2015 Recruiting Class

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Emmanuel Olenga - Yahoo! Sports

Olenga, who was actually born in Congo before moving to America when he was six-years old, visited Tennessee for the Vanderbilt game and the 6-foot-5, 240-pound lineman said the Vols have impressed him the most of an school early on.

"I visited and I love the coaching staff and I love the players and I think Tennessee is probably where I fit in the most," Olenga said.

Along with Tennessee, Olenga also visited North Carolina, North Carolina State, Wake Forest and is also hearing from schools like Florida State, Auburn, Northwestern, Clemson and many others.

"They followed me on Twitter and then coach Knight sent me a message and then I just started talking to them and he's a really good person and we were talking a lot and he told me to visit," Olenga said.

Olenga was in Knoxville when Tennessee played Vanderbilt and he was able to talk to defensive line coach Steve Stripling. "Coach Knight grabbed me and took me to coach Strip and he's a great guy," Olenga said. "I like them a lot." Olenga added that he really enjoyed his time in Neyland Stadium. "It was a very hype scene. I liked the atmosphere at the game. It was very motivational and it was an environment I feel like I can play in," Olenga added. "Overall, it's just an atmosphere I really like."

-VQ

 

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4-star OL: Drew Richmond - Yahoo! Sports

Auburn: "I'm going to visit there on March 29 and get a closer look but I feel like I fit well into their offensive scheme. That's one of the biggest things that is standing out to me. I think I'd do well in the spread offense."

Tennessee: "I'm going to visit there the first weekend of April. - April 3-4-5 - I just feel like family there because I'm so close to the commits there so that's the biggest thing about them. It's a family situation and the playing time is appealing.

Ohio State: "I grew up a fan, I have a great relationship with Coach Hinton and Coach Meyer and that's the biggest thing right now."

Florida State: "I know for a fact that the O-Line coach is great coach. He was my coach's coach when he was at Memphis and coach was telling me he's a good developer. He's turned guys who nobody knew about into NFL drat picks. He can turn raw talent into something great and they just won the national championship and I feel fit in well there."

Clemson: "I'm visiting there in early April, too. They show a lot of love. They've been trying to get me down there but it hasn't worked out. I feel like I'd fit well into their offense, that's the big thing."

-Rivals

 

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3-star OL: Venzell Boulware - Yahoo! Sports

"I really didn't have any expectations but they really surprised me. I didn't really expect it to look that good. The facilities, I didn't expect them to be that good," Boulware said. "The stadium was really nice. It was one of the biggest stadiums I had ever seen."

The 6-foot-4, 295-pound versatile offensive lineman spent time with Tennessee head coach Butch Jones, offensive line coach Don Mahoney and offensive quality control coach and former Vol Anthony Parker.

"They told me they need some depth and need more linemen," Boulware said. "They said if I came there I would be walking into a good situation."

On Mahoney:

"He's a real disciplined coach and really enforces everything they are trying to get done," Boulware said. "It definitely helped them. They moved up," Boulware said.

-VQ

 

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4-star QB Torrance Gibson named a top 3 of Miami, Ohio St. and Tennessee.

Torrance Gibson - Yahoo! Sports

 

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Got a commitment from a 3-star DB: Stephen Griffin - Yahoo! Sports

 

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Woody Wommack ‏@RivalsWoody 3m
#Rivals250 DB Ugo Amadi (@UAmadi7_) says his top 5 in no order is "Mississippi State, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Cincinnati and Duke" @rivalsmike

Ugo Amadi - Yahoo! Sports

 

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@GentryEstes247: Exclusive by @Mansell247: Alvin Kamara discusses transfer from Alabama and his next step at maybe #UGA or #UT (VIP)

meanwhile, georgia is not the only school featuring some of kamara’s close friends. Tennessee is staying in contact a lot, he says.
“i have actually talked to coach (butch) jones, and coach (robert) gillespie, and they are looking for a back,” kamara said. “i have been talking to them through jason (croom) and ryan (jenkins) too. So i have been kind of thinking about tennessee too. There are a lot of opportunities there too.”

-247

Alvin Kamara - Yahoo! Sports

 

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"Tennessee offered Buford's Austin Smith today. Smith measured in at 6-3, 240 pounds. Good looking prospect."

-Fortenberry

“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

Austin Smith - Yahoo! Sports

 

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"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

Christian Owens - Yahoo! Sports

 

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4-star WR, Van Jefferson: https://rivals.yahoo.com/tennessee/football/recruiting/player-Van-Jefferson-143240

"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

 

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4-star DT, Kahlil McKenzie: 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

 

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4-star OT, Austin Clark: 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

 

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4-star QB Torrance Gibson named a top 3 of Miami, Ohio St. and Tennessee.

Torrance Gibson - Yahoo! Sports

Named Tennessee his leader with Auburn 2nd.

 

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Torrance Gibson

 

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Vols lead for 5* DT Tim Settle

 

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Can't remember the last time we landed a top DT recruit. Hope he's a Vol come NSD.

 

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4-star WR: Preston Williams

 

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Vols lead for DT Kahlil McKenzi

 

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Tennessee now leads for three 5-star recruits (Torrance Gibson, Tim Settle, Kahlil McKenzi)

 

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Tennessee now leads for three 5-star recruits (Torrance Gibson, Tim Settle, Kahlil McKenzi)