| 23 January 2012
It’s that time of year again. The time of year that is better than Christmas for the fanatics of the college football world. If you’re anything like myself, you have been on the message boards daily looking for even the smallest snippet of insider news on the recruiting trail. Well on the first Wednesday of February, this year February 1st, all of the excitement and even dread, will for the most part be put to rest. It’s no secret that the coaching turnover on Rocky Top is getting old. Not only are we starved for wins, but stability as well. Mostly because those two generally go hand-in-hand. But despite the recent attrition among the staff, the Vols 2012 class has not really taken too big of a hit. Let’s take a look at how the Vols are looking on the recruiting trail, as well as what to expect on NSD.
First off, I am very impressed with what I’m seeing so far out of Coach Sal Sunseri. The guy can flat out recruit, and the clout of his former school is paying dividends on the recruiting trail for the Vols. While the Vols have seen a few players decommit such as, Keithon Redding, Imani Cross, Kenneth Crawley, and Khalid Henderson, things have honestly been looking pretty good as of late. Dooley and gang have upgraded with commitments from 4-star CB Dion Bonner, 4-star ATH Davante Bourque, and 4-star DT Daniel McCullers. However, as always, expect there to be some drama on NSD. Here are a few guys to watch that could end up somewhere else than Rocky Top on the 1st.
Reports came in yesterday that long time Vol commit, Dalton Santos, will be visiting Texas next weekend. This is the one school that from the get-go everyone knew could give Tennessee trouble with Santos if they showed interest. Some sources are saying that it is basically a done deal and that Santos will be a Longhorn after this visit. While my source is usually spot on regarding recruiting, I personally will wait until February 1st to officially see how it all goes down. But let’s say he does in fact flip to Texas. Several, nay, the majority, of Vol fans on the message boards are going to be devastated by this loss. However, I will take the opposite stance. I will miss this kid because I love his attitude and think he will be a solid leader, but purely from a talent standpoint, it is not a big hit to the 2012 class. I think he will be a good LB in college, but I am much more excited about the likes of Otha Peters and sophomore Christian Harris. Would I like to have him? Of course. But let’s not overreact to one kid heading elsewhere. Another prospect to keep an eye on on NSD is Alton “Pig” Howard. While Howard has said that he is solid to the Vols, never underestimate the pressure from a mother and the convenience of staying at home in Florida. While I hope he stays solid, don’t be surprised if Howard flips to UCF on NSD. Finally, just watch the recently committed ATH Bourque as well. While this young man is an exceptional athlete, he also has a knack for taking his verbal commitments lightly. He has decommitted from a couple other schools, most recently LSU. The school to keep an eye out for is Miami (FL), the same school his friend and high school teammate is considering. Bourque visited Miami this past weekend and insists that it was just for fun, but considering his past, I wouldn’t be shocked if he jumped ship.
Now let’s take a look at some the remaining targets for Coach Dooley and his staff. While Coach Sunseri has only been in Knoxville for a short time, he has already made an impression on several recruits the Vols have been pursuing. Dooley would love to land one more highly touted DT to compliment an already impressive DT haul consisting of Danny O’Brien, Daniel McCullers and Darrington Sentimore. The two main targets on the wish list are 4-star DT, Korren Kirven and current 4-star FSU commit, Justin Shanks. Truthfully, the Vols landing one of these two guys is unlikely, however, the addition of Coach Sunseri at least has their attention and earned them a visit from Kirven. I fully expect Shanks to stay solid to FSU and for Kirven to sign his LOI with the team that has led for his services from the beginning, Virginia Tech. Due to this being the most realistic outcome, the Vols have shown interest in a few other talented DTs: current Miami (FL) commit, Jacoby Briscoe and TN DT, Tevin Bryson. I feel Bryson to be the most realistic option out of this group, but each year Dooley has been able to pull a surprise recruit at the last second. Don’t be shocked if he does it again.
Also, with the possibility of landing long sought-after JUCO WR, Cordarelle Patterson fading, the Vols have targeted a couple of other good-looking WR prospects. First is SC WR, Quinshad Davis. While Patterson is undoubtedly the most talented wide out the Vols have a shot with, Davis is by no means a slouch. He shows great hands and speed, and looks to be game ready. Another prospect they are in talks with is JUCO WR, Demetrius Wilson. This is a kid that is a lot like Davis in my opinion. I fully believe he could be an instant impact receiver that would compliment Rogers and Hunter very well. While he is listening to the Vols, most believe Arkansas to be his leader at this point. Finally, one major area of focus in recruiting this year has been the secondary. While I hate we lost Crawley due to academic issues, I am really excited about both McNeil and Bonner. These are two guys that could very well see major PT next season. But why not try to add another stud CB for good measure? That CB they are going after is CA CB, Devian Shelton. Shelton is currently committed to Oregon State, but has been garnering a lot of attention nationally as of late. While I personally think he will end up a Beaver, I also don’t expect Coach Sunseri to give up easily.
Only time will tell whether things end up good or bad for Coach Dooley and the Vols on NSD, but I can guarantee you one thing – there will be more drama than a high school prom. Be sure to check out checkerboardchatter.com in the following week to see updates on the Tennessee Vols’ recruiting trail.
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