Tennessee's 2017 Recruiting Class Has Potential to Be Best of Butch Jones Era
For all of those Tennessee football fans who may be concerned that 2016's recruiting class is ranked 15th following head coach Butch Jones bringing in two top-10 classes, fear not.
The 2017 class is setting up to be the best of Jones' short era at the helm of the Vols.
This week's back-to-back commitments from 5-star No. 1-ranked quarterback Hunter Johnson and the state's top-ranked player in receiver Tee Higgins, the nation's No. 43-ranked prospect overall, is just the beginning of what is lining up to be a special group.
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That's the kind of start programs need to go after recruiting championships.
Sure, the Vols need to keep showing tangible improvement on the field for prospects to keep flocking to Knoxville, but this staff is showing no signs of letting up. When you recruit the way Jones has, winning almost always follows.
It's going to be difficult for the Vols to sneak into the upper echelon of those rankings this year. After signing two loaded classes that included 62 players, this year's haul was always going to be smaller. Next year will be back to a standard-sized class.
And it could be loaded with orange and white.
Let's take a look at some of the reasons why the '17 class may be the one that ensures Jones' run of ridiculous recruiting isn't just a flash in the pan.
Volunteer State volume
Though the state of Tennessee hasn't historically produced the level of talent needed to supply a marquee SEC program with in-state players, they've been bountiful in the past two classes.
Jones came along at the ideal time to cherry-pick that talent, and he has seized control for the most part, plucking prospects from all over the state.
While Van Jefferson went to Ole Miss, Rico McGraw chose Georgia and Alex Bars followed in his father's footsteps to Notre Dame, those in-state defections are anomalies.
Over the past two cycles, 12 of the top 20 in-state players ranked by 247Sports went to UT. Three of the players who didn't weren't offered scholarships by the Vols.
It may not be prudent to say "Butch gets who Butch wants," but he has done a good enough job that he deserves the benefit of the doubt, and that certainly bodes well for 2017.
There's a little lull in talent this cycle, but next year's crop of in-state prospects may be the best ever.
There are eight Volunteer State prospects ranked in the top 250 players in next year's class. Higgins is among those, and he already has pledged for Tennessee. There isn't a single player on that list who UT can't land.
| Tee Higgins | 6'4", 185 Wide Receiver | 4-star, No. 43 | Oak Ridge |
| Maleik Gray | 6'1.5", 195 Athlete | 4-star, No. 49 | LaVergne |
| JaCoby Stevens | 6'2", 200 Athlete | 4-star, No. 58 | Murfreesboro |
| Trey Smith | 6'5", 277 Offensive Tackle | 4-star, No. 81 | Jackson |
| Ty Chandler | 5'11", 180 Running Back | 4-star, No. 112 | Nashville |
| Cordarrian Richardson | 5'10", 220 Running Back | 4-star, No. 134 | Memphis |
| Isaiah Stokes | 6'8", 285 Offensive Tackle | 4-star, No. 191 | Memphis |
| Amari Rodgers | 5'10", 196 Wide Receiver | 4-star, No. 238 | Knoxville |
Besides Higgins, who is an elite force wanted by virtually everybody in the nation, there are plenty of potential stars within close proximity to UT starting with LaVergne athlete Maleik Gray, the nation's No. 49 player who is a 6'1 ½", 195-pound athlete.
Gray, who likely projects as a linebacker on the next level, recently visited Tennessee and told GoVols247's Ryan Callahan that of UT, Florida State and USC, "I would say I like them all equally right about now."
Next on the list is the country's fifth-ranked athlete, JaCoby Stevens. Though he seems to think highly of the Vols, LSU has made a recent push for him. In fact, Geaux247's Sonny Shipp wrote this week that the Tigers feel good about landing him.
Considering the luck UT has experienced in the Midstate area—especially Murfreesboro recently—nobody should count out the Vols.
Star offensive linemen Trey Smith (who likes Tennessee and Alabama) and Isaiah Stokes (younger brother of former UT standout basketball player Jarnell Stokes) are among the in-state stars, as are elite running backs Ty Chandler, Cordarrian Richardson and athlete Amari Rodgers.
Though Rodgers is currently committed to play for his dad—former Tennessee national championship quarterback Tee Martin—at Southern Cal, he lives in Knoxville and attends Knox Catholic High School where many of UT's coaches' sons attended.
The Vols will be very much in that battle to flip him, and it's not out of the question that it could happen.
So much talent dots the map of Tennessee for next year's class, and while Jones won't land them all, he'll certainly get his share. Having a star such as Higgins quickly jump on board can do nothing but help facilitate the peer recruiting, and that's huge for UT in such a banner year.
The 6'4" wide receiver from Oak Ridge told Volquest.com's Austin Price he already has begun recruiting for the Vols:
"They have the No. 1 quarterback in my class. I think we can have a great bond. I love the offense they run and we can start things off from there. He DM'd me on twitter and he said he and I can get this 2017 class started and I think we are doing that.
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When you throw in an athlete who is a legacy in Chase Hayden (son of former Vol running back Aaron Hayden), receiver Princeton Fant and others who'll emerge within state borders over the course of the next year-plus, it appears there's promising potential for the Vols to build a firm class base close to home.
Hunter begins the hunt
The second key reason why next year's class could be a star-studded parade toward Knoxville is who the Vols have out in the forefront.
It helps a recruiting class get kicked off and surge upward when you've got a marquee quarterback in the saddle, and Johnson definitely qualifies.
The 6'3", 197-pound pro-style passer has elite potential and was coveted by many of the top teams in the nation, eventually choosing the Vols over Notre Dame and Penn State.
On the football field, the signal-caller is the de facto team leader whom everybody looks to for guidance and vocal authority. If you don't have a quarterback who is a leader, you don't have a quarterback.
It's much the same in recruiting.
A major reason why many quarterbacks commit to schools early is so they can begin beating the bushes for top-tier talent to join them. But when you've got a signal-caller committed nearly 18 months in advance, your class can really take off.
Just ask Georgia.
The Dawgs received a pledge from 2016 5-star quarterback Jacob Eason in July, and though they're currently ranked eighth nationally, they've got relationships with enough star players that it's not out of the realm of possibility UGA could finish with the top-rated class.
Ole Miss also has built a solid seventh-rated class behind the commitment of 5-star signal-caller Shea Patterson. Though the Rebels' ranking ceiling isn't as high as Georgia's, it's still going to be strong.
The Vols are hoping for the same returns.
Higgins represents the start to that potential surge, pledging a day after Johnson and citing the quarterback's commitment as one of the reasons why he went ahead and pulled the trigger.
Johnson mentioned Higgins to Volquest.com's John Brice on the day he committed, and the following tweet proved prophetic:
Since Johnson's pledge, UT already has picked up a couple of Crystal Ball projections for 3-star tight end Matt Dotson, who was thought to favor Ohio State. That's just a small example of what the headlines of landing Johnson can do for the Vols.
When the quarterback is in place, players gravitate in that direction. Linemen want to block for him, and skill position players realize they've got somebody dependable and highly regarded who can get them the ball.
Considering UT's current quarterback situation with Joshua Dobbs, Quinten Dormady, Sheriron Jones and commitments Jarrett Guarantano (2016 class) and Johnson ('17 class), why wouldn't an elite offensive player head to Knoxville?
It doesn't sound like Johnson has any intentions on changing his mind between now and national signing day 2017, either.
With the bevy of in-state prospects and considering Johnson is already in the fold, 2017 is setting up to be one of those years that can help Tennessee build the depth to again compete for SEC and national championships.
UT is off to a good start with other '17 prospects such as 5-star athlete DeAngelo Gibbs (the nephew of Vols great Dale Carter), North Carolina linebacker Justin Foster and Georgia linebacker Breon Dixon. That's why there's reason for optimism on Rocky Top.
Will the Vols land all of those guys? Of course not. But when you cast a wide net of quality players, it increases the odds that you'll wind up reeling in some big fish.
A couple of those were hauled into the Big Orange boat this week in Johnson and Higgins, and they're the kind of catalysts who can ensure more stars will follow.
All recruiting information obtained from 247Sports unless otherwise noted. All stats gathered from UTSports.com unless otherwise noted. Quotes obtained 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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