Tennessee Football Recruiting: Updates on 2016 Commits, Visits and Targets
There's obviously a ton of excitement around the future of the quarterback position at Tennessee right now, and that extends from the current roster into classes a couple of years down the road.
In his first extended action of the season, true freshman Texas rifleman Quinten Dormady made a couple of "Wow!" throws against Western Carolina. Sheriron Jones stands on the sideline watching as coaches attempt to redshirt him.
Jarrett Guarantano awaits for the 2016 class, and UT already has a pledge from the nation's top-ranked 2017 pro-style quarterback in Hunter Johnson.
While Johnson may be the flavor of the month due to his high ranking and the newness of his commitment, Guarantano is nothing to sneeze at.
He's the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in this year's class, and though he's looked at as an elite talent who is an unfinished product, he's certainly showing out in his senior season.
Playing against arguably the nation's most talented high school team last weekend and in a showdown with top-ranked pro-style passer Shea Patterson, Guarantano thrived in a loss to Bradenton, Florida's IMG Academy.
He completed 30 of 38 passes for 379 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for 64 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries on Saturday in Bergen Catholic’s 59-47 loss. The performance impressed his counterpart.
"Jarrett played his heart out. He did everything he could do to help his team win," Patterson told Bleacher Report's Tyler Donohue. "I have a lot of respect for the way he competes. He took numerous hits back there and just continued to play ball. I really like his game."
After a shaky junior season where he displayed impressive natural ability but struggled to put up quality numbers, Guarantano is blossoming into a marquee quarterback. He has a strong arm, is sneaky-fast and is showing leadership skills.
The best thing about his situation in Knoxville is with Joshua Dobbs and Dormady in front of him, he's got time to develop. But you can see why Tennessee—along with Ohio State and many others—made Guarantano a very high priority.
Thus far, he and running back Carlin Fils-Aime appear to be the stars of a class that may not wind up as highly rated as the past two but has some quality depth players.
The Battle for Warrior
Tennessee's class of 17 players may not grow by too many more, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility for UT to maybe fit 22 or 23 into this class.
Trying to guess what positions the Vols want to focus on is like trying to hit a moving target, but it's pretty clear they would love at least one or two more receivers, a couple of defensive backs, a defensive lineman and an offensive lineman (or more).
Probably the top remaining target on the entire board hasn't changed in months. That's defensive back Nigel Warrior, the son of UT legend Dale Carter.
For a while, Warrior rarely mentioned UT when talking about his recruiting. But he visited Knoxville for the Vols' clash with Oklahoma, and afterward, he changed his tune about the school that once led the race for his services.
"I think they’re doing a great job of reeling me in right now," Warrior told DawgNation.com's Jeff Sentell.
Though Warrior has mentioned a few times that he probably won't take official visits to places close by, he has been going on unofficial trips to watch big games. He was in Tuscaloosa to see Alabama take on Ole Miss this past weekend, and he plans to be in Athens for Georgia-Alabama.
Warrior hasn't said much publicly about his Alabama trip, but the Crimson Tide—who have enjoyed a bit of surge on his 247Sports Crystal Ball projections recently—may be the Vols' biggest competition.
"Think getting 2 of Mecole Hardman, Kyle Davis, Freddie Swain and Nigel Warrior would certainly help https://t.co/bbfyyyncZO
— RecruitingNation (@ESPNRNFball) September 19, 2015"
When asked about the possibility of joining forces with Warrior (his cousin) in college, 2017 5-star athlete Deangelo Gibbs told 247Sports' Hank South that if they both feel it's best for him, that's a possibility.
The other huge DB target for UT is in-state cornerback/safety Joejuan Williams. The Vols are in the thick of that race, too, but LSU could wind up being a major player in that battle.
Florida-Tennessee Huge for Perception
Even with UT's class filling up quickly, this weekend is huge on many different levels.
First of all, the Vols simply need to scratch the 10-year itch of losing to Florida. Also, 247Sports' Luke Stampini reported that the Gators are expecting a huge recruiting weekend, and UT doesn't want to be the victim that shows Florida is back.
But even beyond that, a couple of the Vols' top targets will be at The Swamp, and they're a couple of Florida prospects who could wind up as Gator leans with a big performance:
- After his breakout performance at The Opening this summer, receiver Freddie Swain became a major target for a lot of teams. The Citra, Florida, resident once was thought to be a Tennessee lean, but even though the Vols currently hold 50 percent of his Crystal Ball projections, the Gators have made a late surge to get to 40 percent. They seemingly have a lot of momentum right now in his recruitment.
- Marcus Tatum may only be a 3-star offensive lineman, but both the Gators and Vols are making him a massive priority. The 6'6", 265-pound Daytona Beach, Florida, native has the frame and athleticism to play tackle in a zone-blocking scheme, and he's emerging as a top UT target. Currently, 92 percent of his Crystal Ball projections point to UF.
Both of those players could be in the future plans for both programs. This weekend's winner will have the opportunity to make a big impression on them.
Swain is part of a group of players expected to be at UT for the Georgia game on Oct. 10. Though it's far too early to tell for sure, that may be shaping up to be a big weekend for the Vols from a recruiting perspective.
According to 247Sports, Swain, 3-star defensive end Jordan Woods, 4-star receiver Javon McKinley and 4-star receiver Dylan Crawford all are tentatively expected to watch the Vols take on the Dawgs.
Wanted: Georgia Receivers
Tennessee has jumped into the thick of the race to win Warner Robins, Georgia, receiver Marquez Callaway's signature, and he'd be a huge piece of Tennessee's puzzle at a major position of need.
But he's only one prize the Vols are going after.
Lawrenceville prospect Kyle Davis' last two unofficial visits have been to Knoxville, but most of the recent buzz surrounding him is that he either stays in-state or goes to Auburn. The Vols are a quiet player there, and with the Tigers' recent issues on the field, it'll be interesting to see how that affects his decision.
One playmaker who has been at the top of UT's wish list for more than a year is Elberton's Mecole Hardman. It'll be difficult to pull him away from the Bulldogs, though the Vols once led the race. Even so, he visited for the Oklahoma game and came away very impressed, according to 247Sports' Ryan Callahan.
For months, the Vols and Dawgs were expected to be at the top of the list, but according to Callahan, Hardman said he’s still considering "all my teams in the top 10"—a group that includes Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Florida, Stanford, Oregon, Miami and Michigan.
Surprise Pledge
Tennessee's coaches have proven several things when it comes to recruiting, but a couple of rules that manifested themselves in the Vols' most recent pickup have become crystal clear.
First, the Vols aren't scared to pull the trigger on under-the-radar recruits. Second, they love bigger defensive backs.
Desmond Henderson of Dodge City (Kansas) Community College pledged to UT after getting his first major college offer from the Vols. The teammate of Vols receiver commitment Jeff George has been evaluated by UT coaches for some time now, and they pulled the trigger with the offer.
He did the same with a commitment on the next day, back on Sept. 17.
The 5'11", 173-pound cornerback previously only held offers from Utah State, Colorado State, North Texas and UAB.
With the possibility that Cameron Sutton leaves after this year to go to the NFL, the Vols will be in need of a big-bodied veteran to step right in and play. Perhaps they see Henderson as that guy, regardless of his lack of big-time attention.
All stats gathered from UTSports.com unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information gathered from 247Sports unless otherwise noted. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Brad Shepard covers SEC football and is the Tennessee lead writer for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.
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