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[Music City Hog]

I never said you weren't. Just saying that it is pretty disingenuous to put that info out about the 2 "blue shirts" when you know they both were in and around the program MORE than some of the out-of-state kids who got schollies and official visits.

I dont think they were trying to hide it or trick anyone.  Apparently the kids volunteered to do it because they wanted to go to Tennessee and that was their only way.

[hobhog]

If it is such a great idea, why isn't anyone else doing it?...

[Paul]

Tennessee fans - and even some in the media - are so starved for a decent football team that they don't care about how he gets it done, just as long as he does get it done.

  They've never cared.  They've watched Bama cheat all those years & essentially escaped unscathed.

[rwspear]

these shinanigans will catch up with tenner. let them have their instability and we will still have one of the lowest attrition rates in the SEC.

[Paul]

Tennessee fans - and even some in the media - are so starved for a decent football team that they don't care about how he gets it done, just as long as he does get it done.

 
They're never cared about playing by the rules.  They've watched Bama cheat forever & reap the benefits.

[Music City Hog]

I'm confused.  What is Tennessee doing wrong?   People seem to be upset by it, but I'm not sure why it's bad.  All these kids are on scholarship.  It's just a matter of which class the scholarship is designated.  What are the shenanigans?

[WriterWrong]

I'm confused.  What is Tennessee doing wrong?   People seem to be upset by it, but I'm not sure why it's bad.  All these kids are on scholarship.  It's just a matter of which class the scholarship is designated.  What are the shenanigans?

They aren't doing anything wrong. Whether they sign 60+ kids in 2 years, that's all fine and dandy. They still have to stay under the 85 limit every year, so they're just playin catchup right now and will have to sign smaller classes in the future.

Not a big deal.

[big dread hog]

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/vols/2015/02/04/two-vols-will-blueshirt-butch-jones-vincent-perry/22897893/

BJ talks about it in the article from the TN relating to signing day. Truly a mystery that will never be resolved.

[kaki]

Maybe not a big deal, but if makes no difference in how many you sign, why is a there the rule of 25?  Why can't you recruit as many as you want, until you get to 85?  I believe the rationale behind the rule of 25 is to let the schools know that you can not run off players and go out and sign 35 new kids to replace them.  If you run off kids, you may have rosters with less than 85 scholarship players.  Yes transfers can make up the difference, as can walk-ons after two years on campus---just not recruits.  So maybe it does make some difference, since some programs might be washing players out and adding those slots to recruiting classes.

Yes it can backfire, but Alabama has pulled the greyshirt deal and players are still lining up to play for them, so if it helps you win and gain prestige, the future negative implications might be offset by the kids and parents(and step-parents) who seem to like jumping on the bandwagon.

[Music City Hog]

Maybe not a big deal, but if makes no difference in how many you sign, why is a there the rule of 25?  Why can't you recruit as many as you want, until you get to 85?  I believe the rationale behind the rule of 25 is to let the schools know that you can not run off players and go out and sign 35 new kids to replace them.  If you run off kids, you may have rosters with less than 85 scholarship players.  Yes transfers can make up the difference, as can walk-ons after two years on campus---just not recruits.  So maybe it does make some difference, since some programs might be washing players out and adding those slots to recruiting classes.

Yes it can backfire, but Alabama has pulled the greyshirt deal and players are still lining up to play for them, so if it helps you win and gain prestige, the future negative implications might be offset by the kids and parents(and step-parents) who seem to like jumping on the bandwagon.

That's not what is happening.  They are limited by numbers.  They are just borrowing some from next year.

[kaki]

That's not what is happening.  They are limited by numbers.  They are just borrowing some from next year.

Guess we are not communicating, I understand the 85 limit and am not saying they are getting more than 85. They borrowed against this year, last year and still signed more than 25, so where is the payback?  They may have had room under the 85 cap, but what I was saying was the 25 per year should prevail.  Otherwise you are rewarding them for either running kids off or making bad decisions. 

You may not remember, but there has been and may still be in the basketball recruiting process where you could give only a certain number of scholarships a year.  If your team lost more scholarship players in one year, it took more than one recruiting class to get back up to full strength, unless you awarded walk-ons or got a transfer.

[Music City Hog]

Guess we are not communicating, I understand the 85 limit and am not saying they are getting more than 85. They borrowed against this year, last year and still signed more than 25, so where is the payback?  They may have had room under the 85 cap, but what I was saying was the 25 per year should prevail.  Otherwise you are rewarding them for either running kids off or making bad decisions. 

You may not remember, but there has been and may still be in the basketball recruiting process where you could give only a certain number of scholarships a year.  If your team lost more scholarship players in one year, it took more than one recruiting class to get back up to full strength, unless you awarded walk-ons or got a transfer.

I hear you about the 85.  I'm saying the 25 is also prevailing.  They signed so many last year because they could count so many back. This year they borrowed against next year but they are still held to the 25 per year.  How do they pay it back?  Well I guess in theory they could borrow against the next year forever.  Very creative and you'll start to see it everywhere until a rule is in place.  I think as of now they can only sign 19 next year...unless the blue shirt some and count ahead of course.

[WriterWrong]

I hear you about the 85.  I'm saying the 25 is also prevailing.  They signed so many last year because they could count so many back. This year they borrowed against next year but they are still held to the 25 per year.  How do they pay it back?  Well I guess in theory they could borrow against the next year forever.  Very creative and you'll start to see it everywhere until a rule is in place.  I think as of now they can only sign 19 next year...unless the blue shirt some and count ahead of course.

Exactly. Every year Tennessee blueshirts a kid, it takes a spot out of the 25 from the next year. You could say, in theory, that a team would be able to continue signing classes above 25 as long as they blue shirt players every year. But, as is the case at Tennessee, they've signed over 60 kids the past two years. Just by those numbers alone, there's almost no way they could sign a class of even 25 recruits next year and be under the 85 allowed.

It will all even itself out in the end. And, after having two really deep classes of seniors, they're likely to have one or two really shallow classes of senior depth to follow.

It's not hurting anyone, but it is a calculated risk by Tennessee in my opinion.

[jbcarol]

After classes that numbered 34 and 29 players the past two years, UT should sign a bit smaller class in '16, perhaps 20-22.

[jbcarol]

Tennessee football has been running on the mediocrity treadmill, without a 10-win season since 2007...

...Competing against all those schools for in-state talent is a major resource drain, comparable to Arkansas relying on DFW kids but having to beat out local Big 12 schools. After that, a Tennessee coach still has to go out of state and beat some teams on their home turf...

Tennessee landed some of the most well-known prospects, with 16 of their 29 players rated as blue chips. The Vols also landed an above-average 10 early enrollees, who are already on campus in the strength program, preparing for spring ball.

Further discussion on how the new signees meet current needs.

[jbcarol]

Patrick Brown @patrickbrownTFP  ·  37 minutes ago

Three quarterbacks in one recruiting class is an extreme rarity, but it's a route Tennessee had to go for '15. http://bit.ly/19cli6z

Dating back to 2002, when Rivals.com became one of college football's top recruiting services, there have been just 41 two-quarterback classes in the SEC, with Missouri and Texas A&M adding one apiece in the four classes since their move from the Big 12 Conference became official.

That is 43 out of a possible 176 recruiting classes

Over the same 14-year span, there were only 10 classes with three quarterbacks before Tennessee added three in 2015.

The most recent three-quarterback classes in the SEC came in 2011, when LSU signed Zach Mettenberger, Jerrard Randall and Stephen Rivers. A junior college transfer who began his career at Georgia, Mettenberger was a two-year starter for the Tigers, and Randall (Arizona via junior college) and Rivers (Vanderbilt) transferred after two and three years at LSU.

Tennessee actually signed three quarterbacks -- Tyler Bray, Nash Nance and Matt Simms -- in 2010.

[jbcarol]

UT Vols have six football recruits for 2016

KNOXVILLE -- College football recruiting rarely stops.

As the letters of intent rolled in to complete Tennessee's 2015 signing class earlier this month, the Volunteers' coaches were continually calling prospects for the 2016 and 2017 classes.

"Everything's accelerated, everything with the recruiting process," Vols coach Butch Jones said last week. "Right now, everyone is recruiting 2016, 2017 (prospects). It's a long process.

"It's a very tedious process with junior days, and then you go into spring recruiting, and then you go into the summer months. It's critical that you get these prospective student-athletes on campus and you start building relationships with them. You can learn so much more about them when you get them on your campus.

"That's really where your relationships really start to build, start to manifest themselves. Our coaches did a great job of really getting this (2015) recruiting class to campus, and not just one or two times, but on multiple, multiple occasions. That really helps grow the relationships.

"It's nonstop, it's ever evolving each and every day, and it does become more and more accelerated."

Tennessee had seven early commitments for its 2016 class until linebacker Emanuel Bridges reopened his recruitment this past week.

After signing classes of 32 and 29 players, and with only 13 scholarship seniors for the 2015 season, Tennessee likely is headed toward a smaller class of perhaps around 20 players in 2016. But the situation with the numbers is always very fluid.

[jbcarol]

Patrick Brown @patrickbrownTFP  ·  3 hours ago

Butch Jones says receiver Vic Wharton is 'going to transfer' from Tennessee. http://bit.ly/1DETX88

Wharton is the second wide receiver to decide to transfer from the Vols this offseason. Rising redshirt sophomore Ryan Jenkins confirmed on his Twitter account two weeks ago he was going to leave Tennessee. Wharton is the fifth 2014 recruit to choose to transfer and 11th player overall to leave the program this offseason.

Wharton and Jenkins both remain enrolled at Tennessee, according to the university's online directory.

The Vols endured a injury-plagued season at wideout in 2014 and will welcome the returns of Josh Smith (ankle), who received a medial redshirt after playing in just three games, Marquez North (shoulder), Jason Croom (knee) and Cody Blanc (Achilles' tendon) for next season.

Leading receiver Pig Howard, talented slot receiver Von Pearson, former five-star recruit Josh Malone and the dependable Johnathon Johnson also return for Tennessee, which will add touted prospect Preston Williams, who's coming off an ACL injury, from its 2015 class...

[jbcarol]

Patrick Brown @patrickbrownTFP  ·  Feb 19
With transfers of Drae Bowles, Nathan Peterman and Justin King, only eight players are left from Tennessee's 22-player 2012 signing class.

Vic Wharton and Justin King bring Tennessee's number of offseason departures, I believe, to 12 (10 transfers, two for off-field reasons).

[jbcarol]

John Talty @JTalty  ·  20 hours ago

Central Phenix-City star Markail Benton (@king_benton_ ) picks up offer from Tennessee today.


4-star OLB

[jbcarol]

Bruce Feldman @BruceFeldmanCFB  ·  4 hours ago
Former 4-star #Vols WR recruit RT @vwharton4 Excited to announce that I will be attending the University of California next year!

[jbcarol]

Dustin Dopirak @TennesseeBeat  · 
Butch Jones is speaking at a coaches' clinic in Pigeon Forge tonight. Just caught up with him a little beforehand.

Said UT will only have five totally healthy defensive linemen in spring: Butcher, Vickers, Mixon, Tuttle, Lewis.

Kyle Phillips, Curt Maggitt, Derek Barnett, Danny O'Brien are out. Corey Vereen, Owen Williams are seriously limited.

[jbcarol]

John Adams: UT attrition might not be a factor by fall

Tennessee won’t have as much depth as it would like when it begins spring football later this month. But this time, the shortage can’t be attributed solely to the usual sources.

In any spring, you lose players to injuries that occurred in the previous season and require rehab or rest. And attrition is hardly unusual when a coach has just coached two seasons at a school as Butch Jones has.

However, rarely does a coach lose so many of his own recruits.

A little more than a year ago, Jones and his staff were being lauded for signing one of the top-10 recruiting classes in the country, an achievement made all the more remarkable by the failure that preceded it. They recruited like a nationally ranked program even though Tennessee had suffered through four consecutive losing seasons.

Thirteen months later, eight members of the class are no longer at UT. All eight were rated as four-star prospects by at least one recruiting service. And five of the eight chose to transfer.

The most puzzling transfer is wide receiver Vic Wharton, who was the first commitment in UT’s 2014 class. He didn’t just commit. He actively tried to persuade other recruits to follow his lead.

Wharton didn’t excel as quickly as some of his freshman classmates did last fall. But when injury struck the receiving corps, he started two games. He also caught a touchdown pass in Tennessee’s victory over Iowa in the TaxSlayer Bowl.

All of this could make you wonder if there’s something wrong lurking beneath the surface of a program seemingly ready to soar.

Jones’ third Tennessee team appears capable of winning the SEC East and is even being mentioned as a top-10 candidate.

Since the rebuilding job is on track, wouldn’t players want to stick around for what should be better times?

Maybe that’s not how some of the outgoing players saw it.

There could be a different reason for every transfer. But it’s interesting that each of the five transfers was behind another young player on the depth chart...

[jbcarol]

Ryan Callahan ‏@RyanCallahan247  1h1 hour ago
BREAKING: RB @josephyoung37 has enrolled at UT, giving #Vols late addition to 2015 class — http://bit.ly/1LXKOJN 

It seemed to be only a matter of time before the three-star running back from Fairfield Central High School in Winnsboro, S.C., gave the Vols a late addition to their 2015 recruiting class, and he made his decision official Monday when he enrolled at Tennessee.

Joseph Young became the Vols’ 30th commitment for the 2015 class and joined five-star junior-college transfer Alvin Kamara and three-star athlete John Kelly in addressing Tennessee’s glaring need for additional depth at running back.

[jbcarol]

Ben Frederickson ‏@Ben_Fred 2h2 hours ago

.@RyanCallahan247 tells @KNSSportspage the Vols blue-shirted 6-7 players in 15 class. Means likely fewer than 20 scholarships to give in 16.


The numbers worked out for Butch.  They always do.

[jbcarol]

Patrick Brown ‏@patrickbrownTFP  Jun 4
From today's TFP: Which of Tennessee's '15 signees are and aren't on campus + blueshirts, a new punter and more. http://bit.ly/1AQuKch

The new crop of players includes three freshmen -- athletes Jocquez Bruce and Vincent Perry and running back Joseph Youn -- who are blueshirting. A blueshirt means a prospect arrives on campus as a recruited walk-on and is placed on scholarship later. Those prospects cannot take an official visit to the school or host coaches during the recruiting process, and they count toward the following year's class.

Bruce, from Knoxville's South-Doyle High School, and Perry, out of Nashville's Hillsboro, both publicly committed to the Vols. Perry is expected to begin his career as a slot receiver. Bruce likely will start out as a running back.

Young originally committed to Charlotte in December, but the 6-foot, 192-pound running back from Fairfield Central High School in Winnsboro, S.C., received a scholarship offer from the Vols in early February and took an unofficial visit to Knoxville later that month.

Already thin in the backfield, Tennessee needed another addition after former commitments Rocky Reid (Wake Forest) and Kendall Bussey (Texas A&M) signed elsewhere.

[jbcarol]

Lemond Johnson ‘no longer a member’ of Vols football team

Over the last week or so, Tennessee has been the beneficiary of a pair of transfers.  This weekend, they’re at the opposite end of the personnel spectrum.

A UT spokesperson confirmed to Wes Rucker of GoVols247.com that “Lemond Johnson is no longer a member of the football team.” Rucker went on to write that “Tennessee has not mentioned a reason for Johnson’s exit, and attempts to contact the player weren’t immediately successful.”

If Johnson ends up at another FBS program, he’d have to sit out the 2015 season. He would then have two seasons of eligibility remaining beginning in 2016.

Unless he can go on record and if necessary provide evidence that he was "pushed out".

[jbcarol]

Barton Simmons ‏@bartonsimmons 8h8 hours ago

2015 #Vols signee Kyle Oliver is heading to JuCo for the fall. Will sign with a 4-year College in January: http://247sports.com/Bolt/Tennessee-TE-signee-Kyle-Oliver-is-JuCo-bound-38616053 …

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/wesrucker247/status/630734205211688964

[jbcarol]

GoVols247 ‏@GoVols247 Aug 11

Butch Jones: #Vols Sr G Marcus Jackson’s college career could be done because of arm injury...

[ALLVOL]

Not sure, but every time someone wants to bitch about us not recruiting as well as Tennessee, remind them that 7 and soon to be 8 4* recruits from their 2014 class have already or will be transferring before the season.
Your artificial recruiting ranking doesn't mean dick if you can't keep them over a year

It's a terrible situation to be in. To have so much talent that 4 and 5 star kids transfer because they won't start.

[kaki]

It's a terrible situation to be in. To have so much talent that 4 and 5 star kids transfer because they won't start.

A little carried away??

[ALLVOL]

A little carried away??

Not at all. They're not leaving for any other reason.

[Theolesnort]

But in all seriousness it has to affect your developmental program. Even 4 and 5 star players need to be nurtured and developed. This is common sense and a continuous revolving door is just spinning your wheels and just recruiting a bunch of 4 stars and throwing them up against a wall and seeing if they stick may not be the most effective way to do things. just saying and to be clear the Vols and Georgia are my favorite East teams.

[ALLVOL]

But in all seriousness it has to affect your developmental program. Even 4 and 5 star players need to be nurtured and developed. This is common sense and a continuous revolving door is just spinning your wheels and just recruiting a bunch of 4 stars and throwing them up against a wall and seeing if they stick may not be the most effective way to do things. just saying and to be clear the Vols and Georgia are my favorite East teams.

I totally agree with you and if that was happening I would be worried. But there is player development going on. There are some kids who recognize they will not get much playing time so they choose to go where they can play. Most are 3 star kids but regardless, if a kid wants to go where he thinks he can play (and most will play elsewhere) why would or should a coach deny that? That's all I'm saying.

[jbcarol]

Patrick Brown ‏@patrickbrownTFP Sep 5

Butch's prediction Tennessee would play 23 freshmen was never realistic. Vols only reached 15 tonight.


Less than half

[jbcarol]

Ryan Callahan ‏@RyanCallahan247 2h2 hours ago

Teammate: #Oklahoma OT, former UT commit Orlando Brown 'wants to get back' at #Vols (FREE) http://bit.ly/1VLiKiF

Orlando Brown once was committed to Tennessee for more than nine months, but there's apparently no love lost between Brown and the Vols now that he's at Oklahoma.

"Since he's been here, Orlando has been all about going back and beating Tennessee," Alvarez told the newspaper. "He's always talking about how he hates them and he just wants to get back at them."

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said the 6-foot-8, 342-pound Brown — who's the son of the late Orlando Brown Sr., a former NFL offensive lineman — "called me late in recruiting and said, ‘Coach, I’ve reconsidered what I want to do.’"

Sources at the time indicated that Brown didn't sign with the Vols because of academic concerns.

"I don't really care what (Tennessee) did to him," Alvarez told the Oklahoma Daily.

[jbcarol]

Jimmy Hyams ‏@JimmyHyams Sep 22

It appears UT will redshirt 7 signees from 2015 class: QB Sheriron Jones, OL Venzell Boulware, OL Drew Richmond, WR Vincent Perry, P Tommy Townsend, DE Andrew Butcher, DS Riley Lovingood. Richmond could play if he improves and injury occurs along OL ... Another potential UT redshirt is DE Darrell Taylor. That would bring total to 8. But again, circumstances could lead to 1 or more playing

[jbcarol]

Patrick Brown ‏@patrickbrownTFP 3h3 hours ago

If you're scoring at home Howard's exit means there are seven players left from Tennessee's 22-player 2012 signing class.

[jbcarol]

Patrick Brown ‏@patrickbrownTFP 4h4 hours ago

Butch on other programs pursuing his assistant coaches, decisions for Maggitt/Sutton/JRM & 'the age of the transfer' http://bit.ly/1XxT4KM

About 2016

Three key Tennessee defensive players face possible decisions about next season.

Injured defensive end Curt Maggitt may pursue an NCAA waiver granting him a sixth year of eligibility after missing all of the 2013 season and nearly all of this season, and cornerback Cameron Sutton and linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin could jump to the NFL.

"We still have time," Jones said.

Transfer talk

Ten players, including five 2014 signees, transferred from Tennessee between the end of the regular season and the start of spring practice a year ago.

"It almost gets to the point where you're recruiting more of your current team than you are your prospective team with prospective student-athletes," he said. "I think it's just talking and having open dialogue.

"It has been kind of the age of the transfer, and I think that's just part of the generation in society that you always think that it's better somewhere else or you can go somewhere and maybe play more.

"We'll sit down, if there's anyone (wanting to transfer). We'll have those conversations. We'll map out their future, their career here, the things they need to do to continue to improve. But it is reality, it is part of our profession and it's not just at Tennessee..."

[jbcarol]

Izzy Gould ‏@IzzyGould 15h15 hours ago

Recruiting process starting over for Leeds' Tadarryl Marshall after Tennessee pulls offer http://ow.ly/38Ko2F

Moments after winning a Class 4A state championship with Leeds, athlete Tadarryl Marshall was all Vol, getting ready to help Tennessee recruit and sign with the school he committed to next February.

But that changed on Sunday, when he confirmed that Tennessee had pulled its scholarship offer.

Marshall was an electric athlete for Leeds, starring at quarterback but also playing receiver, safety and returning kicks. The three-star athlete committed to Tennessee in April.

Marshall said that Tennessee did not give him a reason why they pulled his offer, and he was unsure where he'd turn next. He said in his tweet that "a business decision has been made." Marshall said he was academically qualified and has a 3.2 GPA. Marshall also said he hasn't talked to Tennessee in weeks.

Per his 247Sports profile page, Marshall has more than 20 offers...

https://twitter.com/TaDarryl/status/673645928969039872

[jbcarol]

 Michael Carvell ‏@Carvell_AJC 11h11 hours ago

Report: Tennessee loses top quarterback commit http://trib.al/PoUHZlM

Tennessee has lost yet another commitment.

This time it’s quarterback Hunter Johnson from Brownsburg (Ind.) High School, who is rated the No. 1 pro-style quarterback prospect in the Class of 2017. Johnson’s family confirmed the de-commitment, according to 247 Sports reporter Steve Wiltfong.

Johnson is the fourth commitment Tennessee has lost in a week. The 6-foot-3, 197-pound prospect is the No. 17 overall prospect in the country for 2017 and the No. 1 player in Indiana. Johnson committed to Tennessee in August. His de-commitment means the Vols have just one player committed to the 2017 class, receiver Tee Higgins from Oak Ridge.

[jbcarol]

Ryan Callahan ‏@RyanCallahan247 Dec 16

Here's a look at the #Vols' 2016 commit list, updated to reflect their three signees: (FREE) http://bit.ly/1aBxk8N 



Tennessee 2016 Football Commits (15)

They can count the 3 JUCO signees as part of the '16 class.

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@Carvell_AJC 10h10 hours ago

ANALYSIS: Tennessee’s 2016 class is all about how Butch Jones can close http://trib.al/fhqm6do

Tennessee has 15 commitments with just five weeks left until National Signing Day. Time for panic? Not quite. Time for concern? That seems appropriate.

So why are the Vols not one of the darlings of the recruiting world, as they have been for the past two years? There are several reasons.

First, Tennessee is facing the same problem that any up-and-coming program would. Tennessee’s staff is constantly being mentioned for positions elsewhere...

Second, Butch Jones has never been in this position before. With fewer scholarships to offer than any other time in his Tennessee tenure, Jones had to be picky while other SEC schools were much more aggressive. Jones and his staff took the SEC by storm during his first two full recruiting cycles. The Vols were often the first to offer early scholarships and, subsequently, secure early commitments.

In 2014 and 2015, Tennessee signed 60 prospects. Only nine committed later than December before their respective national signing day.

That raises the scariest question of the all for Tennessee fans. Can Jones and his staff close at an elite level?

[jbcarol]

Jimmy Hyams ‏@JimmyHyams Dec 18

UT football will have just 4 mid-term enrollees (3 from junior college). Butch Jones had five at UT his first year, then 14, then 9.

[jbcarol]

 Michael Carvell ‏@Carvell_AJC 8m8 minutes ago

Five best recruiting gifts to complete Tennessee’s holiday wish list http://trib.al/Lq8YI27

Tennessee’s football team could use some seriously-talented gifts under the tree this holiday season.

With only about five weeks left until National Signing Day, the Vols have just 15 public commitments.

Derrick Brown, 5-star DT, 6-foot-4, 318 pounds (Lanier High School, Buford, Ga.)
Brown is hard to read.

Donnie Corley, 4-star WR, 6-2˝, 182 pounds (Martin Luther King, Wyandotte, Mich.)
Corley’s been extremely tough to predict.

Mecole Hardman Jr., 5-star ATH, 5-10, 175 pounds (Elbert County High School, Elberton, Ga.)
Like Brown, Hardman Jr., will be tough to land.

Jonathan Kongbo, 4-star DE, 6-5˝, 264 pounds (Arizona Western Junior College, Yuma, Ariz.)
Kongbo is committed to Tennessee but has shown interest in several other schools, including Oregon, Washington and Alabama.

Nigel (no relation to Dana) Warrior, 4-star S, 5-11, 188 pounds (Peachtree Ridge, Suwanee, Ga.)
The Vols haven’t given up on Warrior. Considering his father, Dale Carter, played at Tennessee...

[jbcarol]

Jonathan Kongbo, the nation’s No. 1 junior college recruit, has rescinded his verbal commitment to the Vols

“Due to personal reasons I’ve decided to rescind my verbal commitment to the University of Tennessee,” the four-star defensive end tweeted. “At this point I will wait until National Signing day for a final decicsion to be made. Tennessee will remain a school that I will heavily look at. I’ve been blessed with many great opportunities and I wanna thank God for them. He does answer prayers. Won’t be making any comments here on out regarding my recruitment. God is good forever and always.”

The 6-foot-6, 264-pounder from Arizona Western junior college committed to the Vols in November. He holds reported offers from 23 schools, including Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss and Washington, among others. Kongbo is set to take an official visit to Washington on Jan. 22, although Alabama is the perceived leader at the moment...

[jbcarol]

Patrick Brown ‏@patrickbrownTFP 14h14 hours ago

Without Kongbo Tennessee is down to one defensive linemen in its '16 class (Alexis Johnson). #Vols signed six in '15 class.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/RyanCallahan247/status/684590062160482304

3 Signed LOI and 13 Hard Commits

6 Four-Stars

[jbcarol]

Tennessee’s four early enrollees for next season are on campus and ready to begin classes this week. It’s a group that is expected to have an immediate impact, as evident by having three junior college prospects in the class.

The Vols need help in a handful of different areas to take the necessary step that so many believe they can.

Profiles of each via link above.