When offensive lineman Barrett Jones from Evangelical Christian School in Cordova has a recruiting question, he goes to his next-door neighbor.

How long will Nick Saban be at Alabama?

Will Phillip Fulmer return Tennessee to championship form?

Can Butch Davis assemble the same sort of talent at North Carolina that he did at Miami?

Answers to those questions an more are just a few feet away.

Jones’ next-door neighbor isn’t just an insider; he’s the insider, agent Jimmy Sexton.

Sexton, who also attended ECS, represents all of the above coaches and a handful of others. And Sexton isn’t just a fellow member of the neighborhood homeowners association; he’s been a friend of the Joneses since before Barrett was born.

“Our families are really good friends,” said Jones, who talks recruiting with Sexton at least once a week.

The relationship puts Sexton in a tough position. With so many coaches as clients, he has to be careful.

When contacted for this column, Sexton was hesitant to comment, but after some deliberation said, “Let’s put it this way, Barrett Jones knows where I went to school and that I’m a Tennessee fan.”

Sexton didn’t just go to UT; he was a manager for the football team during his school days in the 1980s. Even though it might cause some conflicts, Sexton has never given up his Vol fandom.

“He went to Tennessee,” Jones said. “He has a skybox at the Tennessee games, so I’d say he’s still a Tennessee fan.”

Jones has made several trips to Knoxville with Sexton dating back to his childhood. Jones is even named after one of Sexton’s brothers.

Still, Jones insists, Sexton is careful with what advice he gives. And Sexton, on the other hand, maintains he wants Jones to make his own decision to ensure he’s happy in his future home.

“He can give me advice but he says make your own decision,” Jones said. “He can’t tell me (where to go) because he’d get in trouble with all his other coaches.”

Jones could be a very significant pickup for UT’s 2008 signing class. The Vols have their sights on top-flight offensive linemen, a dire position of need. Jones is the News Sentinel’s third-best prospect in the state and one of the best offensive lineman prospects in the nation.

Whatever influence Sexton might have doesn’t even matter — if you believe the various recruiting rumors that have Jones destined to play football for Alabama.

“I am really trying to keep an open mind at this point,” Jones wrote in a text message to the News Sentinel. “I have been praying about it a lot and just trying to see what is best for me. I know people think I am going to Alabama and I might end up going there.”

Alabama is one of Jones’ final suitors. This weekend, he whittled down a long list of schools to the final five survivors: UT, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Florida and Alabama.

North Carolina and Florida both seem a long way from West Tennessee. The Gators are in the hunt thanks, in part, to their recent success.

And while that can be a strong pull, is it enough to get Jones to play for a program that is viewed as such a hated rival among his family and friends who root for UT?

Vanderbilt has the academic draw, which shouldn’t be overlooked for a student with a grade point average that exceeds 4.0.

But for a player who has repeatedly said winning is very important, would six or seven victories be enough to quantify a successful season? Such a season from the Commodores would be cause for a parade in Nashville.

That would seem to put UT and Alabama ahead of the pack. Had it not been for the excitement surrounding Nick Saban, Jones may have already been a Vol. But with Saban, Alabama is in great position and may even lead for Jones’ services.

Jones, however, isn’t willing to admit that. He’s not even willing to rank the schools he’s still considering. Jones maintains he’s just as unsure of his future selection as all those fans following his recruitment.

“If I knew where I should go I would commit now,” he wrote. “I don’t want to waste these coaches’ time (or my time) and I want to focus on my team and my senior season. They are all good choices and that’s what makes it so hard.”

A hard situation? Sexton would surely agree.

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

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.