Losses
Patrick Turner 5 star Wide Receiver Turner had supposedly been ready to announce for the Vols at the All-Star game two weeks ago, but something changed his mind. Turners father still wants him to come to UT, but Turner feels that USC is where he is supposed to be.
Eugene Hayes 4 Star Linebacker Hayes had originally committed to the Vols until he visited Clemson. Thats right, the number three outside linebacker in the nation has not committed to anyone at this time, so the Vols are still hot on his trail. Not all is lost, but this one still could go bad if Mr. Hayes did not make his grades.
Michael Oher 4 Star Offensive Tackle Oher announced for Ole Miss shortly after the All-American game. Oher was high on the Vols list, but the Vols could not compete with Ohers guardian over where he should play football. You heard right, Ohers guardian is an alum and past athlete at Ole Miss, so this was not much of a surprise to those following the situation.
Montario Hardesty 4 Star Running Back/ Athlete Hardesty is somewhat of a strange loss for the Vols. Hardesty was rumored to be a secret Vol commit for months prior to him saying that he had commited to NC. The commitment came the day that his official visit ended at UT making this even more of a surprise. Now that things have kind of cooled off with Hardesty, Trooper Taylor is pressing him again and is making significant headway. Hardesty could still end up as a Vol before all is said and done.
Gain
Chris Scott 4 Star Offensive Guard Scott has been said to be favoring the Vols all along, but this commitment was a huge one. With a need for one more big offensive lineman in this class, the Vols stepped up in a big way by signing the number two Offensive Guard in the country. What makes this even better is that Scott chose UT over Florida.
This is not really a gain, but the Vols took another step toward retaining their number one spot on the recruiting board by having Demetrice Morley bumped from a four star to a five star recruit by all available sources, while Jonathan Crompton and LaMarcus Coker were moved to five stars on most boards.
Still Waiting
Kenneth Phillips 5 Star Safety Phillips is deciding between Miami and Tennessee. He is torn between the two with the positives being that Miami is in his backyard and Tennessee offering early playing time. This one could literally come down to a flip of a coin.
Slick Shelley 4 Star Wide Receiver Shelley is down to LSU and Tennessee. Shelley took his LSU visit last weekend and will be visiting Knoxville this weekend. Many in the know believe that Shelley could possibly commit this weekend to the Vols on his visit, but he says that he will wait until he gets home to inform both teams of his decision. Shelley would look nice in orange.
Montario Hardesty See Losses
Demarcus Granger 5 Star Defensive Tackle Many people believe that if Tennessee could land Granger or Phillips that it would be a miracle. Granger says that his mind is already made up, but he is supposed to be in Knoxville on an official visit any day now. If Granger takes the visit, who knows what could happen, but for now, Oklahoma has to be the favorite to land Granger.
Ricky- Jean Francois 4 Star Strong Side Defensive End Francois is a teammate of Kenny Phillips, so if one could just go ahead and commit to the Vols, it would not hurt in the recruitment of the other. Right now, he is pondering not going to visit LSU this weekend. This would make his final decision between South Florida and the Vols. You have to like those odds if you are a Vols fan.
Barry Turner 3 Star Weak Side Defensive End Turner is a state product that would look good on the Tennessee D-Line. Even though Turner is only a three star prospect, he performs a lot better than his star rating would lead you to believe. Turner has recently narrowed his list down to Nebraska and Tennessee. If the Vols push him hard enough and have enough room left for him, he will be a Vol more than likely.
Vladimir Richard 3 Star Strong Side Defensive End Richard was a Florida commit before Ron Zook got the boot. Richard is deciding between Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee. Along with Richard comes another prize other than just his services. It is said that whoever gets Richard gets the package of Gerald Williams as well (See Below).
Gerald Williams 4 Star Outside Linebacker Williams committed with Vlad Richard to Florida until Zook was put to the pasture. Now, it seems as if Tennessee is trying to gain his services in a package deal by getting Richard along with Williams. If the Vols could land these two Florida products, it would be a great victory for the Vols this recruiting season as to how many players they have been able to take out of Florida. Williams is down to the same schools as Richard
Eugene Hayes See Losses
Quan Cosby Cosby is not rated this year in the prospect databases, but for good reason. Cosby was the 2001 cant miss recruit. Cosby is an all around athlete and was drafted by the Aneheim Angels in the 2001 draft. Cosby had originally committed to Texas in 2001, but now he is looking to the Vols because of Trooper Taylor and a shot at early playing time. Cosby came in for a visit yesterday and said that it went really well. Could Cosby be the next Kelly Washington? The Vols hope so because Cosbys contract says that the Angels would pay for his schooling so he would not count against the scholarship cap.
Felix Jones 4 Star Athlete/ Running Back Jones would be a great addition to the Vols. Coach Fulmer will be in Jones home sometime this week, so look for the Vols to put a strong push on for Jones. Jones has narrowed his school choices down to Texas A&M, Arkansas, and Tennessee.
Darius Myers 3 Star Offensive Guard Myers is coming into town this weekend and many think that he will not leave without committing to the Vols. Even though there are questions about Myers grades, he would still make a great pickup. Even though he is verbally committed to Memphis, Myers could more than likely be pushed to the Vols.
eace2: