Thigpen
Tennessee had everything Damien Thigpen was looking to find.
The 5-foot-9, 171-pound athlete from Stonewall Jackson High School in Manassas, Va., committed to play football for UT on Sunday.
Thigpen visited UT on April 13 to see the Vols' facilities and watch them scrimmage.
Thigpen said he was impressed by the way UT's offense allows its running backs to make plays.
"They don't just line them up in the I-formation," he said. "They put them out wide and move them around. I like that."
That's because it fits Thigpen's style of play, which is based off speed.
Thigpen, who also plans to run track at UT, said he believes the Vols' offensive coaches will create ways to get him the ball in open space.
"That's my running back style," he said, "more speed and elusiveness than power because of my size. I'm only going to get faster with my age and more training."
Thigpen chose UT over Auburn, West Virginia, Stanford, Boston College and Connecticut.
Thigpen toured West Virginia, Stanford, and Connecticut this spring, but he couldn't find a comparison to UT.
"The caliber of players is much higher at Tennessee," he said. "Nobody else I wanted to look at had what I needed."
Two schools that hardly looked at Thigpen were Virginia and Virginia Tech.
Thigpen said he wasn't upset by the lack of interest from the two in-state schools, but he plans to show them they made a mistake by not offering him a scholarship.
"I do that for anybody who hasn't offered me," he said. "Whoever hasn't offered me is going to pay when I'm on the field."
That time will be split because of Thigpen's plans to run track at UT.
Thigpen won the Group AAA state championship in the 300-meter hurdles (37.44 seconds) last year, and plans to run the 110-meter hurdles and 100- and 200-meter dash this spring.
Thigpen said he recognizes the challenge of competing in two sports in college.
"It's going to be difficult," he said, "but many athletes do both. I'm going to work to be successful."
Thigpen is UT's third commitment for the 2009 class.
Thigpen joins wide receiver Je'Ron Stokes from Northeast High School in Philadelphia, Pa., and fullback Dominique Allen from Henry County High School in Paris, Tenn.
Vanderbilt 93, Tennessee 79, Feb. 9…
Signing day celebration at Neyland…
Notre Dame beats Tennessee 72-44…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 34
dburgVol writes:
Keep em coming! Now give me a DT and a DE with nasty attitudes. Go Vols!
Ironcity writes:
Sounds like he has a lot of speed. That picture looks like a prison photo. Could they not get a better picture?
dburgVol writes:
It's the same picture from scout.com. Yes he does have speed. 4.3 speed. Superfast!
On another note, does anybody know anything about Brandon Warren, the TE that is supposed to be coming to UT? Is he eligible?
Michael1204 writes:
Welcome to Tennessee! Looking forward to seeing you play and wear the orange!
Michael1204 writes:
dburg, apparently I heard Warren is still trying to get his grades up at Pellissippi State.
MrBamSeydu writes:
Yeah, I've been wondering about Warren myself. I read somewhere that he was going to enroll in the 2nd term of Summer??? There's not been much talk about him the past few months. I'm more anticipating the arrival of Gerald Williams the LB who committed 3 years ago and will just now be eligible to play at UT.
I'd also like to know where all of our JUCO signees are like Rae Sykes, Dustin Lindsey, and Rufus Williams. Has anyone heard anything on them? I thought I'd heard Lindsey was no longer considering UT after his JC stint and was looking at MTSU. I think it was because UT wanted him to play LB and he wanted to stay at RB.
NOW ON TO THIS KID--- I hope we use him on KO and PUNT RETURNS!!! It's hard to tackle a guy who runs 4.3 and is so small, especially when you're running towards him as fast as you can. Just ask anyone who tried tackling LSU's little guy last season.
dburgVol writes:
I heard that Lindsey was not going to be academically eligible, Rae Sykes is doing great in JC football, and that Cory Hall, from Chattanooga is turning into a freak. Those are linemen that we need.
Phowell23 writes:
Future kick off return specialist and WR/RB at UT. Great speed. Future nickname: The Orange Blur
Phowell23 writes:
Check out the latest video of the top OL recruit for 2009, Morgan Moses. This kid is a beast and he's considering TN. Can play OL or DT.
http://www.rivals.com/video.asp?secti...
FWBVol writes:
If I understand the NCAA rules correctly, by sitting out the 2007 season Warren would be eligible to play for UT this fall if all of his academics were in order. With the rare exception of a kid who has been redshirted then getting a medical redshirt, or, as in the case of J.T. Mapu who took a recognized two-year mission trip, a kid has five years to complete four years of eligibility.
It would be great to get Warren and help build depth at tight end.
IBleedOrange444 writes:
Welcome to UT Damien. You're gonna like it here. Don't worry about VT, their campus sucks anyway!
DenmarkVol_aka_Mbumburu writes:
FINALLY, a kid from today's generation with speed who wants to run track. Once upon a time, track guys playing receiver made us known as Wide Receiver U.
fulmersbelly writes:
It's going to be extra difficult to catch him because he's so blurry! And pixelated! That should scare the phooey out of the defenses.
Honestly, there's a new recruit and the best picture we could get of the kid is that one? Can someone not get on his myspace and find a higher res pic?
wjackson#226202 writes:
Cmon guys. You know all the pics KNS uses have always been phooey. I think they used that stupid Freshman pic of Ainge with blonde streaks in his hair all four years. KNS lives in the 70s. Get some technology guys. Maybe somebody should donate them a digital camera. Or a staff member. lol
pdhuff#552644 writes:
dburgvol 10:40 - I give you an amen.
Congrats to the young man. Now please load the defensive wagon. We don't need any more bite scars in the arse like last year. Defense-defense-defense!
Bigger_Al writes:
If Stanford offered him, he must be a smart guy as well as a speed guy.
burntorangeVOLffle writes:
I like the fact that he chose us over Auburn and West Virginia. Those are two programs that are supposedly "more relevant" today than TN.
Huntingdonvol writes:
Welcome to Tennessee young man!I think our virgina connection is solid with our new coaching staff!Everyone needs to go back in here and look at Powell23 post at 11:49 and look at MOSES,MAN THIS IS A BEAST OUT THEIR WATING FOR A KILL!
CoverOrange writes:
Adding to FWB, and with the understanding that I don't know all the NCAA rules, I believe there are two issues regarding Warren and UT.
One, since FSU did not release him, not only does he have to sit out a year (that year ends May?) but he can not be offered a scholarship or even talk to program about one. Thus why no mention by Fulmer or UT.
Second (speculation alert), since Warren withdrew from FSU mid-term he may have seriously damaged his GPA and is having to work extra hard to get it back up to be admitted AND be eligible.
We should know by end of May where he stands. Correct me where I am wrong.
raynochonspeed#212632 writes:
GVX editors: Just because it's online doesn't mean you can take the day off.
What a horribly-phrased headline. It doesn't even make sense.
thesavageorange writes:
Good news!This is already the 2nd 4* commit.(for the * lovers)We only had 4 4*'s in the entire 08' class, and one of them was from 3yr's ago.Plus we signed 0 young men from PA or VA.Whether you like him or not, Larry Slade was the lead recruiter for both Stokes and Thigpen.
By the way sjt18, you nailed it on Poole and Hubbs fessed up.
Hubbs:" He is really good about maximizing a run by getting north and south quickly. And he has done it this spring with a wounded knee, which certainly demonstrates his toughness. Obviously, Poole is behind Arian Foster and Lennon Creer. However, I think we (Rivals.com) didn't rank Poole highly enough last year."
givehim6 writes:
Doe's anyone remember how many commitments we had this time last year? I don't think we had 3, seems like were getting a new commitment every week now. GO VOLS!
bolton#214189 writes:
Morgan Moses Video: More pancakes than IHOP.
hmhawk writes:
If we keep getting committments like this I may quit dreading the 09 season.Glad to have ya Damien and I could care less about the picture.
ThurmondEppy writes:
"Vols have all Thigpen is Searching"??? Huh?? C'mon KNS.
dburgVol writes:
You're right savageorange. All those guys yelling for Slade to be fired should acknowledge that he was pivotal in these guys recruitment and that his secondary is the strongest part of the team. I'm glad I never bought into it. He took a young but talented group of dbs and has developed them into a very strong group, possibly our best. Only time will tell. Great job coach!
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Can't mess with anyone named Damien. I think that was the moniker of the kid in the "Omen".
Wide berth.
Michael1204 writes:
Oh and I love how our new coaches are making an impact already. With Clawson and Scott being from Virginia, we can start plucking players with more ease from Virginia, NJ, Pennsylvania, etc. What's even better is that other SEC teams don't have that great of roots up in that area, so the door has been opened to us to take advantage of our connections we have now.
KAvolsfan writes:
Sounds similar to Jabari Greer a few years back.. Greer also ran track at UT and was a stud... go vols!!
gohawks1 writes:
Things are looking much better already for '09. We still need DLs. Let's go after the big fellas too, coach.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
IPOrange 9:43 pm - great suggestion. Perchance we need a recruiter strictly for DL.
We have as many DBs as Bama does DTs. They have us bested in mullets. however.
Poole can be a game-breaker going N-S if he can avoid the I-bug.
vol_in_lsu_land writes:
I wonder if this kid is any relation to Yancy Thigpen....
Volunatic writes:
KAVolsFan-- I hope you're right-- more like Jabari Greer, less like Leonard Scott (though I certainly admired Leonard Scott's contributions to the track team).
UTByrd writes:
Sounds like he'd be like a waterbug on go juice. The aforementioned Moses looks like he could lead a blind running back to the promised land. Life just keeps getting better in Voland.
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