2017 Recruiting Class

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Despite growing up in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado linebacker Santino Marchiol knew quite a bit about Tennessee.

In fact, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound four-star linebacker was at a Tennessee football game in Neyland Stadium as a child and the experience has stuck with him ever since.

“My mom is from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and she would always talk about how great Tennessee is,” Marchiol explained. “We went to a Tennessee game when I was younger, maybe 6 or 7-years old, and I remember the atmosphere and the environment. I’ve kind of always liked it from then on. Then, last summer we visited it again and it was awesome.”

Until his trip back to Knoxville last summer, Tennessee was just a memory. But, after visiting and seeing what the program had to offer, the Vols have become real contenders.

“Tennessee has always been one of my dream schools if not the dream school,” Marchiol said. “It’s a beautiful place. I saw it once last summer on a bus tour with other prospects. I fell in love with it. It has a great atmosphere.”

Since then, Tennessee’s coaching staff has been communicating with Marchiol, who will play at IMG Academy his senior season, and he feels like he’s wanted in Knoxville.

“You always want to go to a place that wants you and I can tell with these coaches and how they treat me and how much they want me on this visit, I can tell it’s a place that really wants me,” Marchiol explained. “That’s what you look for. Not just a big name school.

“Plus, I’m graduating early and I want to be able to play early and Tennessee has two linebackers graduating after this year.”

Besides Tennessee, Marchiol is considering offers from Ole Miss, LSU, Ohio State, Stanford, Nebraska, Miami, North Carolina, N.C. State, Mississippi State, UCLA and several others.

His plan is to make an announcement towards the end of his senior season.

“I’m still going to visit a few places and take my official visits,” Marchiol said. “Then, I’ll commit during my football season on senior night.”

-Fortenberry

Rivals

 

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2019 recruit:

 

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'16 signee:

 

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2018 5-star QB:

 

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2018 4-star QB:

"2018 quarterback Emory Jones was on hand and he has a really nice arm. He has the size, too. Probably a little under 6-3, but he's a big kid. He wasn't the most accurate quarterback at the event (That award went to Stanford quarterback commitment Davis Mills who is a great player), but Jones made a lot of throws only an elite quarterback can make. I really liked his game.

As for his recruitment, after talking with him I think Tennessee is the clear team to beat. The Vols are recruiting him the hardest and he feels like he has the strongest connection with Tennessee's staff among anyone else recruiting him. He added he could see himself making a decision soon and that would be good news for Tennessee."

-Fortenberry

 

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“It was good to be able to communicate with the coaches like coach (Robert) Gillespie and coach (Mike) Debord and coach (Butch) Jones. They made me feel at home but also we talked some football, too. It was good to be back on campus and be around everybody. It’s a good family environment at Tennessee and it would be a good situation for me.”

“The situation has definitely caught my eye with Hurd and Kamara probably leaving. That’s definitely caught my eye, it’s a big thing,” Akers said.

Akers plans to graduate high school in December and likes the idea of competing for a starting spot next spring.

“(Early playing time) will definitely play into the thought process,” Akers said. “With me being an early enrollee and being able to learn the playbook and get spring practice under my belt and potentially competition for a starting spot with both of them leaving is a big deal.”

-VQ

Rivals

 

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