The procession of college coaches continued at Alcoa High School on Thursday.

Phillip Fulmer was the next in line.

The UT football coach visited with Alcoa coach John Reid as part of UT’s May evaluation tour. The Vols are recruiting star Tornado Brandon Warren.

"He said that I was one of the top five players that he was wanting to really get in over there," Warren said of Fulmer’s visit. "He thinks I can be a difference maker.

"He said a lot of teams are looking for big, fast, athletic tight ends. He said I’m probably the only one in the country that has a mix of all that."

Academic commitments limited Warren’s time with Fulmer. No matter. The 6-foot-3, 230 pound Warren is a frequent visitor to UT’s campus.

Warren’s talent and proximity to Knoxville make him a key prospect for UT.

"With me being right here in the backyard, you don’t want to lose prospects like that," Warren said.

Warren seems much more determined to play tight end than defensive end in college. Coaches seem to agree with his self-assessment. Miami and Florida State’s tight ends coaches visited Warren this week.

Warren’s ball skills may be the determining factor in the position debate. Warren was named a PrepXtra second team basketball player this past season. In football, Warren had 25 receptions for 476 yards and seven touchdowns during the 2004 regular season.

Warren said he was impressed by Fulmer’s academic sales pitch. Warren said he was told that UT’s academic support would continue even if he left UT before the completion of his college eligibility to pursue an NFL career. That is a common practice by UT’s athletic department.

There is little doubt what kind of tight end Warren will be in college. Pass receiving and route running could separate him from UT’s other tight ends.

"My coach said that he thinks that even if I was to go over there (UT) right now that I probably could play," he said.

Warren said he will be studying UT’s tight end depth chart over the next week but he does not expect to make any decision anytime soon.

Even in a busy week of visits from college football’s elite programs, Fulmer’s presence on Thursday made an impact.

"That means a lot," Warren said. "That lets me know that the head coach knows about me."