Greg King still has plenty to see before he makes his college decision.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound linebacker from Memphis Melrose High School said he’s trying to narrow his list of schools to decide where he will visit this fall.
King said he’s mostly considering Tennessee, Alabama, LSU and Miami.
The News Sentinel’s ninth-best prospect in the state said he most recently spoke to Alabama head defensive coach Kevin Steele.
“We’ve been talking about what it would take as a true freshman coming in and playing,” King said. “It depends on me if I want to come in and start. It depends on if I work hard.”
King said practice has kept him from paying much attention to recruiting.
King said he last spoke to UT running backs coach Stan Drayton, who’s in charge of recruiting King, about three weeks ago.
King said he’s appreciated Drayton’s honesty during their conversations.
“Other coaches tell me stuff I want to hear,” King said. “He would tell me stuff I want to hear but also stuff that will help me. Coming to Tennessee could help me as a teammate and as a person.”
Two linebackers have already said they’re coming to UT.
D.T. Shackelford from Austin High in Decatur, Ala., and Nigel Mitchell-Thornton of Stephenson High in Stone Mountain, Ga., both committed to the Vols last week.
They’re the only two linebackers who have publicly committed to the Vols.
King said Drayton told him UT, which holds 17 commitments, would like to sign four or five linebackers in the 2009 signing class.
King, who’s never visited the Vols’ campus, said UT is the first school he wants to make sure to see.
“They have people from throughout the state going to school at Tennessee,” he said. “I want to see what they have to show first before I see everyone else around the country.”
Miami is another school King wants to see.
He won’t be the first Melrose athlete to do so.
Sophomore running back Graig Cooper was a senior at Melrose when King was a freshman, and linebacker Antonio Harper signed with the Hurricanes in February.
Harper will attend Milford Prep in New Berlin, N.Y., this fall with the hopes of attending Miami next year.
King said he’s spoken to both players about Miami, but they haven’t pressured him to choose the Hurricanes.
“They don’t want me to come down there just to come down there,” King said. “I’ll go down there to see how I like it. I’ll see how I’d be able fit in there.”
King said it would be easier to fit in with his former teammates already at Miami.
“I don’t want to be feeling kind of lost and alone,” King said. “They’re from where I’m from and won’t let anything happen to me.”
King said he hasn’t set any dates for his official visits this fall.
Along with the four schools he’s strongly considering, King said he’s also looking at Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Penn State, Oklahoma and Texas Tech.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
National Signing Day 2010
Tennessee Lady Vols 82, Auburn Tigers 64
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 31
SemperVol writes:
I believe Shelby county has the second or third most students enrolled at UT. Correct me if I'm wrong.
alfrizzle097 writes:
Probably third. Behind Knox and Davidson (Nashville). Chattanooga's county would be fourth.
Ironcity writes:
Sounds to me its going to be Miami.
HotlantaVol writes:
If you go to Miami, I would suggest packing plenty of Kevlar.
VolGraduate writes:
it sounded good until the last sentence.
utvolz#637682 writes:
You've got that right Hotlanta! That's one of the many reasons why I'm about to move to Manchester.
Frank in Miami
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Miami bound.
spvol writes:
Too bad for Bama that their Memphis player budget got gutted by the NCAA or they would have been the favorite.
miamiVOL writes:
when i see this kid down here ill give a strong endorsement to UT
txvolsfan writes:
Savage what's the word?
TXVOLSFAN
GO VOLS!!!
John_Galt writes:
Despite setbacks and the untimely demis of Alabama's "purse", I believe Tide fans will continue to do what it takes to get Memphis recruits so they can continue to brag about recruiting Tennessee players.
Of course most of these Memphis public school guys don't see the money themselves, but that's besides the point.
memphisvolman writes:
He probably has to wear kevlar at that school anyway and I would be be very surprised if he turns out to be academically eligible. But like always they will find a way around that!
Jamey1210 writes:
Chattanooga is Hamilton County, and I would say they are third. Is there not another top LB that we are going for? If so would this not hurt us in getting him? Just wondering if we sign to many early will we run the Big dawgs out.
cobbwebb writes:
a lot of haters say the state of tenn doesnt produce a lot of talent , but look at the schools recruiting these kids . tenn obviously, but also georgia , lsu , bammer, miami,.... pretty strong list of suitors
GreenDevilVol writes:
I believe we get Askew before King.
cobbwebb writes:
GREENDEVIL i would very much like that
iowavol writes:
the current roster has 12 kids from Knoxville and 19 from the the Knox msa. There are 9 from Nashville and 15 from the Nash msa. There are 7 from Memphis and 15 from the Memphis msa. There are only 4 from Chattanooga and 6 from chatt msa. Maryville has 6 but i included them in the knox msa. Memphis is a great recruiting area for us with a lot of talent. I imagine the knox numbers are so much higher because of walk ons.
IBleedOrange444 writes:
iowavol-
Yup, and the Chatt numbers are lower 'cause it is a smaller area, but it seems like there is some good HS football around there.
txsvol#372416 writes:
You'd need to include the North Georgia area, maybe half way to Atlanta, and the Jackson County, AL--the linebacker at Stevenson is only 34-40 miles from Chattanooga city limits, as well as Bradley County (Cleveland) and Marion County (Jasper and South Pittsburg) in the greater MSA for Hamilton County. You might go straight up highway 27 and include Rhea County, where there's an OL for the 2009 Class. Go Vols! SAVol
volfan_brian writes:
Thank goodness Logan Young got caught....else King would be on his way to Tuscaloosa in a brand new car and a bunch of money in his pocket!
orangebloodgmc writes:
I hate to put in anything negative, but the Tennessean site said that our fb commit Dominique Allen is wavering after his visit to LSU. Any of y'all know anything more about that?
OakyVol09 writes:
What about the Jenkins kid? I thought we were in decent shape for him. Anybody know?
iowavol writes:
IBleed, the rb from Baylor and Coleman from McCallie provide enough evidence that Chattanooga has good players. I threw the numbers up because some joker claimed nooga was thrid and intuitively you know they are not. Heck, with Maryville throwing in 6, hamilton county doesn't even rank 4th. I really doubt Knoxville has the most if you take away the walkons. Knoxville is just as small a market as Chattanooga.
gobigorange writes:
There is a smalltown close to Chattanooga called South Pittsburgh. Lot of good talent there.Just down the road from there is another in Alabama called North Jackson.UT has never recruited at North Jackson.Eddie Moore came from South Pittsburgh.Real good talent can come from these smaller towns sometime. GOVOLS!
gobigorange writes:
txsvol i didnt see your 8:12pm post.Also include Athens,AL as a school that produces quality athletes.
gobigorange writes:
But i do live in Jackson County AL. U know the county where Fulmer got his supoena from.GOVOLS!
iowavol writes:
Yeah, sometimes listen to South Pittsburg gaems on my drives back from Memphis on Friday night. What did they average last year, 60 pts a game. Problem is I don't see any players on the roster from SP or Jackson county unless I just missed them. Don't really see that many from north GA -1 from Rome and 1 from Dalton. I was also surprised not to see that many from Bradley county - only 2. They play some pretty good football in Cleveland as well.
utvolz#637682 writes:
Richrollin,
Shannon is recruiting his butt off because half of this years class were ruled academically ineligible. Very talented players, but not very bright.
Frank in Miami
orangebloodgmc writes:
There were 32 postings on this thread, but they seem to have taken one off.
There was the Baton Rouge DT Deon Simon that some said was better than Davenport. Apparently we did not offer him but UT was said to have had their folks check him out. I think he was a weight room warrior and 6-4, 280, but I am wondering if he was an academic question mark. Anyway, he went with Central Florida. Also had offers from Colorado, Southern Miss (and Georgia Tech?). The only reason I report this is that it might be an example of how there could be lotsa kids out there that seem plausible for us, our coaches know about many of them, but must have a plan for attempting to land someone even better.
vol1994 writes:
orangeblood- exactly right my friend. great post!
Just because we do NOT recruit a kid does NOT mean our coaches are at a loss.
Lets give fulmer and crew some credit as they recruit well every year.
I do not think this kid will come to ut though.
orangebloodgmc writes:
Yeah, I think he's going with Central Florida, if he doesn't change his mind. Some kids feel more comfortable at a smaller place, even if a more prestigious place wants them.
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