Matt Luke will be seeing an old friend this weekend: his bed.

Tennessee's football recruiting coordinator returned home Saturday following a grueling 28 consecutive days on the road.

"It's part of it," the tight ends/assistant offensive line coach said. "Everybody on the staff is out most of the time."

True, but not quite like Luke. The NCAA allows schools to have seven of 10 coaches on the road simultaneously during the four-week spring evaluation period. That means most coaches averaged about three weeks on the road. Luke spent four.

"I'm ready to get back home and sleep in my own bed," Luke said during a phone interview on Friday.

Luke started out in West Tennessee, then traveled to Kentucky, Mississippi, South Alabama, South Carolina and Florida.

It's Academic: UT's defensive line of the future has taken another hit.

The Vols are preparing for life without Rolando Melancon until 2009. The defensive tackle from Lutcher (La.) High School is still trying to improve his academic standing with Internet courses. But barring an incredible turnaround, Melancon is expected to be forced to attend junior college before enrolling at UT, the News Sentinel has learned.

Melancon is the third defensive lineman prospect of 2007 not expected to qualify.

First came news that Alcoa defensive end Rae Sykes is expected to be academically ineligible and likely will attend Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College for two years instead of a semester-long stopover at a prep school.

The same is expected for Cory Hall from Chattanooga Brainerd. Hall's prospective academic status comes as no surprise. UT knew of Hall's significant shortcomings when he signed.

The academic casualties undermine UT's strong haul of defensive linemen late in the 2007 class. The Vols didn't have a defensive lineman committed until October. By February, UT had secured seven such prospects.

As it stands, UT is expecting four defensive linemen to be available for fall practice: William Brimfield from Hunter-Kinard-Tyler in Neeses, S.C., Ben Martin from LaSalle in Cincinnati, Rufus Williams from Astronaut in Titusville, Fla., and Donald Langley from Seneca Valley in Germantown, Md.

Langley is enrolled at UT and participated in spring practice.

JUST VISITING

Tennessee wrapped up its spring evaluation period for football on Saturday. Here is where the coaches spent the month:

• Greg Adkins, offensive line: California and Western U.S., Georgia, Nashville.

• Dan Brooks, defensive tackles: North Carolina, South Carolina, East Tennessee.

• Steve Caldwell, defensive ends: Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Central Tennessee.

• Matt Luke, tight ends/assistant offensive line: Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Alabama, South Florida, West Tennessee.

• Kurt Roper, running backs: North Alabama, Pennsylvania, Tampa, Fla., Texas, West Tennessee.

• Larry Slade, defensive back: Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, District of Columbia.

• Trooper Taylor, receivers: South Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Atlanta.

• John Chavis, defensive coordinator: Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, plus linebackers.

• David Cutcliffe, offensive coordinator: Cincinnati, Ohio, Nashville, plus quarterbacks

Note: Coach Phillip Fulmer, who visited nearly a dozen states, and UT’s coordinators primarily supervise their assistants' recruiting efforts.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.