2016 Recruiting Class

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That was the case last weekend as members of several teams, including commitment Corey Henderson, were on campus in the late afternoon and evening to check everything out.

Speaking of Henderson, the Louisiana native was caught off guard at how much he liked Tennessee. In fact, he told Volquest that it was an almost automatic feeling of wanting to commit when he stepped on campus, but he waited to make it official until he had talked with his family back in Shreveport on Monday.

Don't look for the Louisiana recruitment to stop there. As we've mentioned several times in the past few months, Tennessee is making an effort to really recruit the state of Louisiana over the next few cycles. As one SEC assistant coach told us this week, 'They can't get them all,' there are are a lot of talented Bayou State players that have gone elsewhere, like Arkansas, Nebraska, Arizona as well as schools in Texas, and have excelled.

Obviously, the early work, headlined by recruiting coordinator Robert Gillespie, has paid off with the commitment of Henderson but also interest from recent visitors Chanse Sylvie and Devin White.

-Hubbs

 

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Jarrion Street - Yahoo! Sports

 

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Jarrett Guarantano - Yahoo! Sports

Tennessee had a very strong visit with Jarrett Guarantano earlier this week and as he said the Vols are the team to beat heading down the stretch. From talking to multiple sources this week, we feel it's fair to say the Vols have a good deal of momentum at this point.

Now, the Ohio State visit is certainly a factor, but we continue to get this sense that this is more of a visit that's about keeping a promise to visit the Buckeyes before he makes a decision.

From what we've gathered the family likes what Tennessee has to offer and feels like the opportunity the Vols present is a good one.

Now, we're not ready to count it over because anyone that's been around recruiting in the last 10 years or so has seen Urban Meyer work his recruiting magic, but as Guarantano said, Tennessee seems to be the team to beat.

Guarantano has set a decision date for April 15.

-VQ

 

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Maleik Gatewood - Yahoo! Sports

 

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Matthew Dotson - Yahoo! Sports

"2017 tight end Matthew Dotson is on campus today, just a week after being on campus for junior day and receiving an offer from the Vols. He's from Cincinnati Moeller HS. That has to be a good sign for the Vols early on."

-Fortenberry

 

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Nigel Knott - Yahoo! Sports

Tennessee is also looking towards Mississippi with some renewed vigor and one name that is really paying attention is defensive back Nigel Knott. Several close to Knott's recruitment have told us that the Madison, Miss., standout has Tennessee as a school he's very interested in after his recent visit.

-Hubbs

 

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Hunter Johnson - Yahoo! Sports

With spring break ongoing at high schools around the country several prospects continue to go in and out of the Anderson Training Center as they stop in to see Tennessee.

Earlier this week it was Georgia linebacker Tyrone Hopper and on Thursday it was offensive line commitment Ryan Johnson and 2017 four-star quarterback Hunter Johnson.

Johnson has now visited Tennessee several times over the course of the last year and the Vols were one of the earliest programs to offer the young but extremely talented signal caller.

Expected to be on of the top quarterbacks in his class, already a top-100 prospect, Johnson is someone Butch Jones and former offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian prioritized early last year after Johnson's freshman season.

Tennessee already has a lot of competition, with Notre Dame offering earlier this week and a lot more offers to come, but Johnson seems to find a way to make it back to Knoxville every several months. While it's early, Tennessee has positioned itself well for Johnson.

-Hubbs

 

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TaDarryl Marshall - Yahoo! Sports

"I grew up a Tennessee fan so getting an offer from Tennessee was amazing," he said. "I have never been to a game there, but I can't wait to go.
"And Georgia Tech, they are in my top three because they are very strong in academics. The job opportunities after graduating from Georgia Tech are great."

-Rivals

 

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2017 recruit:

 

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Jarrion Street - Yahoo! Sports

 

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2017 recruit:

 

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2017 DB:

 

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Trayvon Mullen - Yahoo! Sports

Recruiting wrap: The No. 4 cornerback in America, Mullen has nearly every offer in the book. Miami, Tennessee, Clemson, Alabama and Florida seem to be the most involved with Mullen for the time being.

-Rivals

 

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Matt Falcon - Yahoo! Sports

 

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Johnny Huntley - Yahoo! Sports

"Next month, I'm going to visit Tennessee," Huntley said. "I don't know what exact date, but it's going to be sometime next month.
"That's a really big offer because they have a huge fan base and they're losing a lot of receivers, so I have a chance to come in as a true freshman and help the team out."

Huntley, who plans on making his college decision "towards the end" of his senior campaign, says a pair of out-of-state programs have the slight edge in his recruitment early on.
"West Virginia and TCU (are my top two)," Huntley said.

-Scout

 

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Maleik Gray - Yahoo! Sports

 

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If Jarrett Guarantano picks the Vols, watch out for Kareem Walker, Rashan Gary and some others to take a strong look at Knoxville. The Bergen Catholic quarterback is very influential in his home state of New Jersey. If he leaves - and it seems the Vols and Ohio State are ahead of Rutgers - then the Scarlet Knights' recruiting efforts will take a massive hit.

-Mike Farrell

Jarrett Guarantano - Yahoo! Sports
Rashan Gary - Yahoo! Sports
Kareem Walker - Yahoo! Sports

 

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