When recruiting in Alcoa, an early lead often results in a successful finish.

"You have to give a lot of credence to those that offer first," Alcoa High School defensive coordinator Brian Nix said, recalling some of the advice that previous coaches have passed along.

The loyalty paid off for two suitors last year. Tailback/linebacker Dustin Lindsey signed with Tennessee and defensive end Brandon Warren signed with Florida State. Both schools were among the very first to offer scholarships to the two star players.

So far, this year looks no different. UT and LSU are the front-runners for defensive end Rae Sykes, according to Nix. And Louisville and West Virginia top the list for wide receiver/safety Kyrus Lanxter. All four schools offered scholarships earlier than the competition.

Florida State is leading among schools trying to play catch-up in the Sykes derby. The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder is considered by many to be one of the top defensive linemen in the nation.

As for Lanxter, UT, Notre Dame and Stanford are still evaluating the 6-3, 190-pounder but have shown strong interest. Stanford has made the latest push.

"He never comes out of a ball game," Nix said of Lanxter. "He never asks out and he never loafs."

Alcoa could have another prospect leap onto the Division I college scene. Tailback Chris Shiverdecker played behind Lindsey last season after transferring from Jefferson County following his sophomore year.

"I think they’d like to see him start a full year," Nix said of Shiverdecker, who is being recruited as a tailback and kick return specialist. "He played big in our big games. That kid’s fast."

Nix said he also expects Bart Hicks to earn some college interest. Hicks is a 5-10, 220-pound linebacker.

The competition is sure to heat up later this month when coaches begin visiting high schools for the spring evaluation period. Alcoa’s spring practice begins during the first week of May.

Hoag’s Route: Michael Hoag is big, strong, smart and ready to get noticed.

The offensive lineman from Farragut has received most of his college attention from Ivy League schools such as Dartmouth, Yale and Penn. But the 6-6, 270-pounder is willing to wait for other schools with better football reputations to come calling.

Missouri is one of the schools showing interest lately. Hoag said he will visit the Tigers later this spring. The junior said he also plans to visit Carson Newman. Hoag took part in UT’s combine-style junior camp earlier this month.

Hoag, who is projected to play offensive tackle in college, was also invited to attend a Michigan camp but had to cancel because of a scheduling conflict.

After his first season at Farragut, offensive line coach Russ Partin has seen enough of Hoag to think he may have a hidden gem.

"His intelligence," Partin said when asked what’s so impressive about Hoag. "He’s so intelligent. He has tremendous range and size. He’s got great lower body strength. He’s tenacious and he’s a great high school football player."