Who Will Be the Surprise of Tennessee's 2016 Recruiting Class?

Late in Tennessee's 2016 recruiting cycle, much of the fans' attention was focused—and rightfully so—on electrifying South Florida athlete Tyler Byrd, who the Volunteers flipped from Miami the night before national signing day.

But it was another prospect who had a change of heart from the Hurricanes on the next day who may wind up being the steal of the class for UT coach Butch Jones.

Little-known Florida receiver Latrell Williams of Lake City is a player who Tennessee coaches targeted and ultimately wound up stealing at the last minute, and it had nothing to do with just filling spots. As a matter of fact, it was the exact opposite.

Rather than put the emphasis on signing interested prospects late in the game with limited spots available, such as Binjimen Victor (who committed to Ohio State) and Landon Dickerson (who committed to Florida State), the Vols wanted Williams. 

That isn't to say either of those examples definitely would have chosen the Vols, but UT was thrilled with getting Williams and pinpointed him late in the process as somebody it thought could be a difference-maker above a lot of higher-rated prospects.

Credit: 247Sports

Why? The simple answer is one word: speed. And that blazing speed is an asset that could help Tennessee as soon as this year.

"Don't be fooled by some of Latrell Williams' ratings out there," GoVols247 recruiting analyst Ryan Callahan told B/R. "He was a really high priority for Tennessee down the stretch. I think it's safe to say he was higher on the Vols' board than some higher-rated guys that most people would have assumed were higher priorities.

"Williams wasn't even on Tennessee's radar until the hiring of new tight ends coach Larry Scott in January. But once Scott brought him to the Vols' attention, they pretty quickly decided that they wanted him."

For good reason, too. You simply can't coach elite speed, and Williams has it.

In discussing his team's fantastic finish, Jones singled out Williams along with Byrd and defensive end Jonathan Kongbo as guys who the Vols closed with who could help right away, according to GoVols247's Wes Rucker.

"

[T]hose individuals, to us, are difference-makers. They make you better, them being in your football program, from a character standpoint, from a competitive character standpoint, as well, and just the overall speed and athleticism in your program. So we wanted to finish strong. We knew it would be a challenge, but (we're) excited about the way it turned out.

"

The 5'11", 171-pound Williams was a high priority for Miami, Tennessee and Virginia Tech in January after his recruitment never really got off the ground. The speedster pledged to South Florida in December before some of the bigger teams began to take notice.

Williams flipped to the Hurricanes on Jan. 17, but he followed that up with a visit to UT the next weekend.

After that, the Vols and Scott prioritized him, got him to come up on an official visit and ultimately won him over. When they were sure they'd have room for him, they pulled the trigger with a national letter of intent. Williams chose UT on signing day.

Getting Byrd and Williams from the U was a coup, and the Vols are excited to have players with such high upsides.

Williams' documented speed ranges depending on what recruiting service you use, but a number that was floating around was the high 4.2s in the 40-yard dash.

If it indeed is a 4.27, it's safe to say his impact will be felt if UT can get him the ball. Knoxville's WNML radio personality Jimmy Hyams put that number into perspective.

Regardless of exactly how fast he is, the fact remains: Williams can definitely scoot. That's evidenced by his hudl.com senior season film as well as this tweet by Rocky Top Insider.

He's a human R2 button. (That's the speed burst for PlayStation4 for all you non-gamers out there). He has the kind of wheels that simply didn't exist on Tennessee's roster before this signing class. 

Last season, running back Alvin Kamara was a special open-field weapon that offensive coordinator Mike DeBord specifically designed passing plays for to get him in space and let his next-level speed create chunk yardage for the Vols offense. But he was the only type of player like that on the team.

Redshirt freshman Vincent Perry could provide some shiftiness for UT now that he's going to be on the field, but that's the extent of game-breaking speed that Tennessee had when it came to skill-position players.

With the signing class, the Vols added Corey Henderson and Marquez Callaway, who can make things happen with their legs. Neither of them have Williams' speed, though.

So, don't be surprised to see him on the field very soon; and it may even be as a true freshman. If so, that's something you wouldn't see every day from the nation's No. 713-ranked player and the 110th-best receiver nationally, per the 247Sports composite rankings.

Credit: 247Sports

But UT receivers coach Zach Azzanni told Callahan that Williams' skill set is "limitless." Despite his ranking, 247Sports director of scouting Barton Simmons told Callahan in a separate article that he was extremely impressed with Williams.

"I think even the kid they got from Miami is quietly one of the best receivers in this class—maybe the best," Simmons said. "His senior film is fun to watch and catches your eye."

Williams can go up and get passes, is big enough, can make an impact in special teams and has good hands. He's by no means a finished product, but he's the kind of player for which coordinators design wrinkles.

The Vols wooed him north, and that could wind up being huge news for a team that desperately needed to add perimeter players capable of turning short passes into checkerboard trips. When he touches the ball, big things happen, as chronicled by Chattanooga Times Free Press reporter Patrick Brown:

Williams is the poster child for filling a huge need in a major way. He won't do anything to wow the stargazers, but Williams' real star power will be determined next year and in the seasons afterward.

In the midst of Tennessee's recruiting finale, which included the signing of Byrd, Kongbo and Nigel Warrior all in the final 36 hours, Williams' flip may have been a mere footnote.

It'll look like big news soon. 

All quotes and information gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information gathered from 247Sports, unless otherwise noted.

Brad Shepard covers SEC football and is the Tennessee lead writer for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.