Tennessee Football Recruiting: 5 Biggest Remaining Needs in Vols' 2017 Class
Tennessee already has 23 commitments in its 2017 recruiting class and we're only at the end of July, but that doesn't mean there will be a lack of movement in some of the names on that list before national signing day.
Like always, players will move on and find greener pastures for themselves. Likewise, if the Volunteers take care of business on the football field this year, they'll upgrade a few of those guys in a haul that includes 20 3-star players and is the nation's 11th-ranked class.
It isn't that UT's class is lacking; that's far from the truth. With the epic group of in-state prospects hailing from the Volunteer State in this cycle, the Vols' class just doesn't look the way many predicted. Wideout Tee Higgins is going to Clemson, safety JaCoby Stevens' final four doesn't include UT and other top Tennessee talent is leaving, too.
But there are still a few jewels left from inside state borders, and the Vols are in the thick of the race for guys like offensive tackle Trey Smith and running back Ty Chandler.
There are a bunch of players UT would still make room for if they wanted to jump on board, but there are also some positions that have become needs for the Vols.
For instance, even though the Vols bolstered their depth with the late addition of Oklahoma high school running back Jeremy Lewis, who'll be eligible to play this year, they still need an elite runner in this class, especially if Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara go pro following the 2016 season.
Other needs abound, too, especially considering Tennessee will lose a slew of impact players after this season, including Joshua Dobbs, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Cameron Sutton, Corey Vereen, Dylan Wiesman and perhaps a bunch of underclassmen.
Let's take a look at the five biggest remaining needs for the Vols in the '17 class.
Running Back
1 of 5
For reasons already mentioned, there's no bigger need for the Vols in this year's class than at running back. It's been that way since the cycle started, and it'll remain that way until UT can snag one of its two biggest remaining targets.
Yes, getting Lewis for the 2016 season helps, considering Hurd and Kamara could leave and sophomore Joe Young likely won't ever play again for the Vols due to an injury. That leaves just John Kelly, Carlin Fils-Aime and Lewis on the roster.
Tennessee added West Monroe, Louisiana, 3-star runner Trey Coleman to its class earlier this season, and he is physical enough as a runner to be an every-down back. However, the Vols still have their sights set on an elite duo. That would be Mississippi running back and former Alabama commit Cam Akers and in-state star Ty Chandler.
Though both players seem to have good relationships with Vols running backs coach Robert Gillespie, neither are sure-thing Vols. It's far from that, actually.
Akers is perhaps the most coveted uncommitted running back remaining in this class, and the trendy pick for the Clinton, Mississippi, runner is joining Ohio State's star-studded class in Columbus. Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss are huge factors in the rights for his signature, too.
UT is trying to play the angle with Akers that Gillespie is also a Mississippi native, and they're also selling him on stepping in right away and becoming the man with Hurd and Kamara expected to turn pro a year early.
"Just like my man Coach G #SIPBOYZ!!" Akers tweeted upon receiving his fifth star.
Chandler also has ties to Mississippi, even though he plays at Nashville's Montgomery Bell Academy. His dad played for Ole Miss, and the Rebels are in the mix for his services along with Georgia and others.
Tennessee is firmly on the minds of both players, and if the Vols don't get at least one of those guys, it's going to be difficult to feel thrilled about this class. So, yeah, that's a major need.
Offensive Tackle
2 of 5
The name of this slide should just be "Trey Smith."
Although he's rated as a 4-star recruit in the composite rankings, 247Sports rates Smith as a 5-star player and the fifth-rated overall prospect. The 6'5 ½", 299-pound road-grading offensive tackle is the best prospect at his position in the state since Michael "Blind Side" Oher, and he has the ability to be a franchise player around which to build a program.
Yes, the Jackson, Tennessee, native is that good.
The Vols have been trending in 247Sports' "crystal ball" projections for Smith this week after UT head coach Butch Jones hired his sister, Ashley, to work in the recruiting office. The UT graduate formerly worked for the NCAA.
SEC Country's Chris Kirschner, who covers Alabama recruiting for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's SEC site, noted that although Smith has some Crimson Tide connections, he also has some influences now pulling him in the direction of Rocky Top.
"Smith grew up a giant Alabama fan," Kirschner wrote. "He still remembers the first time he went to Bryant-Denny Stadium as a kindergartner, but with his sister now at Tennessee, that may be too much for Alabama to overcome."
The Vols certainly hope so. Smith is a stud, and he hails from an area where Jones has done an excellent job keeping talent at home throughout his tenure.
The tackle is such an important piece to UT's future, the Vols held a satellite camp at Smith's high school that was heavy on former Vols offensive linemen in attendance.
Like Oher and UT redshirt freshman Drew Richmond, Smith has the athleticism to quickly play tackle in the SEC. He's big, but he's also nimble and strong. That's why some of the nation's top programs such as Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio State, Clemson, Notre Dame and Ole Miss want him badly.
If he chooses the Vols, he'll be a centerpiece of the class.
Impact Defensive Lineman
3 of 5
Tennessee's start to the 2017 defensive line class has loosened up some concerns that existed following a '16 cycle where the Vols struck out on signing a high school defensive lineman and only signed JUCO transfers Jonathan Kongbo and Alexis Johnson.
The worries were exacerbated when Johnson was suspended indefinitely, and he's still not with the team.
But things eased this past week when UT added former heavily recruited Georgia defensive lineman Mykelle McDaniel, who once had offers from Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and others after he made the late grades to qualify for the '16 class.
Eric Crosby and Breyon Gaddy, 4-star pledges for this class, are nice pickups who could help right away, and Brandon Gaddy is a versatile player whose future could be on the defensive line as well. Kivon Bennett has the bloodlines, being the son of former Bama and Buffalo Bills standout Cornelius Bennett.
Toss in athletic ends Tre Lawson and Marquez Bembry, and it's already a strong defensive line class.
But that doesn't mean UT is finished. The Vols would love one more instant-impact talent. That's why they're going hard after prospects such as Georgia strong-side defensive end MJ Webb and Virginia Beach defensive lineman Jordan Williams.
Others such as Fred Hansard are on the list, too, and there are plenty of other names who could find their way on the commitment list.
With Derek Barnett and Vereen likely turning pro after this season and with Danny O'Brien out of eligibility, it's time for Tennessee to restock the shelves. This is an ideal start to doing just that, but the Vols would love another marquee name on that pledge list.
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Electric Defensive Back
4 of 5
The defensive backfield is another position that may not look exceptionally good in the star rankings but is off to a strong start in the '17 class.
Just because the Vols weren't already loaded with young, stellar talent on the back end, that doesn't mean UT should rest and wait a couple of classes before adding depth.
After all, Cameron Sutton and Malik Foreman will be gone after this year, and players such as Justin Martin and Todd Kelly Jr. could play themselves into early exits.
That's why the Vols need to go after some young talent to put on the back level along with Nigel Warrior, Micah Abernathy, Marquill Osborne and others. They've got four high-ceilinged guys pledged already for the 2017 haul.
That would include the class's biggest star so far, LaVergne, Tennessee, safety Maleik Gray. Florida athlete CJ Cotman chose the Vols over a huge offer sheet, and Cheyenne Labruzza came from Louisiana, spurning LSU and Florida along the way, so never mind that he's a 3-star.
Toss in Tennessee safety Theo Jackson, who coaches love and who has some raw skills and elite athleticism, and that's four good players already committed.
With Stevens apparently off the board, that leaves Georgia 4-star defensive back Deangelo Gibbs and Pennsylvania cornerback Lamont Wade as the two biggest potential targets on UT's board.
Both are going to be extraordinarily tough pulls. While the Vols are in the top two for both players, they may be distant seconds for their services. UT was thought to be in the catbird's seat for Gibbs for a long time, but the homestate Bulldogs have been surging recently.
Warrior is Gibbs' cousin, and his uncle is UT great Dale Carter, so it would be unwise to count out the Vols. However, UGA has family ties to Gibbs as well, and head coach Kirby Smart is doing a great job recruiting him.
The ace up UT's sleeve for Wade is new defensive coordinator Bob Shoop, who recruited the Clairton, Pennsylvania, star while he was at Penn State. The Nittany Lions have never stopped going after Wade, and head coach James Franklin has them in the mix as well, along with Ohio State and others.
If Tennessee could get Wade or Gibbs, that would be a massive end to a stellar defensive backs class.
Wide Receiver
5 of 5
The sting of losing Tee Higgins won't go away for a long time. After trolling the fanbase by calling UT his leader and then pledging to Clemson with an epic Bleacher Report fireworks video on July 4, it just rubbed salt into an already painful wound that came from a star player so close to Knoxville heading elsewhere.
He's the best player from East Tennessee in nearly a decade, and it's a major loss if he sticks with his commitment to the Tigers.
But life moves on, and that doesn't stop the Vols from needing an impact wide receiver in this year's class.
UT already has commitments from Mississippi receiver Jordan Murphy, Tennessee athletic specimen Princeton Fant and Florida speedster Jacquez Jones.
Higgins was supposed to be the biggest piece of the puzzle, the centerpiece around which to build the passing game for the future along with quarterback Jarrett Guarantano. Instead, he fell in with Clemson quarterback commit Hunter Johnson, former UT signal-caller Tee Martin's son Amari Rodgers and was peer recruited to Death Valley.
So, where does UT go from here? The Vols won't stop trying with Higgins, though that seems to be an uphill battle at best.
But when it comes to more realistic options, there is a duo of smooth pass-catchers who could be real targets.
Let's start with Cleveland, Ohio, target Jaylen Harris, who has visited Knoxville four times, according to GoVols247's Ryan Callahan. The 6'5", 210-pound receiver would fill the void of Higgins nicely. They're both tall and athletic, and while many thought Harris was destined for Ohio State, the Buckeyes are rapidly filling up at receiver:
"Harris, a Top247 prospect, visited Tennessee last week for the fourth time, this time giving his parents their first look at the Vols. It was just the latest indication that they quietly have emerged as one of the favorites to land him. Michigan State, Ohio State and Alabama appear to be Tennessee's primary competition. And with Ohio State currently focusing on other receivers, some believe there’s a good chance Harris could leave the state. If so, the Vols appear to have as good of a chance as any of the teams he's considering. He already plans to return to Tennessee this fall on an official visit.
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The other major target out there is Jeremiah Holloman, who most think is heading to join Smart's star-studded class in Athens. One positive for UT is it has Holloman's Newton High School teammate and buddy Jaquan Henderson already committed, and Henderson has been in his buddy's ear.
The longer this recruitment goes, the better chance Tennessee has to pluck Holloman. But if he does something soon, it's probably going to be for the Dawgs.
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.
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