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Prentiss Waggner, a cornerback from Clinton (La.) High School, is close to committing to Tennessee.
“I’m real close,” the 6-foot-2, 178-pound Waggner said Tuesday.
Waggner, who took an official visit to UT in November, said he’s also considering Ole Miss, North Carolina, Florida and LSU.
Waggner said he fit right in with the Vols when he visited Knoxville.
“There’s a great chemistry up there and they have a great history,” he said. “I get along with the players and the coaches real well.”
Waggner said the coaches brought up the idea of him committing during his visit in November.
He said he was close to doing so but wasn’t quite ready.
“They asked me about it and I told them they’re my No. 1 and most likely I’ll end up going to Tennessee,” Waggner said.
Waggner said he will likely visit Ole Miss and North Carolina this month. He took an official visit to Minnesota in October.
Waggner said the Rebels and Tar Heels will have their work cut out to sway him from choosing UT.
“I think it would take a whole lot right now,” he said, “because I’ve developed a relationship with the players when I was up there and the coaches also.”
Waggner had been recruited by Trooper Taylor, who left UT last week to become Oklahoma State’s co-offensive coordinator.
Waggner said that hasn’t affected his standing with UT because of his relationship with defensive backs coach Larry Slade and graduate assistant Raasaan Haralson.
“Coach Slade and Coach Haralson, they both work in the secondary,” Waggner said. “They like my style of play and they want me to come in and help the team win.”
Clinton head coach Robert Signater believes Waggner could help UT win immediately if he chooses the Vols.
“I think he’s capable of walking into the Division 1 level and making a push to play right now,” Signater said.
“He’s a cover corner. He can cover the best of them.”
Signater pointed to Waggner’s size as his biggest strength.
Waggner said his aggressive style would fit in well with UT’s defense, which he believes has a bright future.
“They’re young and the defense is pretty good,” he said. “I figured they’re going to have a good defense the next three or four years. I’d like to be a part of that.”
© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Posted by ATLVOL1 on January 8, 2008 at 9 p.m. (Suggest removal)
6'2" 4.5 40 corner... nice height
Posted by ATLVOL1 on January 8, 2008 at 9:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
25 int's and 26TD catches, he has good ball skills, I like him....don't let Nutt talk you into anything next week.
Posted by tngeoff on January 8, 2008 at 9:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Prentiss. As good as it seemed to you here...it just got even better. You have some great skills and Tennessee is just the place to let the world see what you do!
Posted by threehundredbowler on January 8, 2008 at 9:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
There is more for thee in Tennessee.
Posted by SmokeDog72 on January 8, 2008 at 9:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Deangelo Whiffandslam is 6' 2" is he not? Height does not seem to help his coverage skills. Nor does Larry Slade.
Posted by ATLVOL1 on January 8, 2008 at 9:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
25 ints and 26 tds in 2 years combined..... Has a Deon Grant comparison
Posted by utmdm on January 8, 2008 at 9:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Like the size and speed. Sounds like he has the aptitude for the cover skills. This is sounding a lot better.
Reckin he could find a DT or 2 to bring with him? That would just about seal the D.
Posted by utmdm on January 8, 2008 at 9:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Deangelo may yet click get it turned around. But at lease, maybe, we get Prentiss directly here (no JC stop offs) and the transition will be smoother.
Posted by RealistVolFan on January 8, 2008 at 9:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
His GPA is 3.3....
Posted by knoxsingle on January 8, 2008 at 10:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope Prentiss commits here! He seems like a solid young man, and he'd have the chance to be part of a very special secondary. None of the other schools he's considering can offer him that.
Posted by VolsorCat on January 8, 2008 at 10:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
More importantly, Jeff Demps (Florida or UT) is going to announce tomorrow. Not the biggest guy in the world at WR, but 4.35 is something we could utilize in a new, more open offense. Hope he makes the right decision..........
Posted by volunteer_cowboy on January 8, 2008 at 11:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
he dont even have tennessee on radar
Posted by rubbervol on January 8, 2008 at 11:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Welcome to Big Orange Football Prentiss there is nothing like it.
Posted by volunteer_cowboy on January 8, 2008 at 11:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
demps is a rb but rivals and scout both have him as a wr
Posted by utmdm on January 8, 2008 at 11:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Cant see Demps even thinking about Tenn - not knowing who the offensive coaches are.
Posted by volunteer_cowboy on January 8, 2008 at 11:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
unless drayton was his recruiter
Posted by volunteer_cowboy on January 8, 2008 at 11:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Okay guys, I have information from an EXTREMELY credible source close to the coaching search that you all would be interested in knowing. Because I don't know how confidential the information was, and I don't want the person in trouble, I'm not going to give any details beyond saying that I'd bet my next paycheck on what this person told me. I'll first post the information, and then comment on some of it.
Dave Clawson will be introduced as our official offensive coordinator. I was told this will happen tomorrow (Wednesday).
As you can see, Stan Drayton is coming to Tennessee. He is bringing some top recruit with him. Because of restrictions on talking about recruits, my source was not able to tell me who that is.
Chad Loeffler is coming to Tennessee and he's bringing Ryan Mallet with him. The assumption is that he will be coaching quarterbacks, but oddly enough my source didn't say what position he would be coaching (this will make more sense in a second).
Mike DeBord is also coming to Tennessee. Again, my source didn't talk about what position he would be coaching. My assumption would be that he will coach tight ends and possibly special teams.
My source also told me that there is a big surprise that no one will see coming. If I understand correctly, it has something to do with a hire on the coaching staff. That's what makes me unsure about the positions these hires will take (Mostly what Chad Loeffler will coach). The only names I could eliminate off the list are Alvin Harper, Carl Pickens, and George Quarles. After that my source just told me that I'll find out Thursday when these other coaching hires are announced.
Posted by mbible1utk on January 9, 2008 at 12:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
TAB!!! You keep reposting my original post dude...what the crap!
Actually, I didn't know that bit about Jeff Demps. I can tell you that Rivals does not have him as someone who was recruited by Stan Drayton, but considering my source said that there was a big name recruit following Drayton to Tennessee, this might be the guy.
Posted by mbible1utk on January 9, 2008 at 12:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
one other note on Demps- Scout.com shows that he has a high interest in both Florida and Tennessee, and a low interest in Kentucky, all other schools are out of the running.
Posted by volunteer_cowboy on January 9, 2008 at 12:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
told you it was good and i wanted everyone to know
Posted by volunteer_cowboy on January 9, 2008 at 12:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
got excited about ole coach fulmer
Posted by sjt18 on January 9, 2008 at 10:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think UT is projecting Demps as a RB. UF has him as a WR.
Willingham may or may not be a true 6'2" but Vinson is that big. If Waggner has that kind of size and a true 4.5 40 then he can develop into a very solid CB with a RS year to get stronger and faster. If he runs a 4.5 that's maybe a little fudged then he's a Safety or possibly even a LB eventually at UT.
Posted by sjt18 on January 9, 2008 at 10:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
BTW, Waggner better hurry up if he hasn't already missed his window. The new staff will at the very least get UT some visits from guys more highly rated than he is.
Posted by Brama on January 9, 2008 at 11:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
4.5 Speed won't get if for a corner in the Sec he better plan on playing safety. 6 2" may be closer to 6 0" and his 4.5 40 time may be closer to 4.58
Posted by sjt18 on January 9, 2008 at 1:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
That's what I mean Brama. Those times are notoriously unreliable and even more so since the NCAA ruled that programs couldn't time kids at summer camps. Now they depend on the accuracy of a PE coach with a hand held stop watch.
A "true" 4.5 CB... is probably what 95% of all SEC CB's really are.
Posted by asleep on January 9, 2008 at 10:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If volunteer cowboy is right, maybe ol' Phil isn't as dumb as the haters think. I would love to see that arrangement. Nothing against what Coach Cut did for UT, or what he has meant in terms of wins over the years, but we need totally new blood. Clawson would bring a totally new concept of offense while Drayton and Loeffler would help keep things closer to the vest, something Fulmer would prefer. What a great combination and what a great catch to pick up Mallett and Demps. Of course, this is still all speculation at this point but I do find it interesting that Drayton coached with Clawson and he was hired out of the blue. Perhaps Clawson's idea? Go Vols!!!
BTW, saw Mark Schlabach's early pre-season top 25 and we weren't listed. What a joke!
Posted by ThaiVolFan on January 9, 2008 at 11:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Those pre-season top 25 polls are so political it isn't even funny. Those polls are the ones that really mess up college football, because you have to be ranked pretty high to begin with to be able to make it into the top 5 by the end of the year.
I also think that it is funny that the Big Ten, or Big Pretend as I like to call it, is the main confernece that is protesting a 4-8 team playoff at the end of the season. It is because they have enough pundits to keep them biasly ranked high which allows them to always have a shot at the title without actually having to win the tough games that the playoff would afford. Preseason polls by politically minded and motivated writers...who needs them, except the Big Pretend!
Go Vols!
Posted by FatherVol on January 9, 2008 at 11:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, cowboy, we're heading into the wee hours of Thursday and still no announcement of all those coach hires you promised for Wednesday. I understand they may still come through, but I have to give up the ghost and go to bed...
Posted by MisterVol on January 10, 2008 at 12:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow, I'm excited we could use him.
GO Vols!
Posted by orangebloodgmc on January 10, 2008 at 2:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Question ... what do these Vols have in common: Britton Colquitt, Daniel Lincoln, Inky Johnson, Ryan Karl, Ellix Wilson and Chris Brown? (Hint: it also applies to LSU's senior 1000yd rusher Jacob Hester).
Posted by Hunter on January 10, 2008 at 5:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It's Thursday afternoon and no word.......I am questioning vol_cowboy's source.........
Posted by sjt18 on January 10, 2008 at 6:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
orangeblood, Several of those guys were given 2* by Rivals if I remember correctly.
Lincoln and Wilson- I'm absolutely certain.
Posted by ChickamaugaVol on January 10, 2008 at 9:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Cowboy you still standing by the post above??? I'm very interested to see how it all pans out, I'm very excited about the possabilities!!
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