Markeith Ambles finally made it to Tennessee on Saturday for his official visit. It wasn’t easy.
The highly rated receiver and former UT commitment from Henry County High School in McDonough, Ga., made it to Knoxville after spending the night in Charlotte, N.C., on Friday. He flew from Atlanta to Charlotte in hopes that he could catch a connecting flight to Knoxville amidst wintry weather that limited travel in the region.
Unsuccessful, Ambles flew back to Atlanta on Saturday, according to his father, Keith Ambles.
Keith Ambles said his son was then picked up on Saturday afternoon and driven to UT by members of UT’s football office.
Ambles wrote on his Twitter account Saturday night “ridin up to k-town wit coach t (Lance Thompson, linebackers) and (UT recruiting intern Steve) rubio . . .”
Earlier in the day, Markeith Ambles just wanted to get out of Charlotte.
“If I can, I’ll go,” the 6-foot-3, 185-pound receiver said of traveling to UT. “But if they’re saying they don’t have a flight to Knoxville and they have one to Atlanta, I’m going back home.”
Ambles has been to UT several times, but has never taken his official visit, which he’ll finally do this weekend.
Ambles was committed to UT for months, but ruled out the Vols after former coach Lane Kiffin was hired by Southern California.
He seemed to be leaning towards joining Kiffin at USC after making an official visit there last weekend before hastily putting together this trip to Knoxville.
Even though National Signing Day is Wednesday, Ambles won’t face a strict time constraint.
He has said he might wait until after National Signing Day to announce his decision since he has two more official visits scheduled.
No Gos: A pair of UT commitments considered official visits elsewhere, but have decided against it.
Athlete Marcques Dixon from Southwest Dekalb High in Decatur, Ga., considered an official visit to Miami. He told the News Sentinel he cancelled that trip and will sign with UT on Wednesday.
UT defensive back commitment Eddrick Loften from Nimitz High in Irving, Texas, was scheduled to visit USC this weekend. However, his high school coach told Volquest.com that he didn’t take the trip and is firmly committed to UT.
Back Again: Quarterback Nash Nance traveled to Knoxville, according to a member of his family.
It is unclear if teammate Da’Rick Rogers from Calhoun (Ga.) High traveled with Nance for an unofficial visit to Knoxville. Rogers was originally scheduled to spend a second straight weekend in Knoxville before weather changed his and Nance’s travel plans.
Nance committed to UT on Thursday after being committed to Vanderbilt since June, when Rogers committed to Georgia. Rogers is thought to be strong strongly considering UT after he and Nance took an official visit to Knoxville last weekend.
For Kicks: Kicker Michael Palardy from St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said he’s still committed to UT despite an official visit to Miami earlier this month.
“I will be signing with Tennessee,” Palardy stated via text message to the News Sentinel.
Josh Ward contributed to this report.
© 2010, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Comments » 140
Bigger_Al writes:
Hope the visit goes better than the trip.
USNVOL writes:
I told you he was coming down I-81 to I-40.
Old sailors don't lie!
FirstAndGoal writes:
Dig it!! I'm feeling two 5-star commits coming at WR.
GO VOLS!!
volover writes:
was it orange pride members that picked him up?? That would be a +
I_Bleed_ORANGE writes:
Oh NO here comes the violations UT members picked him up NOT GOOD
rico43 writes:
"Keith Ambles said his son was then picked up on Saturday afternoon and driven to UT by members of UT's football office."
Wonder if it was by limo....
USNVOL writes:
oop's maybe that was I-75 to I-40!
But he got here that's all that matters.
Go Vols
DaddyVol writes:
This is great news.
lincolncovol writes:
glad you made it, hope you see how bad we want you so enjoy the greatness that is UT & dont forget to commit on your your way back home & stick with it like we've stuck with you
6MillionDollarPumpkin writes:
Lacy picked him up and "showed him the way" to Knoxville!
DERELICK_MY_VOLS writes:
He knows what the school is about already...he is there to be a VOL....BOOK IT!
abi writes:
Please reward us with a yes we love you and want you to be a VOL. Tennessee is the institution you commited to . Your pareents can see you play and the education will propel you to a greater height. The bus is filling up please join the ride GO VOLS
mlsoft#228820 writes:
No violations for this. His Official Visit began when he initially left home to fly to Knoxville. Because of that, Coach LT was able to go get him and it was entirely within NCAA guidelines.
mlsoft
cgbtn#206676 writes:
I don't think that is a problem. I live in Clarksville. A LB named Hall from Northeast high here plays for Texas. When he went down for his official visit, Texas sent their airplane up here to get him. That was much publicized and caused no problem.
TennesseeTuxedo writes:
Ambles has been on a hell trip for the ages. I have to believe he is quite serious about becoming a Volunteer to put up with all of the travel issues he has faced so far this weekend.
http://www.thevolunteeronline.com
rockytop4ever writes:
I was wondering if we were ever going to send someone to get this guy.
asleep#212036 writes:
No violation. NCAA says visit starts at first contact, which, in this case, was a car ride. On an official visit, there are no restrictions on how many coaches and/or members of the staff can have contact. Now if they did pick him up in a limo..... Surely DD and his law degree understand the rules and hold them in higher esteem than did the former coach and his staff.
dvhill100 writes:
It's not over until he signs, but certainly I take it as a great sign he was willing to go through all this nonsense with travel to come see UT.
volzcrushm writes:
DON'T TAKE HIM BACK TIL HE SIGNS!!!!
rockytopatl writes:
Nope, it was I-75 all the way from Hotlanta to Knoxpatch.
AllVols writes:
As good as this is for UT football, it still sounds that Ambles is playing the "you WANT me, you NEED me," game. It would have been cool to hear that Ambles himself found a way to Knoxvegas rather than UT staff having to pick him up.
At any rate, good for UT, and hopefully we can impress.
rockytopatl writes:
If we get Ambles and Rogers, we WILL be Wide Receiver U once again.
lincolncovol writes:
any word if someone could go to olive branch really would like our chances if robinson was visiting
DERELICK_MY_VOLS writes:
So are just going to put him up in a locked cage until NSD? Then when the ink is on the paper unlock it?
Govolsps writes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7-g34...
DOOLEY
ogeronsredbullcanrecycler writes:
On another thread someone made a good point about Ambles' visit to USC must have left him unpleased or he would have committed. I agree with that and wonder why. He would not be visiting UT if USC was lights out everything he wanted. I think a few reasons might be....
1) Distance from home
2) Pending violations at USC
3) Kiffin is greasy
4) UT's Facilities
5) The SEC
6) Dooley & Baggett
lincolncovol writes:
has anyone got a list of who made it this weekend
rockytoprowdie writes:
im happy about the kicker palardy...he's like the best kicker in this class right?
marinevol writes:
I like the way you think. Keep him here until signing day.
chaos001 writes:
"UT defensive back commitment Eddrick Loften from Nimitz High in Irving, Texas, was scheduled to visit USC this weekend. However, his high school coach told Volquest.com that he didn’t take the trip and is firmly committed to UT."
sweet.
"“I will be signing with Tennessee,” Palardy stated via text message to the News Sentinel."
Double sweetness.
rockytopatl writes:
Speaking of Da'Rick Rogers, read this blog in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. They have already lost another Rogers -- linebacker Deon Rogers -- to Louisville and they are running scared down here. Read the comments. Pretty funny stuff:
http://blogs.ajc.com/recruiting/2010/...
DaddyVol writes:
USC sits at the edge of the Watts District...a gang ridden ghetto of south Los Angeles.
Now...on to important matters. What is the laterst on Palardy???
BigBadVol writes:
That would be me. After visiting USC, he hastily made a decision to visit UT once again. I believe he sees the lies that Kiffin has told and wanted no part of it. He said he would not recruit TN prospects but they contacted Ambles not the other way around. Maybe Ambles decided to meet coach Dooley again because he has seen how liars and cheats act.
stayingorange writes:
Great news about Ambles and the updates on the other soon to be Vols. Need to convert a few more by Wednesday and hold onto Copeland.
DaddyVol writes:
He just wants to hunt and fish in the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains...NOT...the Los Angeles River, which is nothing more than a polluted concrete drainage ditch.
Plasticman writes:
When I heard there was a 20 car pile-up on I-75 North between Loudon and Lenoir City, I thought "oh man, if Ambles is involved in that accident, he'll never sign with us" Whew... glad he might it. Now, let's close the deal. This would be like when we signed Peyton Manning and all the great WR's to go with him (Nash, Kent, Copeland). Bray has to be loving this.
DenverVol writes:
Hope the Rock was painted up for him!!
Plasticman writes:
GreAT NEWS ON BOTH. iT'S ALL COMING TOGETHER.
All_Vol writes:
Thanks Coach Thompson for picking up this young man. I propose a promotion to D-coordinator for you.
Layla_K writes:
Rah! We love ya Markeith!
Be all you can be.....Be a Vol!
rich182x writes:
Northeast...gross. I went to Rossview!!!
roaddawg80 writes:
The kid was a 3*. UGA offered him from the begining and was going to honor his scholorship, however didn't fit the new 3-4 scheme and knew he probably wouldn't play. That's why he went to Louisville. No worries here!
tnsportsman writes:
Yes your right, have the rules book right here. So long as it's an offical visit and the same privilige of transportation is offered and/or provided to all recruits. I didn't know this one?
This is Great News about the 2 commits that didn't take trips elsewhere and Ambles. I'm surprised how hard Ambles worked to get this trip in, way to go MAN, shows class!
Feeling much better again about NSD!
GO VOLS! Woo Hoo!
allVolinGA writes:
Not too bright if you fly to Charlotte from Atlanta trying to get to Knoxville when a major snow storm is barreling down on both ET and NC. If flights are delayed/canceled from ATL to TYS, why would they not be delayed or canceled from Charlotte? Storm had been predicted for days. Even I was smart enough to get out of Knoxville and head South on Thursday.
Wonder if he is smarter than Brandon Warren and can learn the plays?
keepitreal4vols writes:
Not trying to be a Debbie Downer but it makes me wonder why he hasn't talked, texted, twitted about his USC visit. Is this a Kiffin switch a roo plan on NSD?
I am hopeful but skeptical that he is truly interested in the VOLS. IF he was really interested than why is his father at home and not here giving his son his fatherly advice like most recruits on official visits. These are the visits that the whole family can come and enjoy a weekend on the university's nickel.
I'm only a guy staring at a computer screen with absolutely no inside info but it just seems odd that Ambles' recruiting has done a 360 back to Tennessee.
Come wear the ORANGE Markeith!
lincolncovol writes:
All-Vol I agree the man has stayed true to us we should reward that especially since there hasn't been alot of it lately around(a--mus,garza&brown) If no blockbuster hire in works I believe we could do alot worse GO LT seal the deal!!!!!
All_Vol writes:
Really....?
Shutup
Hillbilly_Orange writes:
Don't forget J. Hunter also
barrypierce1#245733 writes:
Keep up the good work coach and welcome to God's country young man. This recruiting class is looking better and better. Anybody know of any new recruits that we haven't been hearing about? I've been sort of expecting to land a few more kids from Louisiana or Texas.
Looking good....Go Big Orange!
RCVOLIN10 writes:
Most likely it was covered with about 6 inches of snow.
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