Hooker: UT's link to Louisiana to benefit if Miles goes

Tennessee fans had good reason to keep tabs on LSU this week.

After all, there's a championship at stake when the Vols play the Tigers in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta today.

But when the SEC championship game ends, that doesn't mean the Tigers aren't well worth watching, especially for recruiting fans.

UT's coaches would never say so publicly, but I'm betting they'd love to see LSU coach Les Miles take the Michigan job.

I know, some of you think Miles is a bit goofy and maybe (just maybe) not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Perhaps.

But Miles is more than the caricature. First of all, he's highly respected among his peers as a tireless recruiter. Second, he's grabbed some prospects' attention with his riverboat-gambler style, a reputation that will only improve if he wins the SEC title today.

And, lastly, any change in a fertile recruiting territory is good, especially in Louisiana.

LSU does a lot of things well, but hiring football coaches hasn't historically been one of them.

With Steve Spurrier in South Carolina, Butch Davis in North Carolina, Mark Richt in Georgia, Nick Saban in Alabama and Urban Meyer in Florida, some of UT's old recruiting stomping grounds aren't nearly as fertile as they once were.

UT and other schools would love to see a talent-rich state like Louisiana be the home to a struggling in-state school.

The Vols have had decent success already in Cajun country. Two starters (receiver Lucas Taylor and tight end Chris Brown) on this year's SEC East championship team were pulled from Louisiana.

The Vols also signed offensive lineman Jarrod Shaw in 2006 and defensive tackle Rolando Melancon last February. Shaw redshirted in 2006. Melancon never made it to UT, enrolling at Louisiana Tech this fall for personal reasons.

The Vols' latest strike into Louisiana came when they received a commitment from linebacker Herman Lathers from Scotlandville High School in Baton Rouge, La.

The 6-foot, 190-pound Lathers, however, has said he will still take other official visits meaning his commitment is shaky at best. And, LSU showed little interest in Lathers, meaning the Tigers weren't the stiff competition UT will face for the state's best.

UT seems close to landing Prentiss Waggner, a 6-2, 190-pound cornerback from Clinton (La.) High.

With a good baseline of players, the pipeline may already be flowing. But to land Louisiana's elite, Miles needs to be Michigan bound.

PR Fumble: High school coaches in the Atlanta area have always been quick to say that teams in the SEC championship game benefit from the exposure they get by participating in the matchup.

It would have served UT well to make freshman Eric Berry of Fiarburn, Ga., available for interviews. Berry could have been the poster boy for Atlanta-area athletes that have signed with UT.

Instead, the Vols stuck to their policy, which prohibits interviews with freshman even when one of the biggest newspapers in the nation, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, called to request an interview.

Not smart.

The policy makes perfect sense (even though I don't personally like it) in most scenarios.

Freshmen are more likely to say something dumb and motivate an upcoming opponent. Freshmen are also more likely to get a bit cocky when the media attention engulfs them. That can affect their attitudes and the practice habits that helped them be successful.

But Berry isn't that type of freshman. By all reports, he's extremely well grounded, and in my dealings with him, extremely respectful.

Berry wouldn't have said anything stupid. And the brief attention wouldn't have affected his already legendary work ethic.

More On The Cobb: A source close to Alcoa quarterback Randall Cobb's recruitment tells the News Sentinel that he is evenly split between UT and Kentucky.

Had the Vols offered Cobb first, they'd most likely already have Cobb committed, the source said.

Kentucky, however, made the first offer and got his commitment in June. The Wildcats are obviously sliding, but can they claw their way back by securing one of the area's most versatile athletes?

Cobb could play quarterback, defensive back or receiver in college.

Surging Sterling?: Farragut tailback Andre Sterling attended the UT-Kentucky game in Lexington last weekend on an unofficial visit. An official visit is thought to be in the works.

Sterling is being recruited by former UT coach Randy Sanders, who coaches quarterbacks for Kentucky. UT has not offered Sterling a scholarship.

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