Joe Henderson Commits to Tennessee: Volunteers Now Boast Rivals' No. 1 Class

Butch Jones has Tennessee red hot on the 2014 recruiting trail, and with the commitment of 3-star weak-side defensive end Joe Henderson, the Volunteers now boast 14 commitments.

Henderson's commitment has also put Tennessee in quite a prestigious position in regard to overall class rankings. 

According to the 247Sports Composite team rankings, Tennessee is now No. 2 in the nation (only behind Michigan) and No. 1 in the SEC.

As if that's not stunning and exciting enough for Volunteers' fans, Rivals.com ranks Tennessee No. 1.

Consider for one moment that Jones, in his first full recruiting cycle, is currently recruiting better than Nick Saban, Brady Hoke, Les Miles, Urban Meyer and every other coach in college football, according to Rivals at least.

If that doesn't tell you just how good he has been on the 2014 recruiting trail, than nothing will. He's done a phenomenal job of hyping up the rebuilding of Tennessee football and has created a newfound excitement about the program. 

Hype and excitement are two key factors in recruiting, and Jones has capitalized on that in a big way. He also has a unique pitch in that Tennessee is rebuilding with a new scheme and philosophy. That means opportunities to stand out and shine will be abundant, and that could translate to early playing time for recruits. 

What Jones has done with Tennessee recruiting is nothing short of spectacular, and if he can back up this hype with an improved season on the field, the sky is the limit for this program. He'll also have to keep this momentum going until signing day in February.

Back to Henderson...

GoVols247.com reported the news of the commitment via Twitter:

Henderson is ranked as a 4-star player, according to 247Sports, but their composite ranking has him listed as a 3-star. ESPN ranks Henderson as a 3-star, as does Rivals.

Believe whichever star ranking you want, but remember that Henderson has offers from schools like Arkansas, Michigan State, Ole Miss, West Virginia and Wisconsin, amongst others—so he's obviously a recruit with great potential. 

He joins the likes of 5-star running back Jalen Hurd, 4-star safety Todd Kelly and 11 other Tennessee commitments.