Photo by Jae S. Lee
Smyrna High School wide receiver Rod Wilks catches a pass during practice last July. Wilks signed with Tennessee on Wednesday.
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Hamstrung by a myriad of issues, Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer pulled in what is widely thought to be his lowest ranked signing class in his 17-year tenure.
The 18 new Vols ranked 36th in the nation and eighth in the SEC, according to Rivals. Scout ranked UT's class 36th in the nation and 10th in the SEC.
"You never know how all that's going to work out," Fulmer said Wednesday of the rankings. "I don't concern myself with it. We'll evaluate this class in three years, in four years."
Fulmer had plenty of challenges this recruiting season, including coaching turnover, speculation about his job security last fall, January incidents involving his players and local law enforcement and a limited number of scholarships. Rankings, Fulmer said, weren't a concern.
"It's how the guys come and adjust and the character and the work ethic, along with the ability," he said.
Rankings weren't expected to be kind to UT. The Vols were limited in scholarships to offer and were shopping for the kind of athletes that are often undervalued by recruiting services, such as offensive linemen and defensive tackles.
That, however, proved to be a weak excuse. UT only signed three offensive linemen - Carson Anderson from Florence (Ala.) High School, Preston Bailey from Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville and Dallas Thomas from Scotlandville High in Baton Rouge, La. - after missing out on Antoine McClain from Anniston (Ala.) High, who signed with Clemson.
UT also missed out on the highest-rated defensive tackle still on its board, Jeremy Lewis from Palm Beach Lakes High in West Palm Beach, Fla., who signed with Miami.
To simply stay respectable, the Vols relied on in-state talent.
UT signed three of its highest-rated prospects inside the state: Aaron Douglas from Maryville, Rod Wilks from Smyrna and Bailey. The three prospects ranked first, second and sixth in the state, according to The News Sentinel.
UT also relied on some Tennessee ties to land highly regarded linebacker Marlon Walls, who moved to Olive Branch (Miss.) High from Wooddale High in Memphis just before his senior year. Although not as highly touted, the Vols also landed athlete Ben Bartholomew from Montgomery Bell Academy.
Before moving to Mississippi, Walls was rated the fourth-best prospect in Tennessee by the News Sentinel. Bartholomew ranked 12th.
It's hard to imagine where UT's 2008 class would be had it not been for another strong in-state class.
Still, UT was far from closing the borders. Alabama raided the state, pulling offensive lineman Barrett Jones from Evangelical Christian in Memphis, defensive end/linebacker Don'ta Hightower from Marshall County in Lewisburg and athletic ball carrier Chris Jordan from Brentwood Academy.
The News Sentinel ranks those three prospects third, fourth and fifth in the state, respectively.
Once again, North Carolina made headway in Tennessee under coach Butch Davis. After landing receivers Rashad Mason and Brian Gupton from Nashville's Pearl Cohn last year, the Tar Heels secured defensive end Michael McAdoo from Antioch this year. McAdoo is the News Sentinel's 14th best prospect in the state.
More and more often, UT has found itself facing off with Davis since he arrived at Chapel Hill in 2006. Davis was able to beat the Vols for two very highly rated prospects last year: defensive tackle Marvin Austin from Washington, D.C., and receiver Dwight Jones from Burlington, N.C.
The Vols and Tar Heels squared off twice on signing day this year. North Carolina was able to secure defensive end Quinton Coples from Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., while the Vols landed athlete E.J. Abrams-Ward from Thomasville (N.C.) High.
"The main reason why I picked Tennessee is that it's an outstanding school. I loved it when I came out there," Abrams-Ward said, referring to his official visit in January. "To be able to sit in front of 106,000 people and watch Tennessee win, it's unbelievable."
Abrams-Ward wasn't the only signing-day surprise. UT also landed a previously uncommitted prospect when Thomas announced he would play for the Vols.
Perhaps the biggest surprise from a UT prospect came when Hargrave's Enrique Davis signed with Ole Miss over UT, Auburn, Oregon and Maryland. Far less surprising was the fact that linebacker Jerrell Harris from Gadsden City High in Gadsden, Ala., chose Alabama, as expected.
As with all recruiting classes, only time will tell just how good or bad the 2008 signing class will be. Undoubtedly the class's ranking would benefit if transfers were counted.
Former starting safety Demetrice Morley is already enrolled at UT and ready to return after a season-long absence due to academic shortcomings. And then there's Brandon Warren. The former Alcoa and Florida State star also is trying to improve his academic standing in order to enroll at UT by the summer or possibly the fall.
If those two live up to their proven billing, fans won't have to worry about the 2008 signing class … until at least 2010.
For midterm enrollee Austin Johnson, rankings on Signing Day meant little more than added motivation to impress his new teammates.
"I really don't think it matters," the linebacker from Hickory (N.C.) High said. "I think all of us will probably bond together and come together and show the guys that even though we're not ranked high, we can still play."
Phillip Fulmer through the years
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Tyler Summitt through the years
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 235
VolCane7979 writes:
Hey, thanks to the guys who are coming here. Those of you who want to rip on the class, why are you putting down the guys who chose to be here? Say screw you to the guys who went elsewhere. Go Vols.
rickj#215787 writes:
Again, here is my problem with Fulmer. He cannot recognize a problem when he has one. This is a disappointing class. The fact that he does not realize this is another indicator that the he no longer has what it takes to win big and recruit big at this level.
westernVol writes:
I was hoping for a top 20 class, but with all the coaching changes this still a solid group of young men. Let's support them! Go Vols
UTByrd writes:
Well done, coach. I'm not much of a believer in the ratings of hundreds of recruits. It is used as a barometer of sorts but is not going to make your team better. Give me a 2 or 3 star that is a team player over a 5 star with an attitude that will go pro in 2 years. To our recruits: Welcome to Big Orange country and please take this opportunity to write your own UT history. It will be the best years of your young lives. GO VOLS!!!!!
Colliervol writes:
Rick, that's not an indicator of anything one way or the other. Name me one coach who has ever stood up on Signing Day and said, "Well we sure stunk it up today." You won't find one and never will. Privately, he'd probably say that they didn't do as well as normal but he darn sure isn't going to say it to the press.
ACG writes:
Congrats and thanks to all the new signees!
Go Vols
bshell12 writes:
I more interested in the character and motivation of these kids not what rivals or scouts.com rates them. I like this class, however i wish we had signed a few more DT
rickj#215787 writes:
Colliervol - If he doesn't mean it I'd rather he not say it. It makes him look like the imbecile that he is.
tigervol9802 writes:
Welcome to the University of Tennessee!
Prove the idiots on these message boards wrong!
KENVOL writes:
All we need are guys who are going to bleed orange. The stars don't tell it all. You have to have "Heart".GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
orvol writes:
Seriously guys- this is not a bad class at all. We got some stud linebackers, more athletes in the secondary, and a luxury receiver. Yes, we could have used another DT or two, as well as an another OL, but we didn't need a whole lot of numbers from this class. Once the new staff is in place and adjusted, recruiting will be fine. Despite all those out there whose lives aren't complete unless they're griping, Fulmer knows how to recruit. And lets face it, in terms of speaking honestly with a recruit, what other coach in the SEC would you believe more than Fulmer?
CoastGuardVol writes:
Welcome guys. It great to be a Tennessee Volunteer!!!
cdldoc#211897 writes:
rickj and you in Kentucky, STFU! You bore us, you "imbeciles"
pj_ladyvolnMI writes:
Welcome signees, we are thrilled and honored that you want to be Vols!!
And rickj, since attitude is such an important factor, the last thing Fulmer would want to do is discourage or belittle the recruits like you just did. Make sense? pj
orangebass writes:
Fulmers teams have underachieved with the best talent available coming out of high school. this has played out on the field over most of the last decade. second tier bowl games with the majority of them loses, and losing records against coaches at fla , ga, ala, auburn, lsu & s.c. (and improved coaching situations at ky, vandy, ark, ole miss & miss st) one can only expect this downward spiral to continue. and while fulmer's recruiting suffers conference rivals that vols play every year are top 5 or 10 with their classes. to expect better results with class is very foolish.
utmdm writes:
I'm sure he understands what he got in this class. And it may turn out to be production-wise 4 years later the best or the worst ever, who knows. Everyone wants the most and highest stars we can get, but no coach is ever going to come out and verbally clobber a recruiting class. Even if he did feel that this was a dud of a class, no coach would downgrade them and kill any confidence level or upside potential they had.
utmdm writes:
This is a coach of a major school who must motivate young men and not tear into them like a lot on this board would do, before they even get to campus. We may not like the level of our ranking or our coach, but if I knew a commitment of a school, I would check that school's boards to share in his excitement and pride in making it to the next level. I cannot imagine what these young men, their families, and friends think when they read the comments on these board refering to them in some of the language I have seen. It is personal for them when we tear them down and we let the venom of the dislike of Fulmer's performance splash over the innocent bystanders.
tenndave writes:
This class has addressed several needs. Ranking is a joke anyway. It comes down to the heart, dedication to high standards, and want to.
With a new OC and staff that is unproven right now, I suspect many recruits were just not sure. Give us a great fall and look for things to roll.
Now all of that being said, if the new staff can develop these players, then they could be one of the best classes yet. That is the unknown. But things like a 6'5" reciever look good to me. Big linemen, look good, in fact I am excited about every signee. I hope they take the rankings like a challenge and in 4 years are able to give the bird to all the naysayers.
Go Vols
Welcome To Your New Home Signing Class of 08
Go Get E'm
utmdm writes:
These are human beings who committed to the TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS this year when most snubbed us and they should be treated with our respect. This is a land of free speech, but with that privilege comes some responsibility and mutual respect. Kidding around is great and we do a lot of good natured ribbing with each other and especially other team's fans. Let's please get out of the comfort zone of hiding behind these keyboards and consider the manner in which we post and all the parties in whom it reflects on. Many times it could easily be taken by these recruits as a slap against them as opposed to the coaches. There are appropriate ways to deliver points.
txsvol#372416 writes:
rickj, you obviously have little or no experience in public relations, or in leadership. As the head of a multimillion dollar enterprise, CPF is savvy enough to put the best light on things, even if he is privately disappointed. I don't think he is as 'aclue-istic' as you do, but I agree, we expected better than it appears on the surface. If he and the staff can 'coach -em up,' maybe some of these studs can develop into the kick-butt DTs that we all were looking for. We may even have the people to beat all those SEC teams who 'scored' higher than we did today. Welcome to Big Orange Country, football recruits of 2008! Go Vols! SAVol
GiveHimSix1387 writes:
nice post tenndave.... could not have said it any better! Go Vols!
agr_vol writes:
I'm no historian, but did Tennessee never lose more than 2 games during the 90s cause the way some people talk if we lose 3 or more games then we are in a big downward spiral. I'm not buying it.
As for all the wins and losses being blamed on Fulmer, well that's just stupidity. The Head coach usually doesn't coach the players. Bear Bryant once said (and he was an alright coach I guess), It's the head coach's responsibility to coach his assistants and it's their job to coach the players.
Granted it's the coaches job to accept the blame for losses but some of yall go way overboard. Case in point some of the comments above.
TommyJack writes:
Sorry, I thought we needed D-linemen. Hats off to the staff.
jim_bell#606576 writes:
ORVOL, I agree. You've stated my opinion exactly and I'll stick with Fulmer all the way. People even complained with the way he went undefeated and won the NC.
marinevol writes:
rickj, after making a post where you slam a football coach for not trashing the young athletes who just signed to comit the next four years of their lives playing on his team, do you really want to discuss someone looking like an imbecile? You crybabies are pretty pathetic, orangebass. I just hope these kids realize that the average UT fan is not a whimpering little crybaby like some of the posters on this site. Welcome to UT, guys. Now beat bama.
VOLinDAWGland writes:
This year is a data point. If it is a class that is sandwidched between two outstanding classes and developes a good share of contributors than it is a good class. If it is a trend, then that will trigger an appropriate response from those in position of authority. Given how the year went with the fire Fulmer swirl, the wholesale departure of the O staff including our top recruiter, off-field issues at the worst possible time and the talent depth already in place, a class with fewer numbers is not a shocker. I too like potential of many of the young men in this class.
Thanks for choosing UT, best of success and represent the Volunteers with pride and respect.
Colliervol writes:
Again rick, it is customary for the coach to address the fans and press on signing day. What's he going to do, just stand there and look at them? He's got to say something reasonably positive. (Again, name me one coach who ever said "we sucked at recruiting today".) I'm sure Fulmer knows that they didn't get everybody they wanted but it's one year. As far as the speech goes, as SAVol says, it's all public relations. If you don't understand that, can't help you.
utmdm, no offense, but you're dreaming. Many of these posters only know one way of communicating. And most of it is straight out of a combination of Dr. Seuss and Beavis and Butthead.
GiveHimSix1387 writes:
"It's not how many stars you have, it's how you mature" VERY NICE PHIL
GerryOP writes:
tngeoff (5:26)-- HaHaHaHaHAHAHAHAHAHA! Actually, I thought that Good Ol' Phil was a bit less effusive than he normally is. How ya' doin' bro? A REALLY BIG day in Volland!
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
Remember after the NC in 1998, the signing class had aabout 15 kids...I think the main one was Haynesworth.
cjraney writes:
Sure Rick, Fulmer should have just responded "No comment" when asked about the group of young people he just convinced to attend UT. You're a smart one.
Congrats to all our recruits. I hope you will wear the orange and white with pride on the field and conduct yourselves with dignity off the field. Go Vols!
volboy81#211803 writes:
we've got a good class with a lot of great returning players. Lets get behind UT like REAL fans! GO VOLS!!
FatherVol writes:
Even Herbstreit said the prospect rating systems are over-rated. 70% of players signed don't pan out, according to him, for one reason or another, so it is best to fill your needs to the best of your ability. Now we wait for the development of the players that signed.
GiveHimSix1387 writes:
Support Fulmer and the Vols. Evaluate this class in 3 years. I'm tired of hearing all of this negativity.
turningsummer writes:
at least i know my 'insider info' was legit. I was told yesterday, and I posted it, that we had two 4st silent commits. I was thinking it was Mclain, and Davis, but I do like Walls and Ward.
GerryOP writes:
OTDTN, agreed. Just liking feeling proud in 1964 when we held on and lost to the #3-ranked and NC-bound Tide in Neyland by a score of "only" 19-8! Even though Joe Willy was playing on only one leg! (TJ, check my facts -- the old memory ya' know!)
drwfocus writes:
Well - OK. All you "downward spiral" folks have finally convinced me. The Tennessee football program is second tier at best. With such a lousy coach and AD and such terrible recruiting the athletic department will probably request division 2 status in another year or two. Soooo, as all you "downward spiral" folks imply I guess I will have to switch my support to a top tier winning program from now on -- GO IRISH or Bama or Gators or Bulldogs or So. Cal, whatever (at least until they enter the dreaded downward spiral too). Now that I have joined you at least I don't have to listen to you any longer.
GreerVol22 writes:
Well, its over now and Saban can crow for a while...at least until they lose to Auburn again.
All schools have off recruiting years. If Coach follows this year up with a similar class next year, then we have a legitimate gripe.
What bothers me is the showboating by Terell Pryor wanting his own personal signing day. Every defensive end and LB in the Big Ten has him on their hit list now.
volfan8 writes:
I personally see nothing to get excited about with this class.
If we want to stay in contention in the SEC we need to have great players coming to UT, not 12-13 3-star players.
Look at SEC schools in front of us in recruiting classes according to rivals:
Alabama
Florida
Georgia
LSU
Auburn
South Carolina
Ole Miss
Followed by UT in #36. Arkansas is #37
outlook not so good...
dburgVol writes:
All Ive got to say is that SPHS has to be banned from ever posting again. You don't tell someone with a terminal disease that a cure has been found and that they will give it to, and then find out that you were being lied to. I'm not disappointed with the recruits, but I wish there had been more OL and DL recruits. Wish we hadve gotten McClain, Davis, and Coples.
mtnsvol44 writes:
Well, we know the character of the recruits who signed with the biggest liar in college football (Sabin) don't we?
thesavageorange writes:
Man this class sucks!I mean how many college games have they played now?What?None.Ummm, uhhh, nevermind.
cphil writes:
Look at the bright side....at least this class is ranked higher than Arkansas.
HallowedHill writes:
For those not pleased with the Vols success this year, go pull for another team. The real VOL fans don't need your negativity.
GerryOP writes:
OTDTN, I heard from a really deep, inside source that Dupree WAS offered a scholly but turned it down. He did not want to give up his seniority as greeter at the Hall's Crossroads Wal-Mart.
ThurmondEppy writes:
Coach Fulmer, rickj can be reached at rjones@forestpark.org. Send him some emails and heckle him at his job!
ThurmondEppy writes:
sorry, that's rickj@forestpark.org
TommyJack writes:
oleTDTN: And they said we couldn't recruit. We snatched that DL right from under T-Tech & Carson-Newman's nose. Chief probably had to get involved in this one.
GerryOP: I saw that game..think it was '64. Even a hobbled Joe Willie rolled out on one 25-30yd run.
HilltopperVolPhi608 writes:
I'm disappointed and happy at the same time about this class. We have a few studs and few questionable ones. All I care about is winning and these guys to wear the orange and white proud and carry on our illustrious tradition. I believe one of the main reasons our class wasn't as good as years past is because of all the coaching uncertainty. Not many recruits want to go to a school where there could be as many as 4 coaches possibly going somewhere else. To change the subject a little bit, a few college buddies and I are trying to the UCLA game in the fall. Anybody have an idea on how much tickets would cost?
lamigravol writes:
The rankings are based on something! The fact of the matter is all SEC schools are after the same players for the most part, and UT was out recruited by everyone except UK and Vandy. That speaks volumes as to what kids are looking for in a U. It seem UT has lost its way on and off the field.
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