2018 Recruiting Thread

D’Andre Litaker hasn’t revealed his favorite school yet, but the 4-star defensive tackle from Riverdale in Murfreesboro, Tenn., has a good idea who we wants to play with at the next level.

The 6-foot-2, 302-pound prospect is in a group chat with fellow 4-stars Greg Emerson, a 6-foot-4, 280-pound end from Jackson’s North Side High, and Brant Lawless, a 6-foot-3, 285-pound defensive tackle from Nashville Christian. Although the three Tennessee mountain men aren’t a true package deal, the plan is for the in-state defensive line trio to play together … and that could be big (and great) news for the Vols.

“We reached out to everyone, we got ourself a group chat,” Litaker said Saturday after Tennessee’s first 2017 Junior Day.

“The main 2018 kids. Me, Brant and Greg are all in one. We just talk to see what junior days are coming up, see what we got planned. We’re trying to work something out.”

Along with Litaker, Emerson and Lawless are two important and priority targets for Tennessee. It’s still early, but the Vols are well positioned for all three prospects.

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While plans aren’t finalized, Litaker hopes to return to Tennessee on March 4 — the next Junior Day — alongside Emerson and Lawless.

“I might come back on March 4 because me, Greg and Brant would all be up here at the same time. That’s what we’re planning on doing, so we can all sit down with Coach Hoke and just talk about football,” he said.

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“I don’t really have a number one right now, but they’re definitely going to be one of my top schools,” said Turner, who’s ranked the nation’s No. 479 overall prospect and No. 29 running back in the 247Sports Composite for the 2018 class. “It was great. I’ve been hearing a lot about Rocky Top. We actually had a commit here before, (three-star safety) Bryson Richardson, and (Tennessee defensive tackle) Quay (Picou) and all them, so this is my first time seeing it for myself. But they were saying how beautiful the campus was and stuff, so it was just exciting to be able to see it in person.”

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Turner said Tennessee already has caught his attention for a few reasons.

“Really, just the relationship I have with the coaches right now, seeing it for myself, seeing the stadium and the fan base — one of the best fan bases I’ve ever seen,” he said.

Turner said he spent time Saturday with Vols coach Butch Jones and running backs coach Robert Gillespie, and he has enjoyed getting to know Gillespie.

“I’ve been talking to him a lot,” Turner said of Gillespie. “I got to talk to Coach Jones a little bit. I got to see a lot of the coaching staff, but the main (person) I was talking to was Coach Gillespie. Not just coaching-wise — he’s a great person in general. He’s the kind of guy I know I could go to if I need anything, so I just want a bonded relationship — not just a coach-player relationship. I know I can talk to him as a person, on a personal level.”

Two former Buford standouts — redshirt sophomore defensive end Austin Smith and Picou, a rising junior defensive tackle — currently are on Tennessee’s roster, and Turner said he still stays in contact with them after playing alongside them during his freshman year at Buford.

“I was with them my freshman year, so they kind of took me under their wing when I came in at first,” Turner said. “I saw Austin (on Saturday). I didn’t get to see Quay. He was talking highly of the school. It was good to see him again. I haven’t seen him since probably last summer, maybe, so it was just good seeing him. It was really more of just catching up.”

“I’d like to be committed before the season starts,” he said. “But as I said before, if it doesn’t go that way, I might just say during the season or after the season, so I’m fine with that. It’s just a goal of mine.”

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