'16 NC RB Robert Washington

#51
#51
Four-star rising junior running back*Robert Washington*of SouthLake Christian Academy in Huntersville, N.C., said Tennessee is in his top five following his latest visit with the Vols on Friday.
 
#52
#52
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Tennessee*is counting on family connections to help the program return to prominence.

Five players from Butch Jones' highly touted freshman class have family members who also played football for the Volunteers. A sixth freshman — wide receiver*Vic Wharton— is the nephew of former Tennessee basketball player Brandon Wharton.

These newcomers want to help Tennessee end a string of four straight losing seasons and regain the stature this program enjoyed when their relatives were here.

"Especially since all of us are legacy guys, Tennessee's always been close to our hearts," said defensive back Elliott Berry, the younger brother of 2009 Jim Thorpe Award winnerEric Berry*and the son of former Tennessee running back James Berry. "Just the fact we're in this position and have the opportunity to put Tennessee back at the top, it's a big deal to me."

Berry has arrived at Tennessee with his twin brother, Evan, also a defensive back. Linebacker*Dillon Bates*is the son of Bill Bates, who helped Tennessee earn three bowl bids from 1979-82 before beginning a 15-year NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys.

Defensive back Todd Kelly Jr.'s father was part of Tennessee's 1989 and 1990 SEC championship teams. Linebacker*Neiko Creamer*is the son of Andre Creamer, who helped the Vols win an SEC title in 1985.

These freshmen say they aren't facing any extra pressure just because of their familiar names.

"My dad told me that I'm the only person that can put pressure on myself,"*Evan Berry*said. "It's just playing football, doing what I love. The last name doesn't really put pressure on me. It's just football."

Even so, much is expected of this group, which was ranked among the nation's top five recruiting classes by multiple services. Jones believes having so many relatives of former Vols on his team should have an impact.

Tennessee's continuing to get a recruiting edge from its family connections. Last week, Tennessee received a verbal commitment from high school defensive tackle*Kahlil McKenzie, the son of Oakland Raiders general manager and former Vols outside linebacker Reggie McKenzie. McKenzie is rated by Scout as the nation's No. 1 overall prospect in the 2015 recruiting class.

"We want individuals that have grown up understanding the rivalry with Alabama, with Florida, understanding the traditions that we have at the University of Tennessee," Jones said. "So the legacy players have helped."

The legacy players in this freshman class certainly have that understanding.

Creamer says as soon as he started getting into sports, he began to appreciate Tennessee because he'd seen pictures of his father wearing the "Power T" on his helmet. Elliott Berry remembers spending spring break in Knoxville as a sixth-grader and attending some of his older brother's classes and practices.

Bates, who grew up in Florida, recalls traveling to Tennessee during a hurricane evacuation as a child, attending his first game at Neyland Stadium and imagining his future.

"Just walking around the stadium and campus and seeing my dad's name everywhere, it kind of stuck in my mind this is something that I want to do, and this is somewhere that I kind of fell in love with," Bates said.

Now he's savoring the opportunity to play in a stadium that already has produced so many wonderful memories for his family. Bates has a handful of classmates experiencing similar emotions.

"I loved Tennessee football when I was a kid," Kelly said. "I came to all the home games, got to see Eric Berry play,*Jerod Mayo, Inky Johnson. I can name them all. Robert Meachem. It's pretty cool just to think I'm finally here."
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#53
#53
This kid is tackle breaking machine! Nice moves, vision and speed as well. Great film, Really liked watching him punish would be tacklers :bash: WANT!
 
#55
#55
"It's just continuing to get to know coach Gillespie and everybody and getting more comfortable with Tennessee so I'm just closer to committing," Washington said about his most recent visit to Tennessee.

"It's coach Gillespie and the people on the campus," Washington explained. "They have great facilities and a great campus, but it's the great people like coach Gillespie and coach Butch Jones that keeps me coming back."

"I talked to coach Gillespie and coach Butch Jones at the beginning of the camp and then coach Elder at the end," Washington said. "Coach Gillespie just keeps saying that I'm the No. 1 back on the board. He just says if I committed he wouldn't recruit any more for the year. He says I'm the No. 1 guy on the board and coach Elder says the same."

-VQ

Wants to have a top 5 by January. UT will make that cut. Plans to commit next May. Will be an EE. Listed at 5'10 and 206 lbs.
 
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#56
#56
TriCitiesVol said:
"It's just continuing to get to know coach Gillespie and everybody and getting more comfortable with Tennessee so I'm just closer to committing," Washington said about his most recent visit to Tennessee.

"It's coach Gillespie and the people on the campus," Washington explained. "They have great facilities and a great campus, but it's the great people like coach Gillespie and coach Butch Jones that keeps me coming back."

"I talked to coach Gillespie and coach Butch Jones at the beginning of the camp and then coach Elder at the end," Washington said. "Coach Gillespie just keeps saying that I'm the No. 1 back on the board. He just says if I committed he wouldn't recruit any more for the year. He says I'm the No. 1 guy on the board and coach Elder says the same."

-VQ

Wants to have a top 5 by January. UT will make that cut. Plans to commit next May. Will be an EE. Listed at 5'10 and 206 lbs.
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Thanks Tri! Sounds like he is a future Vol!
 
#65
#65
TriCitiesVol said:
"It's just continuing to get to know coach Gillespie and everybody and getting more comfortable with Tennessee so I'm just closer to committing," Washington said about his most recent visit to Tennessee.

"It's coach Gillespie and the people on the campus," Washington explained. "They have great facilities and a great campus, but it's the great people like coach Gillespie and coach Butch Jones that keeps me coming back."

"I talked to coach Gillespie and coach Butch Jones at the beginning of the camp and then coach Elder at the end," Washington said. "Coach Gillespie just keeps saying that I'm the No. 1 back on the board. He just says if I committed he wouldn't recruit any more for the year. He says I'm the No. 1 guy on the board and coach Elder says the same."

-VQ

Wants to have a top 5 by January. UT will make that cut. Plans to commit next May. Will be an EE. Listed at 5'10 and 206 lbs.
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Getting more comfortable and closer to committing. Nice. One thing in the SEC is you can never have too many RBs.
 
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#68
#68
TMatthews19 said:
Pretty soon they should rename North Carolina to East Knoxville because we just take who we want.
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A lot of talent coming out of NC and we are big contenders for most of the top guys. Knoxville is appealing to these NC guys. We will take it
 
#71
#71
griddie said:
top back in NC next season. He and kendall would be a great start
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Yep..easily the top RB in NC for '16. I have family in Huntersville and will be seeing him play again this season at least once. Get him and Kendall locked down and we are well on our way to an amazing class...cannot say it enough: I freaking LOVE the work this staff does recruiting. And with the ferocity they are hitting NC, I couldn't be happier.

"TNacious" on the trail.
 
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#72
#72
ljeller said:
Yep..easily the top RB in NC for '16. I have family in Huntersville and will be seeing him play again this season at least once. Get him and Kendall locked down and we are well on our way to an amazing class...cannot say it enough: I freaking LOVE the work this staff does recruiting. And with the ferocity they are hitting NC, I couldn't be happier.

"TNacious" on the trail.
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One thing I notice with this staff is each year recruiting to Tennessee is getting easier and we are getting players committed earlier. Maybe easier isn't the right word, because the staff has a relentless work ethic. Just saying, with our coaches having more time to develop relationships with the best of the best recruits, the better our classes will be. Also, the earlier we lock up our classes, the more we can concentrate our efforts to future classes.
 
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#73
#73
ljeller said:
Yep..easily the top RB in NC for '16. I have family in Huntersville and will be seeing him play again this season at least once. Get him and Kendall locked down and we are well on our way to an amazing class...cannot say it enough: I freaking LOVE the work this staff does recruiting. And with the ferocity they are hitting NC, I couldn't be happier.

"TNacious" on the trail.
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I love the recruiting but I'm ready to see some wins. I know it will take time but I like the offense we run and once we get some playmakers on both sides we will be watching some great UT football.
 
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#74
#74
JohnMcA60 said:
I love the recruiting but I'm ready to see some wins. I know it will take time but I like the offense we run and once we get some playmakers on both sides we will be watching some great UT football.
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I agree...and while I'm thirsty for some winning, we did know it was gonna take a couple years to turn the roster into an actual SEC roster. There is no doubt in my mind that CBJ is the man for the job. He's got the coaching chops imo, it was only in recruiting I felt he needed to prove himself. IMO he has easily proven that...now it's time to just sit back and enjoy watching Tennessee football take it's rightful spot back amongst the nation's elite.
 
#75
#75
ljeller said:
I agree...and while I'm thirsty for some winning, we did know it was gonna take a couple years to turn the roster into an actual SEC roster. There is no doubt in my mind that CBJ is the man for the job. He's got the coaching chops imo, it was only in recruiting I felt he needed to prove himself. IMO he has easily proven that...now it's time to just sit back and enjoy watching Tennessee football take it's rightful spot back amongst the nation's elite.
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He's gonna need more than 3 years before we start seeing 9-3, 10-2 and Conference Championship games. Maybe even 5 years. In other words UT is gonna have to be real patient but the promise is there. Hope to see the production. Don't like to compare teams but we are going to be like Ole Miss in that we will start some freshman but have some senior leaders. Will be interesting next couple of years.
 
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