Tennessee National Signing Day 2016: 5 Takeaways from Vols' Class

Two lockdown defensive backs locked up another strong finish for Tennessee's football recruiting efforts, and by the time the nation's top-ranked JUCO player pledged to the Volunteers on Wednesday afternoon, a class that plodded along at times was roaring to the finish line.

Toss in the flip of speedy 3-star receiver Latrell Williams, and the Vols have to be thrilled with how national signing day shook out, even if they didn't wind up getting every one of their top targets.

"It's a great illustration of where our football program is," UT coach Butch Jones told GoVols247's Ryan Callahan. "We say it: We're building the best football program in all of college football, both on the field and off the field. And to be able to finish like we did today, it's very, very gratifying."

Jones' class of 21 signees gives UT a ranking that currently sits at 14th nationally, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

That's not as strong as the back-to-back top-10 classes Jones signed in the past two years. But given the circumstances, it's a haul that looks almost as strong on a player-by-player basis.

Working against the Vols this year was having to sign a lower number of prospects after luring two huge classes in 2015 and '14. Also, there weren't as many in-state stars or legacies to hang their big, orange hats on this year, either.

Nobody in orange is dwelling on the negatives after Wednesday. The Vols celebrated the culmination of the 2016 recruiting cycle beginning on Tuesday night, when 4-star defensive back Tyler Byrd flipped from Miami.

Those good vibes continued Wednesday morning early when Nigel Warrior decided to follow in father Dale Carter's footsteps and sign with UT over Auburn, Alabama, Georgia and LSU. 

Williams followed suit with Byrd, flipping from the Hurricanes shortly after Warrior's announcement, and Jones one-upped Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze for the second straight year on NSD, winning the Jonathan Kongbo sweepstakes. 

The top-ranked junior college prospect signed with the Vols over a late surge by the Rebels a year after Jones got offensive tackle Drew Richmond to flip from Ole Miss on the final day of the '15 cycle.

Four major recruiting victories offset the battles UT didn't win, and the Vols wound up with yet another stellar class. Let's draw some conclusions from this year's group of new Tennessee players.

Warrior and Byrd Make This DB Haul Potentially Special

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Nigel Warrior

Tennessee already had an elite freshman defensive back turning heads on campus already in mid-term enrollee Marquill Osborne.

Now, he's got plenty of company.

With the addition of Warrior and Byrd in the hours leading up to and on national signing day, this year's group of talented defenders has the potential to be the best secondary class UT has ever signed.

Add JUCO cornerback Desmond Henderson and another cornerback with NFL bloodlines—Baylen Buchanan, son of "Big Play" Ray Buchanan—and the Vols could have the firepower to get to the same level as LSU and Florida, two SEC programs that fashion themselves "DB University."

Once Warrior put pen to paper and faxed in his letter of intent, Jones told UTSports.com's live video feed that Warrior was the "swag of the class." 

The crazy thing is Byrd may wind up being even better. His Hudl highlight film is sickening, and he looked like an explosive athlete on the field in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, blocking an extra point and returning it for a score to go along with his interception.

Byrd and Warrior are two of the most dynamic players in the entire class, and either one of them can play multiple positions in the secondary. In Byrd's case, he could even play offense if he is needed there.

While UT director of player personnel Bob Welton indicated to GoVols247's Callahan that Warrior's immediate future is at safety when he said, "He's a fit at a need position, so he's a home run," the legacy from Peachtree Ridge High School also has the versatility to play corner or nickel, too.

That would likely mean Byrd will play corner, and Osborne has the ideal skill set to start his career at nickel. When you throw them in with players already on the roster such as Cameron Sutton, Todd Kelly Jr., Rashaan Gaulden, Malik Foreman, Justin Martin and Evan Berry, the ceiling is high for Tennessee's secondary.

Defensive backs coach Willie Martinez and new defensive coordinator Bob Shoop will have a variety of ridiculous athletes to insert wherever they're needed.

It may be heaping too many expectations on them to compare the group to another one from the past, but the ability hearkens back to the days of Deon Grant, Fred White, Dwayne Goodrich and all that talent the Vols had on the back level in the late 1990s.

There's a long way to go before this year's group can be remembered like that one, but this class of defensive backs pass the first-glance test with flying colors.

Not as Many Immediate Contributors as the Past Two Classes

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Ryan Johnson

Tennessee won't have nearly as many first-day rotation prospects in this year's recruiting cycle, and that's more of a testament to the health of the program than it is an indictment of the class.

The Vols didn't necessarily need to sign a class full of starters this year because the past two classes were so large and full of players who represent much of Jones' two-deep. So it's not a major deal that UT took a few more developmental players this year.

Considering the attrition the Vols suffered last year, that may not be a bad thing. Many of this year's prospects need at least a year to work out and get their bodies right for SEC play, and that won't be so shocking to them.

Last year, the Vols signed 15 players who were immediate contributors. In 2014, that number was an astounding 19 due to how depleted former coach Derek Dooley left the program.

In this year's class, that number will dwindle significantly. All four JUCO signees—Kongbo, Henderson, Alexis Johnson and Jeff George—will have the opportunity to play right away. Defensive backs Osborne, Byrd and Warrior (but not all of them) have that potential as well.

Receivers Marquez Callaway and Corey Henderson as well as tight end Austin Pope could carve roles, too. But after that, the rest of the prospects could benefit from an off year.

The long-term potential of the class is intriguing, however. Jarrett Guarantano looks like the quarterback of the future. Running back Carlin Fils-aime is an electrifying runner who could step into Alvin Kamara's role once he leaves. Daniel Bituli could have a nice future on the first or second level of the defense.

Also, the trio of high school offensive tackles (Ryan Johnson, Marcus Tatum and Nathan Niehaus) likely won't be relied upon right away, but all three have high upsides and bright futures. 

The Vols have some nice players to fill out a talented roster long after the 2016 veteran-laden team leaves. This is the kind of class that helps coaches sustain programs.

The Vols Signed Their Quarterback of the Future

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Though his snazzy Times Square-themed video commitment to Tennessee via Bleacher Report was unforgettable, it seemed to slip a lot of folks' minds that Guarantano is still the centerpiece of this Volunteers recruiting class.

He could be the focal point of the future, too.

The nation's top-ranked dual-threat quarterback chose the Vols over his father's alma mater, Rutgers, as well as Ohio State, Florida and a slew of other top-notch teams. He's stayed firm throughout the process, and he signed with the Vols today.

With Joshua Dobbs out of eligibility after the 2016 season, Guarantano looks to be the ideal candidate to take over and ensure the read-option offense doesn't miss a beat. The 6'4", 201-pound signal-caller likely needs at least one season to develop, but he has all the tools to be special.

Guarantano is big, fast, possesses a strong arm and has that innate swagger about him that makes quarterbacks team leaders. When he plays against top-notch competition (such as when his Bergen Catholic team took on Shea Patterson's IMG Academy), he elevates his game.

That's perhaps the biggest positive of Tennessee's entire class. The Vols need a leader at quarterback, and it looks like they've got one in Guarantano.

UT has plenty of options with rising sophomore backup Quinten Dormady and redshirt freshman Sheriron Jones. Both of those guys are capable of leading UT when Dobbs is out of eligibility, too.

But Jones wants to sign a quarterback in every class, and he got a jewel in Guarantano. When you get a player everybody wanted to commit, there's reason for excitement. When it's a quarterback, that's even a bigger cause to celebrate.

The New Jersey prospect is far from a finished product. He has to get better reading through his progressions and ultimately making decisions. He also hasn't proven that he can stay healthy throughout an entire season.

Those are question marks, but any high school quarterback is going to have them. The best part of Guarantano is that you have to squint to see his ceiling. If the Vols can develop him the right way, he could be the guy to take Tennessee back to the top.

They Fell a Little Short on the Defensive Line

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Alexis Johnson

You never want to have a year when you fail to sign a high school defensive tackle, but that's exactly what Tennessee faces after swinging and missing with Derrick Brown on the final recruiting weekend. 

The Vols once had a pledge from D'Andre Christmas-Giles earlier in the cycle, but he decommitted and signed with Texas, leaving UT in a lurch. The Vols couldn't ever make up enough ground with anymore defensive tackles, so they'll have some work to do in the 2017 class at the position.

All is not lost, however; far from it. The immediate impact won't be felt in the least thanks to two huge commitments the Vols did get.

Tennessee hit on two huge JUCO targets in Alexis Johnson and Kongbo, the nation's second-ranked defensive tackle and top defensive end (and overall JUCO prospect), respectively. Both of those guys have three years to play.

Following a year in which the Vols signed six defensive linemen (seven if Austin Smith's long-term future is at end), it isn't like the Vols are going to face huge depth concerns. But it also wouldn't be a surprise to see UT go after six linemen in next year's class and go tackle-heavy.

Johnson and Kongbo immediately slide into the rotation, and the Vols probably need to take a long, hard look at moving one of their ends inside. Maybe that will be Dimarya Mixon, or perhaps it could even be Kongbo, though he looks like a long-term end.

Regardless, if you want to find a weak spot in Tennessee's class, it would probably be on the defensive front, where there were more misses than the Vols have experienced the past couple of years.

Even with the numbers being a crunch late, UT coaches didn't think the failure to sign just one more defensive lineman like they'd originally wanted was worth reaching. Jordan Woods wound up going with Georgia Tech, and JaQuan Bailey will attend Iowa State. 

Tennessee maybe could have wound up with one of them had they pushed. But, instead, they filled those spots with other players. In '17, look for the Vols to go after several linemen to make up for the gaps.

New Receiving Talent Can Change the Position for the Program

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Marquez Callaway

Tennessee's wide receiving corps has underachieved throughout much of the past three seasons, but a new wave of pass-catchers Jones is bringing in may represent a change in philosophy.

For several years, dating back to even before Jones became head coach, the Vols were known for their tall, big-bodied receivers. But with Marquez North forgoing his last season for the NFL draft and Jason Croom potentially moving to tight end, UT could be gravitating away from that mentality.

This year's recruiting class certainly would indicate as much.

Last year, the Vols were short on game-breaking speedsters at the position. Outside of running back Kamara, there just weren't many offensive players on UT's roster who could take a short pass and turn it into a huge gain.

So, Tennessee addressed the need.

Callaway, Henderson, Brandon Johnson and especially Williams have the speed and shiftiness to get away from defenders and head toward paydirt. None of them is overly tall, but they will add a missing element to Tennessee's offense.

Considering how the Vols look offensively with Dobbs under center, they aren't going to scare anybody with the downfield passing game. That's why recruiting to this area is so important. If any of these guys can run polished routes, they'll get in space and make plays from there.

Redshirt freshman Vincent Perry can provide the same kind of wiggle, too. So, UT may be putting out a new-look group of receivers in 2016.

Williams especially has elite speed, reportedly running the 40-yard dash in 4.27 seconds, per WNML radio host Jimmy Hyams. Whether that's accurate or not is unclear right now, but one thing is for certain: The Vols could have signed any number of players late in the recruiting game but loved Williams enough to give him a spot.

The Lake City, Florida, star was anything but a fallback plan. He was a player the Vols targeted that they wound up plucking from the Hurricanes.

"If true," Hyams said, "that makes him one of the SEC's fastest players now."

The Vols still have some big targets such as Preston Williams and George, but now, they've got some zone-beaters who can turn the short passing game into a weapon.

UT desperately needed a change in the passing game. Dobbs is never going to be a dynamic, consistent passer, and with passing game coordinator Zach Azzanni sticking around, the receivers needed an overhaul.

The Vols got a whole lot younger at the position, but they also got much more versatile with this haul of targets.

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.