni often and said they talk football and life. "We just talk about how I would fit in the program and just how my life is going. Always a good conversation," Taylor said. "It's one of those programs that's on the rise again. I know they're one of the winningest programs in the last 100 years and they have a lot of tradition," Taylor said. "I'll probably give out my top five schools in June, towards the end of the school year, and then I'll probably visit those five schools and then go from there," Taylor said. Taylor mentioned Florida State, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Clemson, Ohio State and Virginia Tech as schools coming after him hard and when he gets down to decision making and trimming the long list, he already has his priorities in order. "The first thing is always going to be education," Taylor said. "The second thing I guess you could say would be is it a place I could be at for four or five years, a place I can see myself at both on and off the field. Then, the coaching staff has to be good and aspects like that. Also, a place where I'll be able to win BCS bowl games." "I'm kind of blessed that I was a military child and moved around the world so I can make friends wherever I go so location isn't a factor wherever I go to school. Something on the other side of the country may be a little too far, but everywhere on the East Coast is an option," Taylor said. -VQ Taylor plans to commit on August 28.
  • Tim Settle: “I’m going to trim it down in August to 14,” said Settle, who earned an invitation to The Opening Saturday after a stellar performance at the Nike Football Training Camp at Centreville High School in Clifton, Va. “Clemson, Tennessee and Florida State are three I know that will make it. With Clemson, it’s family down there. It’s a great place, a great campus, great players and they are on the come up. Tennessee has a great campus and great fans. Coach [Butch] Jones and I are real tight. I talk to Coach Jones weekly. With Florida State, Coach [Odell] Haggins is great. He works with me, and helps me with what I need to do to improve. I really like our relationship.” For those that make the top 14, surviving the November cut will be the next hurdle. “After the season, I’m going to have a top five,” he said. “Then when I’m ready to commit, I’ll have a top three and have three hats on the table when I announce my decision.” Settle plans to announce his decision at the 2015 Under Armour All-America Game or on national signing day. - ESPN
  • Vols offer Kengara Daniel
Wednesday:
  • Kengara Daniel: "He told me the morning before he was going to come by and Coach Thigpen stopped by the school on Monday to watch my film and to watch two of my teammates as well, Marcus Marshall and James Smith-Williams," Daniel said. "He watched our film and he told my coach to have me to call him so I called him that night and he offered." "I had been talking to him for about a month now on the phone and mostly on Facebook and Twitter. It was kind of a surprise. I know a few of my friends from around the area have Tennessee offers like Bryce Love and Sterling Johnson and they both said they loved it there so I will have to check it out," Daniel explained. "Bryce has told me about their brick-by-brick philosophy that coach (Butch) Jones is trying to establish and that he's trying to build the team back up to what it used to be." "Definitely something I want to check out and find out more on what they're about and see what they are trying to build there and find out about their education and their football program," Daniel said. "I definitely want to head over there with a couple of friends that have an offer from them already." "I though about setting up my initial commitment date on my birthday, July 29, but then I thought I might not have a decision by then so it might be later. But, I'm graduating early so I'll have to take my official visits early, too," Daniel said. -VQ
Thursday:
  • DJ Jones: "Tennessee will always be at the top until the end,” Jones told InsideTennessee. “If I commit or not, I will always have love for that staff. They stayed with me. I just appreciate that entire staff staying with me. They’re the only school that really stayed with me when everybody found out, ‘You’re not going to qualify.’” “I mean Clemson was…they were there at one point and then when they found out about the grades they did what everybody else did — they scattered. They said they were keeping an eye on me, and I don’t doubt it. I just feel like Tennessee was always there.” - Scout
Friday:
  • DJ Jones: "it's a real possibility D.J. Jones makes it to Knoxville sometime this month, and possibly as early as next weekend. It's believed his family is interested in making the three hour drive from Greeneville, S.C., to see the Vols. Jones and his family continue to think very highly of Tennessee." -VQ
  • Vols offer JUCO Takkarist McKinley
Saturday:
  • Vols offer Raequan Williams
Sunday:
  • Tim Settle: Planning summer visits to FSU, Clemson, and UT per scout

LB Recruiting:
Monday:
  • Vols offer Malik Jefferson
Tuesday:
  • Tevon Coney: "I'm supposed to visit Tennessee this week and I plan on doing it, most likely, this weekend," Coney said. "But I haven't set that in stone yet. I've never been there, but I know it's a great schools with a pretty good fan base." "The only way I will be leaving out of state is if the schools out of state seem obviously better than Miami and Florida -- the schools here in Florida," Coney said. "If there's a great school out of state, I have no problem going out of state." Coney plans to major in engineering and says a school's engineering program will figure heavily into his decision. He'll also take the more cliché recruiting factors into account. "Beside the engineering program, it will be early playing time, a good relationship with the coaches, a good vibe with the players and the school," Coney said. " I want to be the guy that fits in perfectly with the school I choose." -Rivals
  • Vols offer Asmar Bilal
Wednesday:
  • Vols offer John Houston
Thursday:
  • Vols make Darrin Kirkland Jr's top 10
  • Darrin Kirkland Jr: Kirkland had originally planned to make his commitment announcement on May 30. He has since decided to postpone that decision and expects to have a decision in August now, saying it "will definitely be before my season begins." "My plan right now is to take some more visits and see some places I haven't been able to see yet," Kirkland said. Ole Miss and Tennessee were two schools Kirkland offered up this past weekend when asked to preview his favorites ahead of announcing them on Thursday. "Those are two schools that are both in the SEC and they have established great relationships, both been in this spring," Kirkland said. -Rivals

DB Recruiting:
Monday:
  • Vols offer Jaylon Lane
  • Vols offer Darrell Miller
Tuesday:
  • Darrell Miller: The Tennessee Volunteers ventured into Texas on Monday, offering 2015 defensive back Darrell Miller. Miller is a three-star DB from Cedar Hill, TX (Cedar Hill) that 247Sports rates as the 53rd best cornerback in the nation and the 79th best player in the state of Texas. The Texas native now has four offers according to 247Sports. In addition to his offer from Tennessee he’s also been offered by Boise State, Houston and Utah. On the surface, Miller doesn’t look like a stand-out prospect. He doesn’t have a lot of offers, which is rare for an athlete in Texas. But I wouldn’t be too concerned with any of that. Butch Jones and his staff are known for uncovering gems. There’s obviously no way to know if Miller will turn out to be a gem, but I wouldn’t let his three-star rating define him as a recruit." -Zach Ragan, AllForTennessee.com.
  • Vols offer PJ Mbanasor
Wednesday:
  • Jarek Taylor: "A lot of schools have already been by and are supposed to be coming back to see me practice," Taylor said. "In the last week South Carolina, USF, Ole Miss and Auburn all came by." "They keep talking about a potential offer," he said. "They just want to keep having me come on campus. They've offered a lot of people in the class so we'll see. Auburn is one I want, but it's not like I'm holding out for them." "Schools like Mississippi State and Louisville are wondering about my straight line speed," he said. "I think it really is a speed thing when it comes to them. But they'll both be there and Auburn will be there, too, to see me run." All the talk of potential offers can't go by without a mention of Tennessee. The Vols are very high on Taylor and the feeling is mutual. "Tennessee has been recruiting me the hardest out of anyone," he said. "I've been up there four or five times but they want me to come compete at camp. They've seen my film but they want to know how I can play in person." Taylor listed the Vols as among his early favorites, along with Mississippi State, Southern Miss, California and Florida State. He's also already decided that one school on that list will get an official visit. "As far as officials I think Cal is the only one I know for sure that I'm going to take," he said. "My dad really wants me to go out there and check it out so I think I'm going to do that." -Rivals
Thursday:
  • Darrell Miller: "Recruiting has been going good. I know it's about to blow up with spring practice starting," Miller explained. "Just today Tennessee, Indiana, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Boise State came out." "Coach Martinez came to my practice on Monday and then I called him after practice and that's when he offered me," Miller said. "I've been talking to him for a couple of weeks now and he was telling me he was going to come to our first day of practice and he did and he liked what he saw and he offered me. It was great." "I don't know too much. I know it's a great program for sure and I know it's in the SEC, which is the best conference in college football," Miller explained. "That's all I know about Tennessee. That was huge. I was too happy when I got this offer. I had been waiting on an SEC offer forever." "I want to evaluate all of my offers at the end of the spring and then I want to take some officials in the fall and then just go with what the best fit is for me," Miller said. -VQ
  • Vols make Darius Slayton's top 8
  • Vols offer Octavius Johnson
Friday:
  • Darius Slayton: Tennessee: "My friend Micah Abernathy, their family is close with coach Butch (Jones). Another friend, Tyler Cooksey is being recruited there and they both visited and liked it and said everything there is state of the art. I really like their coaches. They came and visited us and I really like them. They just seem like genuine and cool guys and that left an impression on me. I'd like to visit up there." - VQ. Slayton plans to take visits this summer and narrow it down to a top 5. He hopes to make a decision in September, no later than November/December.
Sunday:
  • Cameron Ordway: "For Ordway, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Auburn are starting to stick out. Ordway clocked a 4.53, 4.55 today." -Fortenberry

2016 Recruiting:
Monday:
  • NJ QB Jarrett Guarantano: While Guarantano has made a number of unofficial visits, he’s looking forward to making a number of trips this summer. “I want to get to Alabama for a day, and Ohio State, too,” he said. “I want to be around the coaching staffs for a day. I want to get back to Auburn and Clemson, too. They are probably my No. 1 or No. 2 with Tennessee. I loved Clemson when I went down there, I loved everything about it.”
Tuesday:
  • Vols offer NC DE Jimmie Taylor
  • TN DE Emmitt Gooden decommits
Wednesday:
  • Vols offer OH OL Liam Eichenberg
Thursday:
  • Vols offer DC DE/TE Devante Brooks
  • TN OL Bryce Mathews: “it’s really still kind of even[.] no real favorite right now. I mean, i like both the schools that have offered so far.” “(tennessee’s spring game) was awesome,” said mathews, who’s a teammate of top247 sophomore offensive tackle ryan johnson. “there was a big crowd there — like, 68,000 — and it was nice seeing how big their fan base is and how loyal they are. For just a spring game, that many people showing up, it was pretty cool. “a big thing that i noticed at tennessee is they talk about how many nfl people they’ve been able to produce, and they say i could potentially be one of those guys, especially with my dad and all that. That’s a long way off from now, but maybe, potentially down the road, that’s something to look at.” mathews grew up following texas a&m, his father’s alma mater, and aggies wide receivers coach david beaty stopped at brentwood academy on tuesday to take a closer look at mathews. He admitted it “would be really cool” if he gets an offer from texas a&m. “it’d be something special,” the younger mathews said. “it wouldn’t be, like, a done deal if they offered or anything, but it would be something cool, just because it’s the team i’ve grown up loving so much. It would be cool.” - 247
  • GA ATH Mecole Hardman: tennessee - i think this is one of the best schools you could go for academics and football. They have great talent with great coaches. With his recruitment in high gear, the 5-foot 11-inch, 168-pound hardman admits he is also hearing a lot from his back yard school, the georgia bulldogs. “i'm not sure; i think georgia might be close.” - 247
  • Vols offer FL WR Tavares Chase
  • TN LB Tariqious Tisdale: "Tennessee defensive coordinator John Jancek was by Lexington High School in Lexington today to see 2016 athlete/linebacker Tariqious Tisdale. I know he's generated some conversation here a few times and from talking to a couple of people it seems Tennessee has started the evaluation process with him. I know he played a lot of running back this past year, but he'll be playing more linebacker and either there, or more likely on the defensive line, is where I can see him ending up." -Fortenberry
Friday:
  • Vols offer GA RB Elijah Holyfield (Evander Holyfield's son)
  • Vols offer PA QB Brandon McIlwain
  • DC DE/TE Devante Brooks: “It was pretty crazy,” Brooks said. “I actually had no idea Nebraska and Iowa were looking at me, but I had a feeling Tennessee might come because I talked to coach [Mark] Elder last week, but it was still a surprise to have it come in.” “He [Elder] was talking about facilities, and about how Tennessee has a brand new coaching staff that is really starting the program back up,” Brooks said. “He [Elder] was telling me about the facilities and the stadium, and how they have a 100-plus thousand fans always there every game. “The thing that stood out the most was definitely the new facility that they built. The new indoor facility and new facility for the football players specifically, just the way everything was set up it looked very beautiful. I was very impressed by it, and I can’t wait to actually see it, ” Brooks said. “I saw pictures of it, and oh man, it was just incredible. The stadium as well, he was telling me about the fans, and it looked pretty amazing.” He added, “I love how the fans get really into it, those fans down there they really know how to have some fun and they love football.” “I definitely want to get down there for a visit. Tennessee sounds like a great place, and I really want to go down there and see everything myself,” Brooks said. “I am hoping I can go down there possibly for a camp this summer or maybe even make it to one of their games.” -scout. VaTech leads, UT #2. Subject to change after visits and other offers

2017 Recruiting:
Tuesday:
  • Vols offer FL RB Robert Burns
Thursday:
  • Vols lead for TN ATH Jacoby Stevens

Previous Week Update: http://www.volnation.com/forum/tenn...218021-weekly-recruiting-update-4-21-4-a.html
 
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#3
#3
So, two takeaways. Holyfield has a college age son (I knew he had quite a few, but I still feel old reading that). And a kid is named Turquoise!

Great job as usual POA.
 
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#4
#4
Much obliged. I hadn't heard about the Gooden decommitment. I need to slide by his thread to get the details.
 
#5
#5
I know a few of my friends from around the area have Tennessee offers like Bryce Love and Sterling Johnson and they both said they loved it there so I will have to check it out," Daniel explained. "Bryce has told me about their brick-by-brick philosophy that coach (Butch) Jones is trying to establish and that he's trying to build the team back up to what it used to be."
Click to expand...

I will always have love for that staff. They stayed with me. I just appreciate that entire staff staying with me. They’re the only school that really stayed with me when everybody found out, ‘You’re not going to qualify.’”
Click to expand...

I really like the image this staff is building. Word of mouth and peer-to-peer are the absolute best forms of advertising. Butch gets it is an understatement.
 
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#6
#6
I hardly ever post, but I have to say I love reading these posts every week. Thanks for putting the work in every week.
 
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#13
#13
I really like the fact that almost every recruit talks about the Vols fan base. Getting Twitter love as soon as they get an offer, spring game attendance, etc. Word about our fan base is traveling fast with all of the social media outlets these days. We have a perfect combination when it comes to recruiting. They all love the coaching staff, state of the art facilities, history and tradition, fan base, etc. Now if we can just get a winning season I think our roller coaster is unstoppable. I think a couple more years will produce a very happy Vols fan base! Go Vols! Thanks POA.
 
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#17
#17
Who are our top targets in the secondary ?

Is Ordway at the top of our board ? Seems with the offer to corner from Texas and us liking Abernathy from Georgia , it's hard to tell if cam ordway would be the one we want most . Thoughts ?
 
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#22
#22
POA - these are the highlight of our week for most of us in the VN RF. Always know how much we appreciate the work you put in.
 
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