Tennessee Football: Summer Enrollees to Watch For

Tennessee's 2016 football recruiting class probably won't have the same immediate, necessary impact as the previous hauls corralled by coach Butch Jones, because the Volunteers don't have as many needs.

But that doesn't mean all the summer enrollees who've recently arrived in Knoxville will be standing on the sideline for a year as bystanders to a season many expect to be excellent. Several newcomers have an opportunity to play key roles.

Whether because of immense talent or some lingering shallow areas of depth that haven't quite been replenished, the Vols have some prospects who could secure vital roles on the team once the games begin.

Whereas a couple of seasons ago Jones needed some players to believe in his "brick-by-brick" philosophy of rebuilding the program, high schoolers are coming to Knoxville for different reasons now. 

They're expecting to be part of something spectacular.

"When I was making my decision on which school to pick, I looked at teams that could win a national championship," said Ja'Quain Blakely, who won back-to-back state titles at Colquitt County in Georgia's largest classification level and the 2015 national title, according to SEC Country's Mike Griffith. "Winning a national title back home in high school makes me hungry to see what it's like to win a national title at the college level."

Blakely is a speedy linebacker who could find himself in the mix on special teams this year, but he may not play a significant role on coordinator Bob Shoop's defense because of all the depth on the outside.

Let's take a look at five of his fellow summer enrollees who may find themselves getting important snaps.

Nigel Warrior

You'll find few SEC prospects with a better pedigree and frenzied fanfare surrounding them than Warrior, Tennessee's prized legacy commitment who is one of the most college-ready players in the entire '16 class.

The 6'0", 186-pound 4-star safety from Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, Georgia, was coveted by all of the nation's top programs. Auburn, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, Florida and others tried to woo him to their campuses. 

Ultimately, he chose to follow in his father Dale Carter's footsteps at Tennessee, where Carter was an All-American who was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs and became an NFL All-Pro. Warrior wants to make his own name on Shields-Watkins Field.

"I want to make my own path," he told Chattanooga Times Free Press reporter Patrick Brown. "I want to follow his footsteps, but I want to do it in a different way. I want to do it better."

He'll have to bust open a loaded depth chart to do that this year, which takes a special player. Warrior certainly has that ability. The hard-hitting defensive back is versatile enough to play on the back end, but he also is fast enough in coverage where he could move over to corner.

He'll get his first crack at safety, where the Vols boast potential star players like Todd Kelly Jr., Rashaan Gaulden, Evan Berry and Micah Abernathy—all of whom were once top-notch prospects.

Warrior has the highest ceiling of any of them, though. And while it may be asking a lot for a true freshman to overtake guys who have logged years in the program, you can't keep alpha dogs off the field. 

Warrior is an alpha. He'll command playing time before the season is over, and probably a lot of it.

Jonathan Kongbo

Credit: 247Sports

Another player with the ability to nestle a comfy depth-chart spot for himself in a crowded cluster of possible playmakers is Kongbo, the nation's top-ranked JUCO player who chose Tennessee over a host of competitors on the afternoon of national signing day.

The roller coaster that was Kongbo's recruitment played out in an ulcer-inducing manner for the Vols, who secured his commitment in the fall, watched as he decommitted and opened things up, seemed as if he'd stay out West, then flirted with Florida State, Ole Miss and Alabama.

During all that time, UT kept the heat applied, and Kongbo wound up choosing where he originally elected to go this time around.

Now with three years of eligibility remaining, the 6'5 ½", 265-pound defensive end has the kind of upside that makes college coaches drool. He has the speed and burst to play off the edge, but he is also strong and big enough to shift inside and play defensive tackle situationally.

Kongbo certainly isn't shy about his aspirations. He wants to come in and dominate, and he also likes to take calculated jabs at rivals such as Alabama and Florida.

"Jonathan Kongbo got a little lecture from Coach Jones on the way over here from the airport of being humble, and just come in and stay off of Twitter," Jones told the crowd at one of his Big Orange Caravan stops, according to GoVols247's Ryan Callahan.

Don't let the coachspeak fool you, though. The Vols love the swagger, and that's the kind of attitude that can come in and join Derek Barnett in the starting lineup. UT has potentially dynamic ends in Corey Vereen, Kyle Phillips, Darrell Taylor, Austin Smith and LaTroy Lewis, but don't count out Kongbo.

He has the potential to be as good as anybody on the team if he can hone his raw skills in a hurry.

Tyler Byrd

Was Byrd's immediate playing-time stock helped or hurt when he announced via Twitter that he'd begin his Tennessee career as a wide receiver?

That remains to be seen, but the path to the field is unquestionably clearer on offense. 

The obstacles ahead of him on the other side of the ball already have been detailed in the Warrior discussion, but at receiver, the Vols have been looking for playmakers for three years. Tennessee should feel solidly about Josh Malone, Josh Smith and Preston Williams at the position, but beyond that, it's open auditions.

A dynamic athlete from Naples, Florida, looked like an absolute star in the U.S. Army All-American Game every time he stepped on the field, no matter what side of the ball. While his upside may be higher as a defensive back, he has elite ability and change-of-direction on offense.

If his catching ability and route running get to where they need to be, it's not out of the question that the 4-star prospect who flipped from Miami in the 11th hour could work his way onto the field this year.

His work ethic was never questioned in high school, and 247Sports National Director of Scouting Barton Simmons raved about the leadership of Byrd (who was then committed to the Hurricanes) at the All-American Game:

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Not only did Miami cornerback commit Tyler Byrd have a great game on Saturday and a strong week of practice, he also seems to have the character piece in place. Byrd was well-spoken and when the team was involved in some charity work during the week, Byrd was picking up trash and showing some real leadership off the field.

"

The Vols didn't turn up the pressure on Byrd to join his close friend, Carlin Fils-aime, in UT's recruiting class to stand over on the sideline and watch. Even if he doesn't quite know what he's doing out there just yet, you can get him the ball in space and watch him shine.

Tennessee needs difference-makers under passing game coordinator Zach Azzanni on offense. There have been too many players such as Marquez North and Von Pearson who never lived up to their potential in Jones' tenure. This new crop of receivers could. 

This list is filled with pass-catchers because that's where the greatest immediate need lies, and Byrd just may be the most physically gifted prospect in UT's entire class.

Marquez Callaway

The most polished receiver in Tennessee's class was a target for the longest time for the Vols before finally choosing them over Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Notre Dame and others.

At 6'2", 185 pounds, the 4-star Warner Robins, Georgia, native has solid size and speed, but while he's not a tree or a blazer, he just does everything well. Callaway runs solid routes, has adequate hands and is a good enough athlete that several teams tried to recruit him as a defensive back.

His versatility also will make up for what rawness he possesses in his skill set.

Receiver is where Tennessee saw his future, and he'll step in and be able to compete for a spot in the rotation right away. He looks like a perfect fit for the slot receiver position with his wiggle and ability to change direction in space.

Callaway is the kind of player who can take a short pass, make a defender miss and get a lot of yards in a hurry. He has been impressive so far, according to GoVols247's Wes Rucker:

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Anyone who has watched or read Moneyball knows that someone looking like a great player doesn’t always mean they’re a great player, but the fact is Callaway in particular looks like one to watch going forward. He absolutely aces the eyeball test. He physically resembles an older player, and the hope is that he’ll play as good as he looks.

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If that happens, the Vols may wind up being pretty strong in the receiving corps, after all, even with a bunch of new faces.

Latrell Williams

Credit: 247Sports

The biggest wild card on this list is a player many Vols fans who follow recruiting religiously hadn't even heard of a month before national signing day.

Williams, then, was a little-known South Florida commitment from Lake City, Florida, who'd flown under the radar. But flying on the football field is what ultimately got him noticed.

Miami came calling first, and the 5'11", 171-pound speedster receiver from Columbia High School pledged to the Hurricanes in January, flipping from the Bulls. The Vols wound up calling with new assistant Larry Scott, though, and Williams changed his mind and signed with UT on national signing day.

In what was a class tight on numbers, UT felt like it couldn't pass up on speed like Williams'. There's nobody like him on Tennessee's entire roster.

So, even though 247Sports has him as the No. 714-ranked overall player in the class and a 3-star prospect who is mired among commitments from third-tier schools, Williams is a prospect everybody who follows the Orange and White should be excited about.

Williams is raw, but you just can't teach speed like he has, running somewhere in the 4.3s, according to his 247Sports profile. That's the kind of player you just throw quick hitches to and watch what happens next.

Given that UT quarterback Joshua Dobbs will make his living in the short passing game this year, Williams seems to fit right in. Also, if necessary, he has the wheels to stretch the field.

Callaway may be more polished and Byrd may be the better athlete, but Williams has something that few wearing the Power T have: He can change the game with just a few strides. That may be his ticket to 2016 playing time.

All quotes and information gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information gathered from 247Sports unless otherwise noted. All stats gathered at CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted.

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