Tennessee coach Derek Dooley said once he completed his coaching staff, he would finally be able to catch his breath.
Mission accomplished. Breathe. Now back to recruiting.
Dooley isn't done playing catch-up. As with any coaching change, there's a scramble to evaluate the next class soon after the first one is signed.
While Dooley was coaching at Louisiana Tech, higher-level programs were already trying to poach Tennessee for talent while the Vols went through their second coaching change in little more than a year.
There was reason to think they'd have success within Tennessee's borders. The former regime under Lane Kiffin never made in-state recruiting a priority. That staff was as comfortable in Atlanta, South Florida, Texas or California as Memphis or Maryville.
Dooley has said that will change under his watch. He has said in-state recruiting will be a priority during his tenure.
Here are some of the prospects Dooley will be evaluating in the coming weeks for the signing Class of 2011:
n Jabriel Washington: Likely the top prospect in the state, the 5-foot-11, 165-pound athlete from Trinity Christian Academy in Jackson already has dozens of scholarship offers.
In December, Washington said he was down to UT, LSU and Georgia. Much has changed since then. It will be interesting to see how Washington's recruitment unfolds when more schools - and Dooley - come calling.
n Lonnie Ballentine: A 6-3, 195-pound safety from Southwind High School in Memphis, Ballentine had a UT offer before the coaching change. There's no reason to think that the current UT staff won't follow up on that.
LSU again is in the mix. The Tigers clearly have made recruiting in Tennessee a priority, often led by former UT defensive coordinator John Chavis. Chavis helped secure highly rated defensive end Justin Maclin this year. Even before Chavis' hiring, LSU was having success facing off against the Vols on their home turf.
The Tigers secured running back Dominique Allen from Paris and offensive lineman Alex Hurst from Arlington in 2009 and 2008, respectively.
n Antonio Richardson: With offers from UT, Alabama, Kentucky and others, the 6-6, 310-pound offensive lineman from Ensworth High in Nashville should only see his stock continue to grow.
n Jeremiah Bryson: A 5-8, 175-pound running back from Smyrna High, Bryson reportedly has offers from Maryland and North Carolina. He is another example of how the state's 2011 class is stocked with skill-position prospects.
n Devrin Young: He has wowed the Knoxville area with his quickness and speed. Size might be an issue for some as they evaluate the 5-8, 170-pound running back from Bearden.
However, Stanford didn't have a problem with Young's stature; the Cardinal have offered Young a scholarship. More will follow.
n Terry Redden: Dooley knows he needs defensive tackles at UT. Redden is certainly worth a look. The 6-1, 280-pounder from Memphis Whitehaven has a scholarship offer from Clemson.
n Tino Thomas: Former UT offensive coordinator coach David Cutcliffe has offered Thomas a scholarship, hoping he can get Duke in front of other schools. That's a good move. Interest should only grow in the 6-foot, 190-pound athlete from Memphis Melrose High.
On The Level: Want another reason to appreciate UT's 2010 class? Then compare it to classes from schools that faced the same challenge the Vols did: a coaching change.
Only Southern Cal (fifth) and Florida State (10th) ranked higher than the Vols among programs that had coaching changes since last season, according to Scout.com. And remember, UT's transition came later than all others, except for Louisiana Tech.
Here is where other coaching-change schools finished in the class rankings: Notre Dame (19), Texas Tech (37), Louisville (46), Kentucky (47), South Florida (50), Cincinnati (60), Kansas (66), Virginia (67), Memphis (78), Marshall (83), UNLV (93), Louisiana Tech (94) and East Carolina (106).
More Than Words: Based on his resume, it would be fair to question how well UT's newest coach, Chuck Smith, will recruit.
After all, Smith hasn't recruited before. All of his coaching background is at the professional level.
UT fans shouldn't fret. Smith's passion should make him a fantastic recruiter. Smith's resume gives him instant credibility.
Smith has a long history of getting defensive linemen paid, thanks to his time tutoring NFL defensive linemen. That will certainly help him land top-flight prospects.
For proof that such a sales pitch works, look at former UT assistant coach Ed Orgeron. He has built much of his recruiting career on preparing defensive linemen for the NFL.
Dave Hooker covers recruiting. He may be reached at hookerd@knoxnews.com.
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Comments » 110
sampears writes:
WoW! Great read......no too shabby hooker....
NoogaVol55 writes:
Thanks Dave....
VolunteerPassion writes:
Good article. But right now, all I'm worried about is getting everything that there is to do before Sep. 4 done. Lets Go Vols!!
BIVOLAR_BEAR writes:
Make them all future Vols, Go CDD!!
NoogaVol55 writes:
I agree on the Chuck Smith philosophy...If I was him, I'd lay down a list of NFL players I had tutored and let that do my talking...what is the old saying, "What you do speaks so loudly, I can't even hear what your saying." Kids aren't stupid, show them results and they will buy in.
Fryinpansvols writes:
Thats right CDD is going to put up an electric fence around Tennessee's borders! By the way, I've heard good things about the Richardson kid from Ensworth. Reel em in CDD! GBO!
Southland writes:
UT has ignored some of the best talent in the nation at times simply because they were from the state of Tennessee. Golden Tate is the latest example in a long line of nonsense. UT has to recruit outside of the state for sure but that does not mean we neglect the instate talent. Kiffin, Fulmer and Majors were all guilty of it and I have say that Majors may have been the worst. Bama manages to get our best most years and that folks is a crime if I ever have known of one
jasonsvols writes:
dont think defensive linemen will be a problem recruiting, chuck's the man, probably the coolest coach we have, no problem recruiting.
golfballs03 writes:
Looks like Tennessee has a great class of rising seniors!
DT4Vols writes:
just wondering one thing why there was no mention of mike wegzyn in the article?
Bloodrunzorange writes:
I watched him play all last year. Ricky Bowers is a great coach! He has another year to develop. He helped Orleans Darkwa average 300 yards a game and he plays good defense. When he learns to play low, he will be great! Go Vols!
Ironcity writes:
Golden hated UT. He never considered us. We certainly didn't ignore him.
tennezz writes:
That is because Alabama makes them an $$$,$$$.$$ offer they can`t refuse!
volzcrushm writes:
CHECK THIS OUT/ Still, uneasy rests the crown. Reports late Wednesday surfaced that offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson, the nation's No. 2 prospect, had not signed with the Trojans. He had announced on national TV earlier in the day that he had decided on USC, but the New York Times - which had a reporter spend a week with Henderson recently - reported that Henderson was having second thoughts because of possible NCAA sanctions against the Trojans.
Henderson reportedly will not sign until after USC appears before the NCAA infractions committee Feb. 19-21. While no NCAA decision is expected to be announced at that time, Henderson's father told the Times that the hearing would provide the family with some sort of idea of what could happen
Seriouslyorange writes:
The possibilities get better and better as CDD gets in his groove after the hectic recruiting trail. We have nothing but good things to look forward to.And reel in those in-state guys. That wiil be a tremendous advantage to our program.
murrayvol writes:
Good job Dave. You're off the hook.
BreatheUT writes:
I have to hand it to you Dave, this is a good article. It's positive and laced with facts.
It's funny that LSU is using Chavis to recruit the state of Tennessee when he sucked at recruiting when he was here. He has the personality of a rock. It's time to run LSU out of the state. I don't understand the attraction to the nitwit, Les Miles anyway.
keepitreal4vols writes:
Check back in Feb 2011 to see how many flip floppers we get or lose. Not sure the word commitment means anything.
OwensboroVol writes:
In the past few years I would often wonder just how much we were recruiting some of the Tennessee Kids. This was during the Fulmer years as well as the short period Kiffin was here. I believe, and I think any investigation would prove, that most Tennessee Kids grow up with Orange blood and would do most anything to be able to wear that orange jersey on Saturdays in the fall. I don't know how many times I either heard or read that Tennessee had entered the game way too late and after the Kid had been sold on another SEC School. When you don't recruit a Kid until the last minute I believe that you insult him. He believes that the only reason you want him now is because some other athlete has chosen another school, and this may actually be true. When my son was playing football We lived in the Nashville area. All of his friends, and him, lived and died by the Tennessee team. My house sometimes resembled a Prison Farm with all of the Orange clothing being worn. I would talk to these Kids and they let it be known that they would do anything within the law to play for Tennessee.
Alwaysavol writes:
"For proof that such a sales pitch works, look at former UT assistant coach Ed Orgeron."
I'd rather not.
utclassof1992 writes:
Ahmaad Galloway, Curtis Alexander, Shaun Bohannon, Baron Huber, Donta Hightower, Santonio Beard, Cassen Jackson-Garrison, Randall Cobb, Patrick Turner, Golden Tate, and Leroy Thompson. Think any of those kids could have made a difference for UT? I am glad that DD is making recruiting the state a priority again. The last 3 coaches let WAY too much talent leave the state.
sizematters writes:
what bout Mike Wegzyn qb in knoxville
johnnyvol writes:
Let's get Chuck on the ground running with the Henderson kid before he goes to that other school!
kdaff51 writes:
Any 7th graders on the list? Better hurry, The Kiffmeister is going to be signing them out of day care pretty soon!
FWBVol writes:
Some of those guys, like Tate and Patrick, Fulmer did recruit. I'm pretty sure Majors went pretty hard after Thompson from AE too, I believe the same year Reggie Cobb came out of Fulton.
Thompson wanted to get away from Knoxville and see what was out there beyond East Tennessee, and that isn't all that uncommon as I'm sure you know.
I would imagine that some of those guys you mentioned told the UT coaches up front that they weren't interested so you never heard a lot about Tennessee recruiting them.
I don't think Tennessee should recruit a Tennessee high school kid just because he makes the KNS list of the top 25 in the state. A lot of those kids at the bottom of the list do end up at MTSU or Tennessee Tech.
I don't even think we should recruit every top 10 kid in the state unless we have a need for the specific position he plays or that he might be willing and able to play at the SEC level. That said, if we need linebackers and there is a 3-star LB in Tennessee and another in Alabama that are basically equal in their measurements, I think the Tennessee guy should be offered first.
I do like what I heard Derek Dooley say in CBS interview/conversation with Phillip Fulmer, and that was he was going to recruit Tennessee hard and then go within the region. CDD believes there is enough talent with a four or five hour radius of Knoxville to field a competitive SEC football team.
That radius would take the coaches into both the Carolinas, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and possibly parts of Pennsylvania. Of course the key is gaining entry into those areas and then reeling in a few prospects to start the flow into Knoxville.
vols615 writes:
they bryson kid is for real played against him watched him since a freshman one of the best plays i have ever seen from him in the state championship game as a freshman he got a right toss heading for the goal line got hit the ball in his right hand as he was going down he held his ground with his left hand and spun into the endzone he will be legit
al2476 writes:
I live within a few miles of where Golden Tate lived and went to school and he despised Tn. and never would have gone to UT. So don't keep includong his name into the articles of where we missed athletes. He was going to N.D. all along and nothing was going to change him. I say good riddance if he did not want to be a vol.
VOLinDAWGland writes:
Golden Tate was never ignored, he just made it very clear he was heading to Notre Dame. There was nothing within the NCAA rules we or anyone else could do to change his mind.
AtLeastMyTeamHasPerfectSeasons writes:
Come on! Tennessee hasn't offered any 13 year olds yet? Man this Dooley guy is way behind.
volsoutwest writes:
Dave, you've outdone yourself. Thanks for a good, positive, informative article. I do believe that some past coaches have neglected in-state talent. Too many slip through the cracks. Patrick Willis comes to mind. I hope Coach Dooley is true to his word and really goes after some of this talent.
ghost_of_which_doctor (Inactive) writes:
Great article Mr. Hooker!
There is a big ole nasty offensive lineman in McMinville who might be worth a looksie! The most offensive thing is his nose hair!!!
BubbaJ writes:
Good article; However, I wouldn't knock Chuck Smith as a recruiter. Have you ever met the guy? Super personality! Knows UT program better than anyone on this staff. Can sell program as a stepping stone to the NFL. Has great knowledge of what it takes to play DL. On top of all that, Chuck is very well known in the Atlanta area, and along with coach Dooley, you can bet the Vols will be raiding the Atlanta area of talent like never before.
volnbig11land writes:
With your 119 posts since December, there is no chance of "only positive things" being on here.
Now Thats the Truth!
Psychovol writes:
Keep them home Double D and go after recruits in Louisiana too. They know and respect you down there as well as Georgia.
This is better than the usual fare from Hooker.
xtremevol writes:
We should definatley be going after Dewaun Massengill from Bradley Central!!! this kid is a Beast!!
nocleats writes:
Find me the 2 meanest nastiest toughest biggest baddest DTackles in the state. Feed um gunpowder and get them to Knoxville, then turn em loose like the Hanson Bros on Tns opponents.. The meaner and dirtier the better
Psychovol writes:
You're correct. The rest of the world hated Kiffin except for the AD at SC and he's known for being an idiot. Now we're getting good will for the drive-by we endured by the hired gun.
volnbig11land writes:
hahaha, well said.
There is a big drop in the troll activity and that is a welcome change!
Still a couple of village idiots (you know who you are), but there are a lot less.
kd45music writes:
It's nice to have a real coach in charge up on the hill. Maybe we'll really build a homegrown team we can all be proud of. I've always felt we didn't pick the state clean of the best talent. Let's lock down our borders.
VOLume27 writes:
Also, it's not shocking that Tate went to N.D. Tate went to John Paul II High School.
This is a good watch list. For others, 3sib.com published a blog yesterday.
Doesn't matter whether Hooker got the idea from "Third Saturday in Blogtober" -- this is still a good article. Kudos, and let's see more of them.
Down_The_Field writes:
we had a need for every position on rivals top 25 players in tennessee and most of these guys could have played at tennessee. i'd say 1-15 and 21, 24. the rest are worthy of serious evaluation.
1. J. Smith 4* DE Tennessee
2. B. Brunetti 4* QB West Virginia
3. K. Malone WR 4* Alabama
4. J. Stone OL 4* Tennessee
5. J. Maclin DE 4* LSU
6. O.C. Brown 4* S. Miss
7. F. Bohanna 3* Miss St.
8. H. Jones TE 3* Alabama
9. B. Ivory 3* DT Alabama
10. J. Brown 3* LB Illinois
11. C. Clemmons 3* OL W. Kent
12. T. McAdoo 3* DT Kentucky
13. J. Duke 3* OL Ole Miss
14. A. Williamson 3* LB Kentucky
15. D. Johnson 3* DE Duke
16. O. Darkwa 3* Tulane
17. K McBride 3* RB Navy
18. M. Gooch 3* WR none listed
19. E. Watson 3* RB none listed
20. J. Burton 3* WR Missouri St.
21. C. Jones 3* DE Memphis
22. C. Bowen 3* LB S. Miss
23. Q. Alton 3* TE North Carolina
24. F. Harvey 3* LB Memphis
25. D. Stone 3* QB Tenn. Tech.
we only got 2 of these guys and if not for CDD, it'd been only 1. seven of these players will play against us in sec competition this year.
how many of us agree that we are in need of players on the defensive front? well number 5 is a DE that will be playing for LSU. number 9 is a DT that Alabama thought was good enough for them. number 10 could have been a good LB prospect but he'll be playing in the big 10 this year. 14 and 15 are a little on the fringe but are definitely worth evaluation.
i believe CDD is right. go after the top 10 players in the border states; go after the top 100 in flar-duh; and go after the top 10 to 15 from tennessee and seriously evaluate the rest.
my ultimate point is we get good talent and we don't have to call a team meeting and explain to a southern california kid why we hate alabama, vandy, kentucky, etc.
jhayes0926#638474 writes:
anyone else get tired of the cliche "reel 'em in"? That's almost as bad as "1st".
tnsportsman writes:
I agree with you on the other 8 SEC signees from TN HS all should be at UT, but the others on your list? Look at where they signed.
I hope Coach Dooley and Staff goes after the Top 10 TN HS players real HARD! We still need Top Recruits from FL, GA, SC, AL, MS, TX, and several from the West Coast.
Hope UT does start capturing again the TN Top HS Players!
GBO!
CroKev writes:
Thanks DTF for this! From the article you'd think LSU was picking all the low-hanging fruit but it appears they only got 1 out of the top-25. Doesn't sound like much cause for concern. UT seems to have been more successful recruiting in Louisiana. Also, re. Chuck Smith, don't you just know that Copeland and Willis have to be kicking themselves now for missing out on him! What all-pros paid big money for is now available to Miller et al. for absolutely no charge! Go Big Orange D!
rockytop#413695 writes:
Yeah, all Chuck Smith has to say to a dline recruit is, "Albert Haynesworth, Shaun Ellis, Ray Lewis, Richard Seymour and Osi Umenyiora all paid big bucks for me to trane them! And if you sign with my Vols you can get 3 or 4 years of this same training absolutely free! So, what NFL team would you like to play for after you help the Vols win a national championship?"
What kid could turn that down?
stayingorange writes:
Get all we can from in state and spread the border into the backyard too like with Da'Rick.
Here's a god one with UT on the early list:
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/20...
volzcrushm writes:
THE TOP 10 RECRUITS IN TENNESSEE GO TO MAJOR SCHOOLS EVERY YEAR.... WE SHOULD HAVE A POLICY THAT IF THE KID CAN MAKE THE TOP 5 OR 10, THAT IT IS AN AUTO OFFER FROM UT..... OR SOMETHING TO GET THEM THINKING UT.
richvol writes:
GOD yes...give it a rest.
richvol writes:
Tennessee needs to continue to recruit California hard as we have gotten several talented kids out of that talent rich state and USC and UCLA can't take them all.
We also need to start recruiting the northern states once again like Pennsylvania,New Jersey and Ohio. Several of our all-americans came out of those states years ago and they are full of big linemen.
Look at the film of Mike Wegzyn on the third Saturday in blogtober site. He has an amazing arm and is right here in Knoxville now.
volball7222 writes:
Chris Sensabaugh?
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