Weekly Recruiting Update 4/21 - 4/27

#1
PassedOutAwake

PassedOutAwake

R.I.P RichRollin
Joined
Jan 16, 2013
Messages
16,158
Likes
13,302
#1
Hi, its back. Buck Fama. Guck the Fators

Current Commits:
Sunday:
  • Jerome Dews: “I just got offered Saturday,” Dews told BadgerNation. “I'll be down there for an official visit. Coach Beatty called my coach and I guess they spoke and he told me. I was very excited. Right now I'm interested in Wisconsin, but I never been down there so I don't really know how much yet (laughter). I've gotten mail, but never really heard from them.” Recruiting the 6-4, 200-pound Dews as a hybrid outside linebacker/strong safety, does Wisconsin have a chance to flip Dews on his official? “Haha, no, I’ll have to wait it out,” said Dews. “I'll be going to prep for five months than to report to Tennessee in January 2015 if I do not go elsewhere,” said Dews. “I am hearing from*UCLA,*Kansas State*and*West Virginia, plus I might take an official to UCLA or whoever hits me up.” -Wisconsin scout. Will OV Friday to Wisconsin

QB Recruiting:
Wednesday:
  • Travis Waller: "Tennessee offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian was in California today to see quarterback Travis Waller. Waller said he will likely visit Tennessee in the summer, possibly June but no plans are nailed down, yet." - Fortenberry
  • Torrance Gibson: “(I like) the coaching staff, (head) coach (Butch) Jones, he’s a great coach, they have a great staff. The football team, I think they’re going to do really well this year. They have a great campus, a great business (school), that’s what I want to study. They have a great facility.” -scout
Thursday:
  • Brady White: "Four-star QB Brady White from Newhall (Calif.) Hart has been offered by Tennessee. He's visiting Arizona and Washington State this weekend and then could be ready to decide but seems a little more undecided now. Seems like if more offers come in in the next week or so he might slow it down and look at more visits. There is definitely interest in the Vols although it might be coming in a little too late." - Adam Gorney
Friday:
  • Zach Gentry: "Tennessee offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian was on the West Coast most of this week but started off in New Mexico where he checked in on Zach Gentry. Last week Gentry visited both Texas and Alabama and both seemed to be good visits for the big signal caller, but some close to his recruitment believe the Vols continue to be near the top of the list for Gentry. He plans to make a decision in June and Tennessee has positioned itself nicely to this point, but expect Oklahoma State, Texas and Alabama to make a push before the decision date." -VQ
  • Brady White: "Coach Bajakian was actually out at the school (Wednesday)," White said. "They were in a lot of contact with me during last season but for a certain amount of time they slowed down on the communication with me. "Coming into this offseason I didn't know if they were done with me or what but he made it out and communicated that I'm very high on their list and they're very impressed with me, they like me a lot, and so he told me to give him a ring. He told me the good news that I have an offer. "Right now, I do believe the plan is these could be the last visits and I'll be deciding relatively soon. I don't have a specific date. It could change. Nothing is set in stone right now. That's what I do believe right now." - Rivals
Saturday:
  • Zach Gentry: "As of right now I think Tennessee is the team to beat, but I do think it's not over yet." - Fortenberry
  • Travis Waller: "Things are starting to speed up," Waller said. "I know several coaches that are coming to see me in the spring that haven't seen me in person. Tennessee is one of those teams that are really recruiting me harder. I've developed a good relationship with their coaches." "Coach Jake, I like him a lot," Waller said. "I call him once or twice a week and we talk over twitter. He has been telling me about the fan base and their spring game. He says he would love to see me in orange and white. He tells me what they are looking for at quarterback. They want a dual threat guy." "I think what I do well is both," Waller said. "I can make plays last longer with my feet and that's what people know me for. I scramble when things break down and I just try to make plays with my arm and my legs." "I know for sure, I'd like to commit before my first game," Waller said. "I'd like to get it done in July though. I'm in the process of narrowing it down to five schools and focus on them." Along with Tennessee, Waller has offers from Arizona, BYU, Colorado, Ole Miss, Penn State, Vanderbilt, Washington and others. -VQ

RB Recruiting:
Tuesday:
  • Brice Love: "Robert Gillespie was in North Carolina on Monday to see Bryce Love. Tennessee continues to be a real contender there as well." -Fortenberry
Wednesday:
  • Jalen Julius: "I know they have a great tradition there," Julius said. "They don't like Florida at all and they have a young team with coach Jones. I'm looking forward to this fall to see what they bring. I hope to get up there this summer. I'm looking forward to trip." "I like coach G," Julius said. "He seems like a hands on coach. I like that and I want that. It's someone I can relate too and trust. He's a players coach from what I can tell." "I make plays," Julius said. "Sometimes when nothing is there I can make something out of nothing. I feel like I'm a playmaker, but I also work extremely hard. My game can always get better. I want to get my knowledge up because I want to know everything about football. I'm also working on getting bigger." "Communications is important to me," "I want to get my degree and I want to be a sports broadcaster and be on ESPN one day. I also want to play early because I'm not looking to redshirt." -VQ
Thursday:
  • Vols offer Paul Lucas

WR Recruiting:
Tuesday:
  • Vols offer DaMarkus Lodge
Thursday:
  • Van Jefferson: "Top247 junior wide receiver Van Jefferson of Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Tenn., told 247Sports on Thursday that Tennessee is "going to be a school that's in my top two." The 247Sports Crystal Ball points to Ohio State as the favorite to land the 6-foot-2, 176-pound Jefferson, with 80 percent of the current predictions for the Buckeyes. Jefferson, who's the son of former NFL wide receiver and current Tennessee Titans receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, is ranked by 247Sports as the nation's No. 101 overall prospect and the No. 2 player from the state of Tennessee in the 2015 class." - 247
  • UGA commit Christian Owens visits UT
Friday:
  • Christian Owens: "Thursday, Thigpen was off the road to spend with Griffin, Ga., wide receiver Christian Owens who was on campus with his family and it seems it was worth it. We caught up with Owens Thursday night after his visit this is what he had to say when asked, after his visit, if the Vols had a chance: "After the visit today, Tennessee has definitely jumped up the list and I really have to take them into consideration because they offered me today and I love the offense and I love how they spread the ball because coach Jones came from Cincinnati and they threw the ball a lot up there. Also, I liked the campus and I felt like I was at home. It was a great campus, everyone was friendly and I liked what they had to offer academically and football-wise." Look for Owens to make it back on campus sometime this summer or down the road." -VQ
  • Christian Owens: "It was great. I loved it. It was a great feeling. It gave me a family feel. They just made me feel like I was at home," Owens said. "I was the only recruit up there today so it was a really good visit." "Coach Thig came off the road and I got a chance to hang out with him and coach Jones. It was great. He was with us most of the day. We got to have lunch and we just hung out and just got to catch up. He's a really cool guy and I like him," Owens said. "Coach Thig told me, 'I don't come off the road from recruiting for a player unless he's a baller and I just want you to know you have an offer from us. And coach Jones doesn't spend his whole day following you around all day if you don't have an offer so we just wanted you to know you had one.'" "When we first got there I met with coach Thig and coach Jones and then we went and toured the facilities and the complex and stuff," Owens explained. "Then we saw the weight room and practice locker room and we actually ran into a friend of the family, Fred White, we are from the same town and same high school, so that was cool. "After the visit today Tennessee has definitely jumped up the list and I really have to take them into consideration because they gave me the offer today and I love their offense and they spread the ball and they're going to throw it because when he was at Cincinnati they threw the ball a lot up there," Owens said. "I liked it. The campus felt like I was at home. It was a great campus. I liked what they have to offer both football and academically." -VQ
Sunday:
  • Van Jefferson: "Ohio State, I visited them a couple weeks back. I went up there and watched them practice. It's high tempo. He gets the receivers in the plays, so you know I like that. Tennessee, you know coach (Butch) Jones. I talk to Josh Malone on a weekly basis. I also went over to Ole Miss last Friday. That was my first time down there. Their coaches are all real good guys. I like coach (Maurice) Harris and coach (Hugh) Freeze a lot, and they run the spread and sling the ball around a lot so that is appealing. I really like Tennessee, Ohio State and Ole Miss." "I want to make my decision before the season starts. I want to have a trusting relationship with the coaches and my dad and mom and where they like it. I'll look at their academics, especially their meteorology program since that is what I'm going to major in. Lastly, I want to go somewhere that can get me to the next level in the NFL. Those are pretty much the schools I'm going to be looking at." - scout

TE Recruiting:
Wednesday:
  • Chris Clark: "Mark Elder was in the Northeast and saw tight end Chris Clark as well as defensive end Christian Wilkins" - Fortenberry
Sunday:
  • Chris Clark: Avon (Conn.) Old Farms tight end Chris Clark recently visited Michigan and Ohio State, and fresh off a Michigan State*offer last Monday, the four-star said he has begun informing coaches that he is not interested in their program. Clark said he will visit Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State in June,*Tennessee*and*Georgia*later in the summer, with the hopes of reaching a decision “later in the summer.” - scout

OLine Recruiting:
Monday:
  • Chuma Edoga: "I've never thought there was a lot of genuine interest from Edoga. He changed his top five and leader every few weeks, going from Tenn his leader, to out if the top five, to back to his leader, to not his leader, etc. He only visited once last summer and never returned. A lot of confidence from USC right now and rightfully so. He has some family out there as well. I think UGA will be a factor in the end." -Fortenberry
  • Chuma Edoga commits to USCe
  • Marquel Harrell commits to Auburn
  • Marquel Harrell: "Just really surprised because in all my conversations with Harrell he never mentioned Auburn. It was always Tennessee and Ole Miss. I'm not sure anyone thought Auburn was a major player. Last time we talked he told me Tennessee had a big lead and had thought about committing. I know people at Creekside thought Tennessee would be his eventual choice as well. He and Anthony Parker are very tight." -Fortenberry
Tuesday:
  • Austin Clark: "Those who have been following the recruitment of Rivals100 offensive tackle Austin Clark know that he has said Tennessee, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Penn State and Ohio State will make it to the next round of his recruitment. Clark will likely cut his extensive offer sheet down to six or seven schools, but there are a few that are in the upper echelon of Clark's list. From what I'm hearing, Tennessee and Virginia Tech are pretty much tied at the top for Clark with Penn State, South Carolina and Ohio State in the second tier. Clark has a lot of family connections to both the Volunteers and Hokies and this will be a close one to the very end." - Rivals
Thursday:
  • Austin Clark: top 7 of Clemson, OSU, PSU, SCAR, UT, UVA and VTech
  • Austin Clark: Do you like UT's chances? "I'm not sure, I know he likes Tennessee, but I think some of that depends on where he is on Tennessee's board. Also, is he a guard or a tackle? I'm not sure, I know more and more people think of him as a guard than a tackle. Does that change the evaluation?" -Fortenberry
Saturday:
  • Pat Allen: "Allen's top six, in order, were Florida State, Ohio State, LSU, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin but there are some other schools Allen is still interested in." - 247
Sunday:
  • Austin Clark: “I have a really good relationship with the coaching staff and I’m really encouraged by all the facilities. I also think coach (Butch) Jones is taking the program in a good direction. It feels like a home away from home, too.” As for upcoming visits, Clark said he definitely wanted to make it back to Tennessee, South Carolina and Clemson. -scout

DLine Recruiting:
Monday:
  • Marques Ford: "Tennessee sent several assistant coaches to the Tampa, Fla., area last weekend and one nearby defensive end had caught their eye recently, enough to get them to visit. And when the Tennessee coaches arrived at East Bay High School in Gibsonton, Fla., they offered defensive lineman Marques Ford after watching his film. "I was pretty surprised. We were only in contact for a few days so apparently they liked me a lot," Ford said. "The coach talked to me on twitter and then they came to the school and watched my film and they offered me." "They left a packet about Tennessee and I've been reading it. They are really new to me. I have no knowledge of them expect they're in the SEC," Ford said. "I'm really interested in Tennessee. I've watched a few videos on Tennessee and their facilities are great and their coaching staff seems really good from what I know so far," Ford explained. "I want to take a visit to Tennessee. But, I have to wait and see what my schedule looks like. I'm going to wait until after my senior season." -VQ
Tuesday:
  • Elijah Taylor: “I went to Tennessee on a Monday,” started Taylor. “I talked with Coach (Steve) Stripling first and we went over everything they do and the changes being made to their defense. Coach (Butch) Jones was with us, but he wasn’t really saying anything. But he was with us the whole time so that was a little different experience than what I was use to. “I got to eat with the coaches on campus and then afterwards I talked with Coach (Mark) Elder a little bit just to catch up on things. I also got to talk with Coach (John) Jancek a little bit.” As for his time away from the coaches Taylor said there really was not much to do. “I got to spend some time with early enrollee*Austin Sanders*and it was a good time,” he continued. “It was a Monday, so they really couldn’t do too much so I was mainly in a room watching TV and playing video games. “Austin was saying it’s been a really good experience but was hard coming in as an early enrollee as you have to come in and pick up on things quickly. But he said it’s been awesome under Coach Jones and all the other coaches and that it’s been a great experience so far.” -scout
  • Emmanuel Olenga: "Mark Elder was again in North Carolina and again in the Charlotte area and paid several area schools visits, including Emmanuel Olenga. Look for an early summer decision from Olenga and right now Tennessee is in great shape." -Fortenberry
Wednesday:
  • Vols offer Darrell Taylor
  • Tim Settle: “tennessee, clemson, arizona state, lsu, florida state, virginia tech, nc state and miami. The one i probably talk to the most is arizona state,” settle said. “tennessee, clemson, florida state and miami are recruiting me the hardest. “right now clemson and tennessee are the two official visits i have locked in. I’m trying to do those during the season. I also know i want to get out west and see ucla." - 247
  • Christian Wilkins: "Mark Elder was in the Northeast and saw tight end Chris Clark as well as defensive end Christian Wilkins" - Fortenberry
  • Kahlil McKenzie: “The UT was amazing, it felt like home,” McKenzie said. “This was actually my first time on campus there but I loved it. I have family in Knoxville and that was probably the biggest highlight for me, just the family feel I had there. I had my mom, brother, both sisters, two cousins an aunt and an uncle all there with me. “The campus is beautiful, I loved the football facilities and the fans are incredible. In the middle of the campus, they have a giant rock that they actually call, ‘The Rock.’ They painted ‘Welcome Home Kahlil on it, it was pretty special and blew me away. I love the coaching staff and the direction the program is going in and like I said, it just felt like home for me.” “My plan is to try and cut my list down by the end of the summer,” McKenzie said. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to cut it to five but that would be great if I can. Then I can start planning some of my official visits and I’ll most likely wait until close to Signing Day before I make my final decision.” - scout
Thursday:
  • Kyle Phillips: Phillips said he would take his top ten down to five in the next 3 months. He will be visiting Florida St, Florida, LSU, and Clemson this Summer and, "most likely" seeing a few teams he has already seen. He also said he will take all five of his visits. Phillips admitted that Tennessee, Alabama, Ole Miss and Ohio St are recruiting him the hardest. Although, Tennessee, Alabama and Ole Miss are the favorites with Tennessee leading the way. He wants to see improvement this year from the Vols. Really wants to win a national chanpionship and thinks Tennessee can do that. According to Wes, Tennessee at least getting to a bowl game would help out quite a bit with Phillips. A poster stated that the word in Nashville is that UT is leading for Kyle Phillips, but Mom wants him to go to school in Florida or Ohio St. Wes responded that he thinks UT has a slight lead with Alabama and Ole Miss close behind. - Summarized by BornToBleedOrange
  • Vols lead for Sterling Johnson
Saturday:
  • Darrell Taylor: "I was pretty excited to see Tennessee offer because it was my first SEC offer," he said. "I don't know I'm on about them but I want to get down there for a visit. I've heard some good things about their defense. - Rivals
  • Kahlil McKenzie: “I’m going to take all five of my official visits but I haven’t set up any dates yet. Two schools that I know will get one are Arizona and Tennessee, those are for sure trips.Wisconsin*will most likely get one as well and I still need to figure out the last two but I have plenty of time for that.” -scout
Sunday:
  • Sterling Johnson: "Recruiting is going really good. I definitely enjoy it," Johnson said. "I'll be back in Knoxville in June on June 21 for a visit." Johnson is hoping to make it to Rocky Top with fellow North Carolina defensive prospect Mook Reynolds as the two struck up a friendship after meeting at a basketball game earlier this year on a recruiting trip. "We met at the UNC-Duke basketball game when they played at UNC," Johnson explained. "Mook is a good friend of mine and I really like his personality when it comes to playing defense." "After a couple of visits this summer and some official visits in the fall I'll be committing and the things are playing out and what I'm thinking, I'll probably be committing to Tennessee," Johnson explained. "So, I'm trying to get Mook to come with me so we'll see if it works out." "They're bringing in the SEC Network studio and I want to be a sports anchor.They said I could do an internship there my sophomore year," Johnson said. "I talk to coach Thigpen every week or two and I really like coach Stripling from the time I met him." "I know Rocky and his whole family and we talk when we're on visits. I know him, Andrew, Dylan, all of those guys," Johnson said. "It's special because it shows you the type of player you are to there people and it also shows that they want you to be apart of what they're doing and it makes it real special." -VQ

LB Recruiting:
Monday:
  • Jerome Baker: "Jerome Baker tells Blake Alderman of our Florida site that Ohio State, Tennessee and Florida are the three teams sticking out the most right now. He wasn't able to make it to UGA this weekend after spending a little more time at Tennessee than expected. Jerome told Blake that some other teams like Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State are still in it, but OSU, UT and UF are sticking out." -Fortenberry
Tuesday:
  • Ricky DeBerry: "Rivals100 linebacker Ricky DeBerry drew a lot of attention, good and bad, for naming a top 20 a few weeks ago. The Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher's star just visited Ohio State last weekend and the Buckeyes positioned themselves nicely among DeBerry's top contenders but he has a lot of visits left to take before he makes anymore cuts. As of now, Clemson and Tennessee lead for DeBerry. South Carolina, Ohio State and a few other schools are very much in the picture, but things will become a lot clearer after DeBerry takes a few more visits. Two schools he really wants to see before making more cuts are Alabama and Auburn." - Rivals
Wednesday:
  • Ricky DeBerry: "Azzanni saw Ricky DeBerry yesterday as the Vols continue to develop that relationship. Tennessee is very much a factor for DeBerry." - Fortenberry
Thursday:
  • Austin Smith: “My mom, she thinks academics are really, really important and so do I,” Smith told InsideTennessee. “When I went down there March 5, the first thing she asked about was the academics. My mom said it really did impress her; it impressed her a lot. She said academically, Tennessee is a very good school for me. She said it’s not far away — it’s 4 hours away from home. She said they have six or seven specialists in each course. So, I was like, ‘hmm.’” “Just the way (Jones) talks to you,” Smith said. “He really cares about you. He cares about his players. He sees them as his own kids. He really wants them to succeed in life —*not just in football but in life. And, that’s what I liked about it. That, and they’re switching from adidas to NIKE. “I just love coach Jones. I like the way he presents himself, not just as a coach but as a man. As a young man, you need that in your life, especially on those days when you don’t have your family and all you have is football, a great role model like him will keep you in line.” : “Right now it’s Florida, Tennessee,LSU and Kentucky.” -scout

DB Recruiting:
Wednesday:
  • Mook Reynolds: "My stock has been going up because I did really well at the (Rivals Camp Series presented by Under Armour) and now more schools are coming after me and it's really exciting," Reynolds explained. "If any school has interest in me, I have interest in them and I will discuss it with my family and take trips and see schools for myself." "Last summer, I went to camp and they started sending me mail," Reynolds said. "They said they actually offered me a while ago but I never knew about until I talked to coach Thig last week and that's when he told me, 'If you didn't hear it the first time, hear me now, you have an offer.'" "The way it worked it was I was talking to Sterling Johnson and he asked me if Tennessee was recruiting me and I told him a little bit, but then he told me he was going to call coach Thig for me," Reynolds explained. "He talked to coach Thig and had him watch my film and then Emmanuel Moseley, who's there now, we're from the same city and he's a good friend of mine so we talked on Twitter and then he told me the coaches liked me and he told me to call coach Thig. I called him and talked to him for about 30 minutes." "I went last summer and I liked the facilities. The stadium was big, the indoor facility. It was all nice," Reynolds said. "I didn't get to see everything like I would now, but seeing the facilities was cool. "I'll go down and check it out and see what it's all like. I hope to go down there soon. I don't know when, yet." -VQ
Thursday:
  • JUCO Jeryl Brazil: "Tennessee is still my main option," he said. "I talked with them a couple of weeks ago and they said pretty much the same thing they've been saying: they want me to come up there and take a visit. "I'm looking for the best program that will benefit them and me. It's important that they feel like home. It's nice that I have good schools recruiting me, so I'll have some options down the road." -scout

2016 Recruiting:
Monday:
  • Vols offer GA DE Tomon Fox
Tuesday:
  • OH DE Prince Michael-Sammons: "Steve Stripling was in Cincinnati on Tuesday and saw several guys, including Prince Michael-Sammons. Prince-Sammons' name is quickly on the rise in the class of 2016. He's a guy gaining a lot of attention right now." -Fortenberry
Wednesday:
  • Vols offer CA QB Malik Henry
  • Vols offer MS WR Octavious Cooley
  • TX OL Gregory Little: [the five-star sophomore offensive tackle from allen (texas) high school said he received an offer from tennessee last week when wide receivers coach zach azzanni stopped at his school, and the vols are one of at least three teams he’s hoping to visit this summer. “(tennessee) came by and everything, and after they left, coach told me they offered me, so that was pretty cool,” said little, who claims 16 offers after picking up an offer tuesday from notre dame. “i hadn’t heard from them at all, actually. I didn’t know they were coming by, either. I was kind of surprised (by the offer)." - 247
Thursday:
  • Vols offer NC WR Divine Deablo
Friday:
  • Vols offer LA WR Clyde Leflore
  • Vols offer MS WR Jordan Duncan
Saturday:
  • NC RB Robert Washington: "Touted 2016 RB Robert Washington first mentioned Notre Dame when talking about top schools. He's been talking to recruiter Tony Alford for two years. Washington also said Tennessee, Ohio State, Syracuse and West Virginia are up there. Boston College is another strong relationship." -Steve Wiltfong, 247
  • TN OL Bryce Matthews: “It’s just a great place, but it’s one of those places that has so much to offer. It’s like, you think you know everything about Tennessee, then I come back up and learn more,” Mathews told InsideTennessee. “This place just gets better and better each time I come up.” ... “I’m really impressed by Tennessee. They make a big impression on me every time, but I want to really experience this process,” Mathews said. “I’m open to anything and I’m not going to rush it.” - Scout
Sunday:
  • NJ QB Jarrett Guarantano: "class of 2016 quarterback jarrett guarantano (oradell, n.j./bergen catholic) tells 247sports ryan bartow and steve wiltfong today at the new jersey nike football training camp that he's very high on ohio state currently. The no. 3 pro-style quarterback prospect in the '16 cycle according to 247sports composite rankings, oklahoma, tennessee, alabama, michigan and clemson are also programs that stick out to the 6-foot-4 passer. Guarantano is a rutgers legacy." -247
  • TN ATH Gabe Angel: “I just get positive vibes every time I’m up here,” Angel told InsideTennessee. “Coach (Butch) Jones, he’s turning it around. They have a lot going for them. It’s a good place, man.” “It was good. The offense did really well. I loved seeing that. They looked crisp. The early enrollees, especially,” Angel told IT. “Josh and Jalen, they did really, really well.” “It just lets you know you can come here and make an impact immediately. That’s a really good thing about Tennessee,” Angel said. “I love watching those players from Tennessee, you know those guys right here from home, make an impact.” -scout

2017 Recruiting:
Thursday:
  • Vols offer FL OL Tederrall Slaton
 
  • Like
Reactions: 90 people
#13
#13
616QSLd.gif
 
  • Like
Reactions: 9 people
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top