Hooker: Win would help mine Florida gold

That's what a big win over Penn State would do for Tennessee's recruiting efforts today. The Vols already have benefited from the exposure in Florida. Local media have followed their every move.

The Vols once took such exposure for granted when they were playing in a Florida bowl six times from 1993 to 1998. They have appeared in a Florida bowl only once in the past eight seasons.

The media attention couldn't come at a better time for UT, which is depending on Florida prospects like never before. Pilfering states like Georgia and South Carolina just isn't what is used to be since Mark Richt and Steve Spurrier, respectively, were hired.

Sure, the peninsula to the south has the Gators, but Florida can't take every prospect in the area. Miami's and Florida State's struggles also open up possibilities that were once considered lost causes.

Up and Coming: The state of Tennessee isn't what it once was in recruiting. That's good and bad for UT.

Of course, the Vols will benefit from more in-state talent. It makes travel more efficient and the likelihood of landing a prospect greater if he's grown up in the shadows of Neyland Stadium. There is, however, a downside.

As in-state prospects continue to find themselves among the nation's elite, better schools have -- and will -- come calling.

Take Notre Dame, which recently landed Catholic safety/linebacker Harrison Smith. Head coach Charlie Weis was able to troll through the Volunteer State working three prospects: Smith, Golden Tate (who has committed to the Fighting Irish) from Pope John Paul II in Hendersonville and Huntingdon linebacker Chris Donald.

Those are the schools that UT fans should fear. Sure, they'll be the occasional cherry picking, like Southern California nabbing Nashville receiver Patrick Turner before last season. But the schools setting up roots in the Volunteer State should be the most disconcerting, especially if those teams are playing in championship/BCS bowls and UT is not.

If schools from the north, such as Notre Dame, can find speed without having to go far south, such as Louisiana or Florida, expect the Tennessee recruiting trend to continue, especially if high school football continues to improve as it has over the past decade.

Filling Boat: The Vols are in a far different position than they were last season. Just check the commitment list. UT has 26 commitments for the 2007 class. That leaves the Vols with only two to four open slots with still over a month until National Signing Day on Feb. 7.

Wow.

Who would have thought that would be the case before the season began when UT was a program reeling from a 5-6 season?

Now the Vols have to be choosy and prospects have to be decisive, as some will surely be denied a scholarship late in the process. Travaris Cadet, a quarterback from Miami (Fla.) Central High School, is one of those feeling the pressure of a class that's nearly complete.

"I told him (UT coach Trooper Taylor) basically that I'm coming to their school but I just wasn't ready to make a decision at that point," the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder told GoVolsXtra.com this week.

A sense of urgency can be a salesman's best friend. Sometimes it's artificial. This time it's not. Taylor called Cadet to tell him how tight the situation is becoming.

"He talked to me about committing and the other guys they had waiting," said Cadet, who is scheduled to take an official visit to UT on Jan. 13. "I told him I don't want to make a decision too early."

Or too late.

Skinning a Cat: Penn State is one of the few teams in the nation that doesn't even attempt to recruit prospects in the state of Florida. The Nittany Lions don't have a single player from the state on their roster.