Tennessee Football Recruiting: 5 Players Who Could Make or Break Vols' Class

As the race to fill the final eight or so spots remaining in Tennessee's 2017 recruiting class heats up, there are a lot of huge names on head coach Butch Jones' big board.

That's excellent news for the Volunteers as their current class of 17 isn't too high on star power despite being ranked 10th by the 247Sports composite team rankings. There are just two 4-star prospects already in the fold for Jones and Co., as many players are taking a wait-and-see approach to whether UT can win big.

The Vols are expected to compete for championships in 2016, and if they do, their recruiting class could wind up being extremely impressive. 

When you toss in all the star power Tennessee is firmly in the mix for, it's easy to see why there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the ceiling of this class. A lot can change between now and June, and the fact is, a lot of movement will happen on both sides.

Players will decommit and look elsewhere, as 4-star receiver KD Nixon elected to do Sunday night, backing off his commitment from the Vols, per 247Sports' Ryan Bartow. Also, some of the players currently in Tennessee's class will be recruited over if better players elect to jump on board.

It's the nature of the game of recruiting.

But, regardless of how many spots are available, there are a handful of guys who'll have a spot no matter what. Tennessee is recruiting a slew of those players, and some such as in-state defensive back JaCoby Stevens may wind up being a long shot.

Taking into consideration where the Vols currently stand with some prospects, proximity to campus and just how prominent UT is in its recruitments, let's take a look at five players who could make or break the class.

Ty Chandler, Nashville Running Back

Credit: 247Sports

There may not be a big parenthetical addition to this slide's headline, but you could just as easily substitute "Ty Chandler" for "Cam Akers," and it would mean the same thing for the Vols' class.

With Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara expected to turn their attention toward the NFL following the '16 season, the Vols need a difference-maker or two at running back. John Kelly looks like a nice puzzle piece in the backfield, but he needs some help.

Calin Fils-aime should provide a nice change of pace for UT in the future, but the Vols need more than two solid runners. Their attention is firmly focused on Chandler and Akers.

But with all the recent 247Sports "crystal ball" picks projecting Akers to Ohio State, that may wind up being a bigger uphill battle for the Vols than most originally thought.

That would sting, but Chandler is a dynamic back in his own right. He may even be a better fit for Tennessee's system, especially considering UT looks to have its bruiser back in the class with Trey Coleman committed.

Chandler is no guarantee to wear orange, either. The crystal ball currently projects him to Knoxville, but the 5'11 ½", 194-pound Montgomery Bell Academy product is an Ole Miss legacy. He's also being heavily recruited by Georgia, and several other schools are in the mix.

Still, the Vols have done a pretty good job in his recruitment recently, and it would be a major coup if Chandler wound up on Rocky Top. It would also be huge to keep the kind of talent he possesses at home. He recently told GoVols247's Ryan Callahan his feelings about the Vols:

"

I do think they're pretty high on that list. It's a school I’ve visited multiple times and a school I've gotten a feel for, so I feel like they do have the potential to be at the top of that list. I do feel pretty comfortable there. Just going back and forth from Nashville to Knoxville, it's always a great trip. I always learn something new. I enjoy it. I enjoy being there.

"

If Chandler signs with the Vols, it would be a near-certainty he'd get immediate carries if the two juniors leave early. That's why he's such a vital part of the class.

Tee Higgins, Oak Ridge (Tenn.) Wide Receiver

Credit: 247Sports

There are plenty of reasons why there's been so much consternation from Vols fans over where receiver Tee Higgins will wind up playing his college football.

First of all, in an area not known for producing tons of top-tier collegiate football talent, he's arguably the best player to ever come out of East Tennessee. At 6'4 ½", 188 pounds, he has all the physical tools to be special at receiver. He also wants to play basketball at the next level, so he's an elite athlete.

He also was a onetime Vols commitment whose home is just a short jaunt from Neyland Stadium.

If Tennessee winds up losing him to Clemson, that's going to be a huge hit to the class.

The good news for UT is Higgins recently named the Vols his leader following visits to both schools, according to Callahan. With a commitment expected sometime this summer, that seems to bode well for the Vols unless he's throwing everybody for a major loop.

Of course, stranger things have happened in recruiting, and you never count players as a part of the class until they sign, which is why no matter where Higgins pledges (if he does) in the coming months, it'll still be a battle until national signing day.

The Vols need to prove they can advance the ball downfield through the air to keep landing elite receivers, and quarterback Joshua Dobbs has several weapons at his disposal to do just that with Preston Williams, Josh Malone and others seemingly poised to break out in 2016.

If Higgins sees that, it's going to be hard to pull him away from East Tennessee.

Considering he's a 5-star product right in UT's backyard, that would be one of the biggest pieces to Tennessee's future puzzle if the Vols can lure him to Rocky Top. They've just got to keep away that other team in orange and everybody else who realizes what kind of star he can be, too.

Trey Smith, Jackson (Tenn.) Offensive Tackle

Credit: 247Sports

Speaking of battles, few will be waged that will be tougher for the Vols to win than the one to earn the services of elite offensive tackle Trey Smith.

The University School of Jackson product seemingly is genuinely interested in Tennessee, Alabama, Clemson, Ole Miss, Ohio State and Notre Dame. Others such as Auburn and Georgia are in the mix, too. 

That's the kind of names you've got to stave off if you're Jones and you want to start competing for championships in the SEC. Smith is the kind of player who can help the Vols sustain success if they can achieve it this year.

Smith is huge at 6'5 ½", 299 pounds—already the size you need to be to play offensive tackle in a zone-blocking scheme. And he's more than athletic enough to step right in and compete. Simply put, he's the kind of player you recruit and expect to be on the field from day one.

That's why the Vols (and everybody else in the region) want him to play for them.

Smith is the nation's 48th-rated player according to the 247Sports composite, but 247Sports believes he's the third-best player overall in the class. They've got him as a 5-star prospect even though he's a composite 4-star.

Regardless, he's a special player. And he comes from an area where the Vols have done extremely well recruiting in recent history.

The big, athletic lineman is such a key player in UT's class, the Vols actually held a recent satellite camp in Jackson, which isn't an area that normally has a huge amount of collegiate talent. Obviously, one of the main focuses of that event was Smith, and it made a lasting impression on him.

How much does Smith mean to UT? The Vols' lineman camp held there featured former Tennessee star players Chad Clifton, Trey Teague, Al Wilson, Ja'Wuan James, Scott Wells, Kevin Mays and Antone Davis.

"(The camp) just shows they want me a lot," Smith told GoVols247's Callahan. "Plain and simple, it really does help them. It just shows they’re serious about the recruitment right now. They’re real serious."

But did it make the kind of impression that will yield a commitment? That remains to be seen.

Deangelo Gibbs, Grayson (Ga.) Cornerback

Credit: 247Sports

The Vols have a big plus in their corner in Deangelo Gibbs' recruitment with Nigel Warrior already on campus and poised to be a future star in Knoxville.

Warrior is Gibbs' first cousin, and former Tennessee legendary defensive back Dale Carter is his uncle, so the bloodlines run deep. The Vols are firmly in the race to earn Gibbs' signature.

But don't count out the Georgia Bulldogs.

New head coach Kirby Smart hasn't yet proved he can coach football, but he certainly gets recruiting, and he learned under the best at Alabama in Nick Saban. Already in his first few months as the new head coach in Athens, Smart is proving he can recruit on his own. The way he's started in-state has recruiting analysts like 247Sports' Barton Simmons intrigued.

"Richt apologists like myself would claim that Georgia isn't a state you can dominate," Simmons wrote. "It's too big, I would say. Too many schools have made the state too big of a priority. Kirby Smart is making us all rethink those excuses."

He and new defensive coordinator Mel Tucker are doing a good job recruiting Gibbs, and the recent news that Gibbs' other cousin, J.R. Reed, is transferring to the Bulldogs from Tulsa is yet another intriguing twist to this storyline. 

If Georgia could pull Gibbs from what looked to be a clear Tennessee lean, that would send a major statement.

Perhaps Reed's transfer makes the Bulldogs a bigger threat to Tennessee in Gibbs' recruitment. Given the recent trend of 247Sports analysts' crystal ball projections for Gibbs to stay home in Georgia, they certainly think so.

Of course, last year, many thought Warrior was going to play for Alabama, Georgia or Auburn (as well as others) through his recruitment, and he wound up playing for the Vols. But Gibbs is a different player, and he'll undoubtedly forge his own path through his recruitment.

Still, you know Warrior is in his ear.

The Vols are firmly in the mix here, and it would be unwise to count them out. The past few years, Jones has done an excellent job of closing the deal of some of UT's top targets, and Gibbs is among them. He's the kind of player who could step right in Cameron Sutton's footsteps next year and start.

Breyon Gaddy, Virginia Beach (Va.) Defensive Tackle

Credit: 247Sports

You could insert names such as Madison (Ga.) strong-side defensive end MJ Webb or Virginia Beach weak-side defensive end Jordan Williams into this spot and not get much of an argument. Both have big, versatile bodies that could project on the interior at the college level.

But the Vols need a hulking defensive tackle in this class—a space-eating monster who can stuff the run and has enough athleticism to wreak havoc in the backfield for the days when Shy Tuttle and Kahlil McKenzie leave.

That's why another Virginia Beach native, Breyon Gaddy, is going in this spot.

The 6'4", 353-pound Bishop Sullivan Catholic School lineman isn't as highly ranked as the other two guys mentioned, but he would be a perfect complement to Vols commitment Eric Crosby, who is also from the same area. Whereas Crosby is the smaller, athletic pass-rusher, Gaddy could fill the space on the inside.

Tennessee would love nothing more than to get Williams, too. And another bonus with getting Gaddy to sign—he's told GoVols247's Callahan recently the Vols led for his services, followed closely by new recruiting nemesis Clemson—is he also has a brother whom UT has offered.

Brandon Gaddy is a 3-star defensive tackle who doesn't have as high of an upside, but at 6'5", 285 pounds, there's plenty of meat on the bone with which to work. He also has offers from schools such as Georgia and Florida State. But the big prize is the bigger brother.

"When I went to Tennessee, it felt like home," Breyon said to Callahan. "It was really fun. I had a great time. I met some of the players."

That bond being forged early is huge for the Vols, who need defensive linemen in a bad way after striking out in the high school ranks a season ago and signing only JUCO prospects Jonathan Kongbo and Alexis Johnson (Johnson is currently suspended).

With Danny O'Brien leaving after this year and UT already thin in the middle with just McKenzie, Tuttle, Kendal Vickers, Johnson and Quay Picou as true defensive tackles, there is playing time to be won. With Gaddy's massive frame and ability to stuff the run, he's a vital part of this class.

All 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.