2018 Recruiting Thread

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4* QB

In quarterback coach Mike Canales' one week on the recruiting road, he hit Texas, Louisiana, Georgia and Florida. One stop in Florida was at the IMG Academy to see 2018 quarterback Artur Sitkowski. A visit that led to a Vol offer a week ago Friday.

“It kind of caught me off guard,” the 6-5, 205 pound 4-star signalcaller offered. “Coach Canales came and watched me work out at IMG. Tennessee is a big time offer. They are in the SEC. They have great tradition as a program and of course Peyton Manning went there. I was excited to get the offer from them.”

“I had not had previous contact with them,” Sitkowski explained. “Coach Canales texted me to tell me he was going to come watch me work out. And then after the workout, he texted me and told me to call him. That's when he offered. Since then I have talked to Tennessee daily. I've talked to coach Canales, coach Jones and coach Scott.”

“I'm not sure when I'm going to get to Tennessee,” Sitkowski said. “I'm flying back home soon to see my family and we will come up with a visit plan then. The biggest thing for me is finding is a place where I am comfortable at. And a place that gives me the opportunity to be best I can be.”

“I won't decide till I'm absolutely sure, but I want to be done before the start of my senior year,” Sitkowski said. “It would be hard for me to take visits during the season and I want to have the decision made so that I can focus on my senior year.”

- VQ

 

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4* DE

"When I received a text saying Tennessee had a new defensive line coach," Emerson said. "I was like what happened to coach Strip? and I found out he was still there, but not teaching defensive line. I went to Google and started doing research on him and found out he had been at Michigan and Oregon."

That revelation was followed by Hoke reaching out to Emerson with some solid discussions. "It's been going great," Emerson said. "I spoke to coach Hoke a few days ago and he was real impressed by my film and told me he was really excited to have an in-state player like myself. He was a really nice guy. He was excited to hurry up and get me on up there."

Emerson has ACT testing this coming Saturday meaning he can't attend Tennessee's first junior day. Instead he will be in Knoxville for the second junior day on March 4th.

"He told me he wants me to enjoy the recruiting process," Emerson said. "I'm pretty sure he wants me to come up there with him. He wants me to sit back and relax and take it all in. I told him when I come up there, I'm going to chill with him. That's most definitely something I'm going to do when I come up in a few weeks."

"To me the coaching staff, the city, the community are all great and it's a great place to be," Emerson said. "Especially on game days. There are a lot of things to like about it besides the peanut butter (laughs). Other than that, everything else is good."

- VQ

 

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3* TE

Tennessee gave the 6-foot-6, 215-pound Warren his first major-conference offer on Dec. 8, and he said “it was definitely surprising” at the time.

“It was funny because I was sitting in class the day before, and I was looking down and I had a Tennessee wristband on. And I said, ‘Dang. One day. One day,’” said Warren, who’s ranked the nation’s No. 30 tight end and the No. 23 prospect from the state of Tennessee in the 247Sports Composite for the 2018 class. “And then, the next day, sure enough, got a phone call.”

Warren, who’s planning to attend Tennessee’s first junior day of the year Saturday, said it ultimately might be difficult for him to pass up the opportunity to play for the Vols.

“I mean, yeah, that’s always going to be on my mind,” said Warren, who also holds offers from South Carolina, Missouri, Duke and Oklahoma State, among others. “That’s the hometown school, and that’s my quote, unquote dream school. So, I mean, yeah, that’ll definitely play a role in my decision. Tennessee could be that place, but I am looking for the best place for me. (Getting a Tennessee offer) was always a dream. It’s just weird now that it’s become true. When I was a kid, I used to be like, ‘Oh, those guys out there. I don’t know how I’m ever going to be like that.’ It’s surreal that it’s happened.”

Despite his family ties to Tennessee, he said his father isn’t pressuring him to follow in his footsteps.

“I mean, we joke about it. But at the end of the day, he genuinely wants me to go where I want to go,” Warren said. “I mean, he would be really excited if that was UT. But if it’s not, then he would still be happy for me. I’ve had some conversations and texts with Coach Jones, and then the new area recruiter for this area — Coach Wells, I believe — I’ve been talking to him recently since he got the new job,” Warren said. “(They are) just making it known that their tight ends are going to be used now because of who’s in the offensive-coordinator job and everything. It’s a really good opportunity for me to do what I do now and catch passes and run routes, but also be a versatile tight end.”

- 247

 

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