John Reid is ready to walk the recruiting trail again.

Less than a month after seeing two of his players sign national letters of intent with elite schools, the Alcoa High School coach has two more prospects who are sure to receive similar national attention.

Defensive end Rae Sykes and receiver Kyrus Lanxter are poised to follow in the footsteps of defensive end Brandon Warren and running back/linebacker Dustin Lindsey, who signed with Florida State and Tennessee, respectively.

The Vols, LSU, Florida State, Ole Miss and Kentucky, were the first schools to offer Sykes a scholarship. So at which school is the 6-foot-4, 245-pound Sykes taking the longest look?

"Certainly Tennessee," Reid said. "I think the kid definitely enjoys the SEC schools. I know he likes LSU."

As for Lanxter, Reid said UT is "recruiting him hard" but has not yet made an offer.

"He's already received written offers from Ole Miss and Louisville," Reid said of the 6-2, 180-pound Lanxter. "Stanford has him as the number one receiver on their board."

The last time UT tried to recruit a defensive end from Alcoa, Warren spurned the Vols in a highly publicized duel with Florida State. The comparisons between the two players are hard to ignore.

"Ray is longer armed," Reid said. "They both have great first-step explosion."

Reid was there for Warren throughout the recruiting process. He saw the ugly undercurrent of fandom when a local prospect declines overtures from the hometown team.

Reid said UT fans should take pride in East Tennessee players no matter where they decide to go to school.

"Being critical of an 18-year-old kid that is going to a university other than Tennessee is ridiculous," he said. "It's really not anybody's choice other than the kid's."

Including Sykes, UT has offered scholarships to four area prospects.

Austin-East receiver/defensive back Anthony Anderson committed to play football for UT earlier this week. Chances are he won't be the last.

Harrison Smith from Catholic was one of the first to receive a scholarship offer from the Vols. The defensive back/receiver also has received strong interest from Notre Dame, which could prove to be the Vols' strongest competition.

"Mississippi offered," Smith said. "And I've gotten some stuff from Miami, Auburn, Stanford, Boston College and Clemson."

The Vols also recently extended a scholarship offer to Maryville receiver/defensive back Tyler Maples.

"Tennessee is the only school that I know of that has offered him," Maryville coach George Quarles said. "We just started sending tapes out a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure there will be other ones that offer."

Quarles said Maples also has received strong interest from Auburn, South Carolina and Alabama. Maples is scheduled to attend the Crimson Tide's upcoming junior day.

Quarles admits the pressure to choose UT will be tough to overcome but Maples intends to explore his college options.

"I think he wants to go through it (the recruiting process) a little bit," Quarles said.

Quarles said he wouldn't be surprised if Maples made an announcement on his decision before the football season begins in August. That would seem to bode well for the Vols because the timing would limit the number of official visits he could take.

The superb Tennessee class isn't limited to the eastern portion of the state. UT could offer over a dozen prospects within the state. If UT has a high rate of success with those prospects, then half of its 2007 class could be compromised of true Volunteers.

Securing local prospects does more than just quell the often-heard criticism among UT fans who think the Vols overlook local talent. A firm base of committed prospects before football season begins would allow UT's coaches to better direct their efforts when it comes to recruiting in other parts of the nation.

UT's strategy is a smart one and shows the recent focus on local recruiting. Naturally, the Vols should know East Tennessee talent better than any other school. By offering and pursuing local prospects early, maybe UT can secure all of the aforementioned players and avoid losing out on a top prospect, as they did with Warren.

The poor publicity from losing a top-rated local prospect can have lingering effects on a class.

UT's dedication to local talent should have a lasting effect as well. Recruiting areas are secured over years, not months.

Tallahassee prospects always seem to go to Florida State. Miami prospects always seem to end up playing for the Hurricanes. If East Tennessee continues to annually produce a handful of high-rated prospects, then it will behoove UT to close the borders.

Then there's the "play harder for the Vols" theory. Coaches will never admit it but there likely is some truth to those who say in-state players tend to play harder for the team they grew up following.

Dave Hooker covers recruiting. He may be reached at hookerd@knews.com.