Tennessee ended up hosting five official visitors this weekend, including two last-minute additions: defensive end Cameron Henderson from Shades Valley High School in Birmingham, Ala., and defensive lineman Montori Hughes from Siegel High.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Henderson committed to Auburn in August. The 6-5, 265-pound Hughes is a new name in recruiting circles that could fill one of UT’s strongest needs — defensive tackle — in the 2008 signing class.
The Vols also hosted defensive end Quinton Coples (6-7, 235 pounds) from Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., defensive back J.T. Floyd (5-11, 180 pounds) from J.L. Mann High in Greenville, S.C., and quarterback Casey Kelly (6-2, 190 pounds) from Sarasota (Fla.) High.
UT was hoping that Gerell Robinson from Hamilton High in Chandler, Ariz., would make an official visit but that didn’t happen. The 6-4, 210-pound athlete committed to Arizona State in December but is thought to still have some interest in UT.
Coples has taken official visits to Florida State, North Carolina and North Carolina State.
Floyd committed to UT in Sept. 2006 but has since looked at several schools, including Michigan, Georgia Tech and N.C. State.
Kelly is down to UT and Arizona State, where he took an official visit last weekend. Kelly is also considering pursuing a baseball career depending on where he’s drafted in this spring’s draft.
UT has 13 commitments for the 2008 class. National Signing Day is Feb. 6.
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Comments » 31
Pullingguard writes:
Good things might just happen yet for the Vol Recruiting year.. Will be interesting to see what happens between now and signing day...
gohawks1 writes:
Casey Clausen, Andy Kelly, and now Casey Kelly. I won't ever be able to keep his name straight if he comes to UT.
waterskier3#226480 writes:
i hope you are right plasticman.... recruit baby recruit
thesavageorange writes:
Hughes was a 5A all state DT and a Mr. football finalist.Had 27 tackles for loss.Don't know why , but he is not listed on rivals or scout.
Oenoboy writes:
A top 20 class would almost be impossible. After last year's huge class, I was under the impression we are only going after around 18 recruits and are not trying to fill many "skill" positions.
The way the recruiting services rate the players and the classes, we will be fortunate to finish in the top 30. That does not mean the class is a failure. You can only judge that four years down the road.
It amazes me that many of you are worried about our current standing. Fulmer has always pulled his classes together at the last hour.
nivatne writes:
All right Phil, I hope you are the 'big fisherman' we all hope you are...start reeling in the recruits!!! GO VOLS!!!
GerryOP writes:
Sounds lke Good Ol' Phil is out there workin' like heck!
TommyJack writes:
He must be getting hip. The orange wife-beater?
inquiry writes:
"Casey Clausen, Andy Kelly, and now Casey Kelly. I won't ever be able to keep his name straight if he comes to UT."
Add a "Clawson" now to all that confusion, along with a punter named Colquitt
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Casey Kelly is a strong prospect for baseball. Haven't check "star" ratings on the DE and DT, but if they're upright and breathing, c'mon down or up as the case may be.
mcbrim1998-any more word on the recruiting "infraction". Does it amount to anything?
gohawks1 writes:
I forgot about that one, inquiry. There's no hope for me, now.
nicksjuzunk#646117 writes:
oenoboy: You apparently know more than I do and your comments ease my fears a bit. I just hope you are right.
utkjoe29 writes:
McBrim
MICH (9-4) 7 14 7 13 41
#12 FLA (9-4) 7 7 14 7 35
Thanks for reppin the SEC...
Oenoboy writes:
Posted by nicksjuzunk on January 26, 2008 at 6:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
oenoboy: You apparently know more than I do and your comments ease my fears a bit. I just hope you are right.
_________________________
Apparently I don't. I just read on SuperPrep that we are planning on signing 23 players.
GO PHIL!!!
HighlanderVol writes:
You know it is sad that the lizard boy fan has to come to the vols site. That's not saying a lot about Florida lizards web site.
gvegasvol writes:
Hey Mcbrim
Final Rankings:
#12 Tennessee
#13 florida
vol1994 writes:
mcbrim- I respect anyone's opinion but please think clearly before posting such ridiculous comments. You better be worried about your own head coach as Myer is under some scrutiny right now.
I will be polite when I say your ole boy UM is a little shady at best when it comes to ethics when recruiting. The recent stories are not even the headline of what he has done in the past.
That is all I will say for now as I am sure he and the gators will be investigated but found of no wrong doing but when there's smoke there's fire.
Fulmer has his faults but the man can recruit and has been ETHICAL when doing so.. Any recruit who did NOT attend UT will tell you that Fulmer has integrity and is honest while recruiting.
budd#207344 writes:
Florida's glory years were under their best player SS. They think that the Urban legend in his own mind will take them to the promisded land. He won an NC with the Zooksters players. His system is bankrupt as shown by his THIRD place finish in the SEC east and his loss to a team that lost to App State.
Please keep running your mouth gator fan it is going to look soooo sweet
volunteer_cowboy writes:
we got walls but does that mean that abrams-ward looks elsewhere and wells also and do we keep floyd, fowlkes and lathers. i just hope we dont lose those 3 and still get wells and abrams-ward
anthony writes:
There's always next year guys.
nicksjuzunk#646117 writes:
Vol1994: Well said.
TDTN: I am assuming that you jest on your 11:33 post.
DekanGator writes:
I just seen this on the news... "this just in" Florida scored again vs Tenn
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Tdtn 11:35 p.m. Easy on the jelly glazed. The Surgeon General's office has them ranked in the "nuclear" section for addiction. Apple fritters are over in "Armageddon -totally lost cause".
Just recruit defense, Vols, defense.
nicksjuzunk#646117 writes:
DekanGator: I hear it is basketball season now. You guys want a piece of TN? The last couple of years you just can't seem to get enough of em' huh?
D_in_Iraq writes:
Been listening to all this "Star Rating" phooey, and how Tennessee is so low. Amazing how Rivals can have one player with a 4 Star Rating, while Scout has the same guy tabbed as a 1-Star...? While Scout has one guy a 4 Star and Rivals lists him as a marginal 2-3 Star at best...? I have also noticed Rod Wilkes rated marginal as well, yet on ESPN's website, he was top 100? Quite a contrast.
I also noticed Gerald Williams is rated a 1 Star by Scout, yet at CCSF he was the Defensive Capt, led the team in tackles, and had his coach saying stating they "couldn't have accomplished the Championship without our Defensive Star Gerald Williams..." My point being, Williams is rated a 1 Star, while 2 others on the same damn Defense are rated 5 Stars. Does this make sense???
Finally, I see the Elementary School comments about food items, Fulmers weight, et al... continue. I thought some of you might have become more original, but guess not... Great to see you ruined a nice article about Ainge as well... What a Great Fan... (tongue firmly implanted)...
jack_2222#231746 writes:
Watch the Senior Bowl yesterday? It's amazing how many future NFL'ers come from small schools like TennSt, Appy St and Hampton. How do these kids fly under the radar coming out of high school? Is it grades that limit their college choices? Did they mature late? Is their passion for football what made them better? Or great coaching?
As difficult as it is drafting for the NFL, it's even tougher picking the right ones during college recruiting. Sure there's always some "can't miss" types who are easy to spot, but finding those hidden gems is a real dice roll.
arkyvol writes:
face it. any way you look at it, this year is going to be a recruiting disaster. the best the vols can hope for is some scraps and maybe a surprise or two. put a couple more years together like this, and the fulmer era will be history.
VolCane7979 writes:
DekanGator: "I just seen this on the news". Either you are 9 years old or you are retarded. As the game was over 4 months ago, I think all of the scoring has stopped, along with related jokes. Thanks for playing.
wcirwin64#584242 writes:
WHY ARE FLORIDA FANS POSTING COMMENTS ON HERE????
IT'S LIKE A MORMON STANDING UP TO GIVE TESTIMONY AT A BAPTIST CHURCH.(OR VISE-VERSA)
ANYWAY, GOOD JOB PULLING AWAY IN THE 4TH QRTR OF THE 3RD GAME OF THE SEASON AGAINST OUR VOLS.
SHAME ON YOU FLORIDA AND UM FOR FALLING TO 9-4, NOT MAKING THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, AND LOSING TO A BIG TEN TEAM.(THE ONLY SEC TEAM TO DO SO IN A BOWL). i GUESS FINISHING STRONG HELPS US TO SWALLOW THAT LOSS TO THE GATORS, WHILE BEATING US 5 MONTHS AGO IS ALL THE GATORS HAVE TO CLING TO THIS TIME OF YEAR. OPPS, GOTTA RUN. MY OLE HOUND DOG IS CHEWING ON A REPTILE OUT IN THE YARD ... HE STOLE IT FROM A WOLVERINE AFTER KICKING THE @#%&@# OUT OF A BADGER.
OrangeBlitz writes:
D in Iraq you are quite right. Our recruiting is not as bad as some people think. I trust in our coaches’ judgment a lot more than mine or any other want to be talking trash on this website. If they knew football better than our coaches why don't they just go out there and prove it in the real world. Get a coaching job making several millions of dollars, earn the respect of your players and other coaches around the league, and compete in arguably the hardest division in any conference in college football. If you think our coaches and players are not any good and do not stand a chance to be competitive then find a new team.
To the ones taking cheap shots at CPF and UT: don't throw stones from a glass house because somebody will throw them back.
Sorry, I've been holding that in way too long.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
arkyvol, recruiting will only be a disaster if we don't get the defensive help we need. Even if we don't, one bad class won't kill us with what we have coming back, as well as the addition/return of Morley and Warren, who aren't counted as part of this class. As several posters have accurately pointed out, the rankings don't mean much, for a whole lot of reasons that I won't bore people by going into now. We will probably do better than the doom-sayers fear, but still may not crack the top-20. Whatever happens, this will not be the end of the world. GO VOLS; FINISH STRONG!
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