Quarterbacks come and quarterbacks go.

A year ago, Tennessee had four quarterbacks vying for UT's starting job and a highly touted high school prospect ready to sign with the Vols.

In 2005, UT has a senior quarterback (Rick Clausen), a sophomore with confidence problems (Erik Ainge) and a freshman (Jonathan Crompton)who will be forced to miss a season's worth of practice because of shoulder surgery.

So how appealing is Tennessee to a big-name high school senior?

Two possibilities exist with Isiah Williams and Jarred Fayson.

The Vols aren't looking for the next pocket-passing gunslinger. They've got that in Crompton and Ainge. However, UT would love a mobile quarterback who could scare defenses the way Brent Schaeffer did last season.

Williams and Fayson both would fit the bill.

Williams is a 6-foot-2, 205-pounder from Chicago Vocational. He committed to Illinois last May.

Fayson is a 6-0, 180-pounder from Hillsborough High School in Tampa, Fla. Fayson, however, seems intent to stay in Florida.

What about Jimmy Clausen, the younger brother of Rick and former UT quarterback Casey Clausen? The 6-3, 200-pound quarterback from Oaks Christian High in Westlake Village, Calif., is not only a top prospect in the 2007 class but he also has a father who isn't afraid to make his feelings known in the media.

Would future prospects be concerned that the Clausen name could be too much to overcome for playing time in Knoxville?

The other question that could be rumbling through the minds of future recruits is, "How dedicated is UT's coaching staff to Ainge?"

Ravaged Recruiting: UT and other schools are facing a tough challenge as they try to reestablish their recruiting ties in the Gulf Coast hit by two hurricanes in the last month.

UT assistant Steve Caldwell knows that as well as any. He recruits southern part of Mississippi.

"It's been really tough communicating with any of them," Caldwell said of prospects that have been affected by Katrina and Rita "It's tough to get through to them still. The (cell phone) towers are still down.

"You're fortunate to ever catch them. It's put a big challenge on it."

Caldwell said text mail has aided UT in contacting prospects from the area.

"A lot of times you can't leave a voice mail because it says all the circuits are busy," he said. "But for some reason, the text goes through and I've had them call a day later when they got my texts."

Caldwell said he will not visit the area to evaluate prospects until late in the year because so many football games have been canceled.

Visiting with and evaluating prospects isn't the only challenge that the Vols face in securing future classes.

"You don't even know if the transcripts exist anymore," said Scott Altizer, coordinator of football operations. "We talked to one kid and all he took with him was the shoes he had."

Altizer said he expects the NCAA to make some sort of concession for prospects who have no school records because of floods or destruction.

Since Katrina first hit the area, UT has still not been able to contact two prospects: running back Terry Grant from Lumberton (Miss.) High and Anthony Dixon from Terry (Miss.) High.

Many transcripts, highlight videos and methods of communication were suddenly gone when Katrina made landfall earlier this month.

UT coach Phillip Fulmer said he has never seen anything impede recruiting like Katrina in his 33 years of coaching.

Fulmer said he doesn't believe any schools are at a disadvantage and that relocation might even be a draw for prospects to Knoxville.

"Some folks have called us that don't want to live in those areas because of what they've seen and been through," Fulmer said. "I feel sorry for all those people."

All the Vols can do now is wait.

"The thing you hope is that the ones that are interested that you're interested in will get in touch with you," Caldwell said.

No Visitors: UT will not host any official visitors this weekend but several prospects will visit unofficially. UT's first big visit weekend is planned for next weekend against Georgia.