The trademark of Butch Jones' Tennessee program to this point has been recruiting. The Vols have finished with consecutive top five classes and while the class of 2016 won't reach those heights with limited numbers, the current ranking outside the top 25, a great finish a surprise or two could propel them towards a top 10 finish.
So, who would be considered a surprise? The Vols still continue to pursue five-star defensive end Terrell Hall and are hoping for a visit from him. Alabama is the team to beat and Florida and Florida State are heavily in the mix as well. This is definitely a long shot. Is Tennessee pursuing players committed to other schools that we won't know about until they show up on campus for a visit? That seems to happen every few years. And, Tennessee could seemingly be able to get someone like Jaleel Laguins as the Georgia commitment is scheduled to be in the last weekend of January.
There will certainly be plenty of twists and turns between now and signing day with more new names popping up, but if the Vols are to close strong they are going to have to pull off a few upsets and maybe even a few surprises.
