Crompton, family called on ESPN's Mortensen for advice

The Tuscola High School quarterback and his family sought counsel from several sources, including Chris Mortensen, who covers the NFL for ESPN.

"He was great," Crompton's dad, David, said of Mortensen. "Anytime I needed him, he was just a phone call away."

Mortensen and the Cromptons met at North Carolina State's football camp in 2003. Mortensen's son, Alex, was participating in the camp alongside Jonathan. Alex picked Arkansas in September 2003. He'll be a freshman quarterback this fall.

"Early on, it was obvious that Jon had his heart set on Tennessee," Mortensen said. "I counseled them to proceed with care. My basic theme was slow down. At least wait until the end of June so the process can play itself out.

"I felt there was such an excitement there. A year earlier, they had no idea what kind of prospect Jonathan was. I think they waited until the appropriate time to pull the trigger."

Mortensen said he was there on multiple occasions, giving advice when needed.

"One thing I definitely told them is that parents need to be involved. Ultimately it's the kid's decision. But it's up to the parents to stop a kid from making a bad decision.

"Phil Simms told me, 'You know your kid better than he knows himself. A seventeen-year-old will never admit that, but it's true.' "

Mortensen said he plans to write a book to help guide parents through the recruiting process.

"It won't be about the money," Mortensen said. "It's more about helping people. When you run into a family like the Cromptons, they don't have the resources that I do because of my job."

As for scouting Jonathan, Mortensen said: "He's a neat young kid. He has a great attitude and a positive energy that teammates can feed off of. He throws a good ball and has a really good arm. He also has size. Size is so important today. Jon's big. He needs to be careful not to get too big."

Recruiting Rankings: Tennessee coaches may not amass quite the amount of recruiting frequent-flyer miles this season that they have in previous years. In-state football talent has rarely been better.

TheInsiders.com National Hot 100 list was released earlier this week and the Volunteer state was well represented.

Coming in ninth was Patrick Turner, the highest-rated player in the state. The Goodpasture High School wide receiver has drawn interest from several schools including Miami, LSU, Oklahoma, and, of course, Tennessee. Turner is 6-foot-5, weighs 210 pounds and has good speed. He has declined several summer football-camp invitations as to not jeopardize his prospect status.

Tennessee commitment LaMarcus Coker is ranked 14th. Coker committed to Tennessee in December. The Antioch High School star is 5-11 and 185 pounds. He said he will take some official visits this fall but is strongly committed to the Vols.

Michael Oher of Memphis Briarcrest is rated 26th. Oher is widely considered one of the top five offensive line prospects in the state.

"Some coaches feel Oher is the best offensive lineman prospect in the nation," TheInsiders.com reports. "He's raw but has great physical tools."

Two other Tennessee players are listed in TheInsiders.com 2005 South Hot 100.

Linebacker Todd Cox from the Harding Academy in Memphis is 12th. Cox fits the Vols' preferred-linebacker build: he's quick for 6-1 and 190 pounds.

Jeff Cottam, of Germantown, is 51st. He is the brother of Tennessee tight end Brad Cottam. Jeff plays tight end and defensive end for Germantown but his size (6-7, 255) could make him a collegiate offensive lineman.

Area Roundup: Powell offensive lineman Zane Bruhin is receiving serious interest from some big-name programs. The 6-5, 315-pound rising senior has lost 15 pounds this offseason. Powell coaches say the trimmed-down Bruhin has improved his quickness and footwork significantly.

Bruhin said he has fielded scholarship offers from Marshall, Vanderbilt, and South Carolina. He said LSU has shown serious interest with Tennessee close behind.

"I like Tennessee a lot," Bruhin said. "It's close to home. Right now, I want to keep my options open and see who all offers me."

Bruhin has the lineage. Zane's father, John, was an offensive lineman for the Vols 1983-1987. John went on to a successful NFL career including stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Jets, and Philadelphia Eagles.

Austin-East coach Stanton Stevens has two rising seniors who are drawing strong interest: tailback Albert Harris and linebacker Anthony McAlister.

The speedy Harris surprised some with a slower-than-expected 40-yard dash time at Tennessee's football camp last month. At 5-9 and 190 pounds, most programs want Harris to run faster than a 4.5. Harris has failed to reach that mark in two separate camps.

"He doesn't time well." Stevens said. "If somebody's chasing him, they're not going to catch him. If he's even with someone, it's over. But, as far as his play, 31 touchdowns is 31 touchdowns (which he had his junior year)."

Stevens said Harris has received interest from Alabama, Michigan, Tennessee, Tennessee Tech, and Middle Tennessee State.

McAlister has received interest from Furman, Marshall, and MTSU.