Signing Day 1999 was filled with surprises for the Vols.  Unfortunately, all of them were unpleasant!

At 8:00 am, Santonio Beard gave the Vols a taste of what was to come throughout the day.  The Nashville tailback signed with Alabama instead of Tennessee.  Beard had committed to Alabama in early December, but had told Coach Fulmer and the media that he would sign with Tennessee after visiting Knoxville on Jan 15.

At Williamston Palmetto High School, South Carolina, a couple of hours later, Derek Watson followed Beard's lead, signing with South Carolina.   Watson had been committed to the Gamecocks until Coach Fulmer had apparently changed Watson' mind after a visit to the UT campus.

Perhaps the biggest blow of the day came at 3:30 pm ET, as news came in from Duncan, SC that the Vols' top WR target, Durrell Robinson, signed scholarship papers with the University of Georgia.  Robinson had seemed sure to be a Vol until things began to unravel just prior to the Jan 22 weekend extravaganza at the Hula Bowl on Maui.  Robinson's choice was even more surprising considering that  Reggie Brown, also one of the country's most highly rated WRs, had signed with Georgia shortly before Robinson's press conference.

The following 17 players signed scholarship papers with Tennessee as expected:

A.J. Suggs, QB, 6-4 210, Powder Springs, GA
Troy Fleming, RB, 6-3 205, Franklin, TN
Chavis Smith, DL, 6-4  295, East Rutherford, NC
Anthony Sessions, SS, 6-2 210, Warner-Robbins, GA
Charles Roberson, DL, 6-6  235, Fairburn, GA
Devon Davis, LB, 6-2  225, Austin, TX
Greg Barnum, OL, 6-2  290, Killeen, TX
Sterling Kazee, DB, 6-3  180, Irving, TX
Steven Lee, PK, 5-11  170, Citronelle, AL
Anthony Herrera, OL, 6-4  295, Naples, FL
Albert Haynesworth, DL, 6-6  310, Hartsville, SC
Terriea Smalls, DL, 6-3  300, Timberland, SC
Constantin Ritzmann, DL, 6-4  240, Tallahassee, FL
Scott Wells, OL/DL, 6-3  275, Nashville, TN
Kevin Young, DL, 6-3  235, Duncanville, TX
Eddie Moore, RB/LB, 6-1  210, South Pittsburg, TN
Onterrio Smith, RB, 5-11  185, Sacramento, CA

Be sure to visit the site in the next few days, as I plan to post a final edition of the Vols's signees including official thumbnail biographies of each player.  Until then, I highly recommend this link to the KNS's page with photos and bios.

2 Feb 99

The drought is over!  After a ten-day stretch that saw Tennessee be named a finalist for at least seven blue-chip prospects, only to lose out at the bitter end, the Vols struck back with a vengeance.  Three coveted national recruits told the media yesterday that they would sign with Tennessee on Feb 3.
 
The biggest prize the Vols claimed was Tailback Onterrio Smith from Sacramento, CA.  The 5-11, 185-pound Smith runs a 4.4 forty.  He can play multiple skill positions, and was rated the #8 RB in the nation by the NRA's Bobby Burton.  Onterrio rushed for over 3,000 yards and scored 53 TDs in a phenomenal senior season.  He picked Tennessee over Oregon (runner-up), Nebraska, Southern Cal and California.

A day after losing out to Florida for LB Byron Hardmon, the Vols accepted a verbal from an OLB prospect that Tennessee had wanted all along, Eddie Moore of South Pittsburg, TN.  Moore (6-1, 205, 4.55) was an All-State running back in high school, and had been committed to Ole Miss.  When media outlets reached Moore's home phone yesterday, Moore's mother stated that Eddie had decided to de-commit from Ole Miss and sign with the Vols on Wednesday.

The third player who plans to sign a letter of intent with the Vols tomorrow is Charles Roberson, a consensus Top-100 rush end from Fairburn, GA.  Bobby Burton rates Roberson the #12 defensive line prospect in the nation.  The 6-6, 230-lb Roberson has been clocked at sub-4.5 in the forty.  He visited Mississippi State this past weekend, and decided that he'd sign with the Vols after returning from his visit.  Roberson will most likely not qualify academically, although he has recently been diagnosed with a learning disorder.  This could allow him to take college entrance exams under special conditions (orally, no time limit).  These provisions allowed current Vol TB Travis Henry to qualify two years ago, against all odds.

The news was not entirely good yesterday, as LaGrange, Georgia Athlete Bruce Thornton chose Georgia over Tennessee, Auburn and Florida.

On the eve of National Signing Day, the Vols have 17 commitments who are likely to be full or partial qualifiers.  In addition, they have verbals from Santonio Beard and Charles Roberson, who are not expected to qualify academically.  Beard is already at a prep school in Connecticut, and plans to enroll at Tennessee in January 2000.  Roberson's academic future has yet to be determined.

The Vols will most likely be able to award 1-2 more scholarships, should Coach Philip Fulmer have any more pleasant surprises up his sleeve....

1 Feb 99

Congratulations to the Denver Broncos, winners of their second straight Super Bowl, 34-19 over the Atlanta Falcons.

Linebacker Byron Hardmon reaffirmed his commitment to Florida when he returned home to Jacksonville following his official visit to Tennessee.  He said Tennessee was "equal" to Florida, but his decision came down to staying close to home so his parents could see him play.

Running back Onterrio Smith says his visit to Tennessee was terrific, and the Vols are one of his two finalists, along with Oregon.  Smith has grade problems (although he is close to qualifying with a 780 SAT score on his last attempt), and it will be hard to overcome the distance factor, as he is from Sacramento, CA.  However, the fact that Donte Stallworth, his high school teammate of one year ago, is on the Vol squad may work to Tennessee's advantage.

WR Kevin Beard of Plantation, FL told the NRA today that he would choose either Tennessee or Miami on signing day.  It may help the Vols that another top Florida wideout, Andre Johnson, is already committed to the 'Canes, and Jason Geathers, the top football "athlete" in the nation, may end up at Coral Gables as well.  With Beard, Durrell Robinson, Reggie Brown, and Bruce Thornton all as possibles, the Vols have a decent chance to end up with at least one highly-regarded WR prospect on Signing Day.  Thornton will announce his decision today at a 1:00 pm press conference at his high school.

There is an excellent article in today's Knoxville News-Sentinel that pretty well sums up Vol recruiting with less than 48 hours left until National Letter-of-Intent Day.  I can tell you no more up-to-date info than what you can read in this article.  Check it out.

31 Jan 99

Super Bowl Sunday...and I am glad to have something else going on in the football world to take my mind off of Tennessee recruiting for a few hours.  The nine days since Derrick Watson committed to the Vols have been nothing short of miserable, with the loss of the USA Today offensive player of the year, and a complete shutout on every other prospect from whom the Vols were hoping to get a commitment.  As Tennessee stumbles to the finish line, Vol fans pray that we can hold on to the 15 verbals we have received, especially Derek Watson.  Watson made an unofficial visit to the USC campus at Columbia, enjoying the Gamecock basketball game last night.  South Carolina fans are hoping that Lou Holtz can convince the 1998 Mr. Football in SC to sign with the instate Gamecocks.

As predicted by Border Wars, Alex Jackson committed to Georgia on Friday.  This came as no surprise to the Vols, as they made it clear that Rob Droege of St. Louis was the OL prospect they wanted most and Jackson was an afterthought.  The Vols felt sure they could beat out Missouri for Droege's signature, but they didn't--and ended up losing both Jackson and Droege.

Byron Hardmon, the LB from Jacksonville, did make it to Knoxville for an official visit this weekend.  Hardmon's comments to the Chattanooga Free Press made it sound as if he came to Knoxville with an open mind, and the Vols have a real shot at signing him.  It should be noted, though, that Hardmon's parents did not accompany him on his trip to UT, as they did when he officially visited Gainesville.

The Vols also had DL Aubrayo Franklin of Johnson City, RB Onterrio Smith of Sacramento, CA; and DE Tommy Kelly of Jackson, MS in for official visits over the weekend.  The four visitors got a good taste of Vol fan support, as they attended the National Championship Celebration at Neyland Stadium on Saturday.

Vol fans will be awaiting Bruce Thornton's decision on Monday.  The RB/Athlete from LaGrange, GA is set for a press conference from his school tomorrow afternoon, when he'll choose between Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn and Florida.

No further news on WRs Reggie Brown and Durrell Robinson.  Both will most likely not decide until signing day, and the winning school may not know of their victory until the coaching staff takes the signed scholarship papers off the fax machine.

29 Jan 99

The drought continues....if it weren't for bad luck, we'd have no luck at all!!

Tennessee's only chance for some good news, after a dismal week that saw the Vols lose Chris Simms on Monday and add no new verbal commitments for at least six days, did not come through.  At a press conference in St Louis yesterday afternoon, Offensive Lineman Rob Droege chose Missouri over Tennessee and Purdue.

OL Alex Jackson of Quincy, FL will announce his decision today at 1:00 pm eastern.  Jackson will choose from among Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia Tech and Florida State.  It is rumored that Jackson wanted to commit to Tennessee coaches on his official visit the Jan. 15 weekend, but Vol coaches kept him on hold and now are likely to lose him.  This one is difficult to call.  Jackson likes Kentucky, where virtually the entire OL is graduating.  Georgia has made up a lot of ground with Jackson over the past week and Jamie Newberg of Border Wars is predicting that Georgia will get the verbal.

I have heard that Tennessee is trying to get involved with J.R. House, the QB from Nitro, West Virginia who re-wrote the national high school record book for passing this year, setting records in both yardage and touchdowns.  Georgia and West Virginia are among the schools who have pursued House this year, but he is not committed to any school at this point.

Tennessee has added another visitor for this weekend, DL/LB Aubrayo Franklin (6-2, 270, 4.9) of Science Hill High School, Johnson City, TN.  Franklin is comparable to Vol DT Billy Ratliff.  Though athletic enough to play some LB in high school, he projects as a defensive tackle at the next level.

28 Jan 99

As the shock of Monday's events begins to wear off, the Tennessee coaching staff is preparing for the final stretch drive.  Chris Simms' de-commitment leaves the Vols with 15 verbal commitments.  There are 18 scholarships available, and prevailing sentiment is that Tennessee would like to add at least four more players, possibly five, for a total of about 20 signees.

In the hours following the Simms defection, Vol coaches scrambled to contact several QB prospects that had been interested in Tennessee prior to Simms' commitment.  Among those contacted were Ken Dorsey and Kyle Boller of California, Jason White of Oklahoma, and Latrez Harrison of Georgia.  All of these young men politely thanked Tennessee for their interest, but said they were no longer interested.  All of them except for Harrison are now firmly committed to another school.  It is just as well that Tennessee did not put some other coaching staff in the same position that Chris Simms put the Vols in.

The Simms bombshell took the wind out of Tennessee's sails in a big way, and the focus shifted to damage control for 48 hours.  Coach Fulmer has spoken to all 15 of UT's committed prospects and they all re-affirmed their verbals to Tennessee.  Rumors of more de-commits are flying, though.  Texas is said to be pursuing Greg Barnum, and Georgia is still after Albert Haynesworth.  Scott Wells is rumored to be still interested in Ole Miss.  Most troubling of all is Derek Watson, who will have an in-home visit from South Carolina Head Coach Lou Holtz on Sunday, the last day before the dead period.  Watson has told all media interviewers that his commitment to Tennessee is solid, but Holtz will not give up without a fight.  After midnight on Sunday, coaching staffs can have no contact with recruits until signing day, Wednesday, February 3.

As expected, West Monroe, LA linebacker Bradie James committed to LSU yesterday.  His teammate, DL Brian West, has not made a decision yet, but he has eliminated Tennessee.  David Paine and Derrick Woods of Memphis Melrose have committed to Alabama, as has Memphis OL Dennis Alexander.  Paine will not visit Tennessee this weekend, but instead will visit U of Memphis "as a courtesy."  Brentwood Academy LB Ian Bass has committed to Ole Miss.

Tennessee could get some good news, in the form of another commitment, as early as today.  Rob Droege, the 6-7, 270-lb OT out of St Louis, is scheduled to announce his decision at a 4:00 pm ET press conference.  Tennessee is the favorite over Missouri and Purdue; Droege was visited in his home by Coach Fulmer last night.  Immediately after the visit, Droege eliminated Michigan from consideration.  The Vols are obviously trying to close with a highly-regarded tackle prospect, and are also among the finalists for Alex Jackson of Quincy-Shanks H.S., Florida.

With valid needs still to be addressed, most notably WR and LB, the Vol coaching staff is determined to finish with a flourish and put together a good group of official visitors this weekend.  Byron Hardmon, OLB out of Jacksonville (Ed White High), Fla., is committed to the Florida Gators but wants to see what Tennessee has to offer, and plans to visit Knoxville this weekend.  The Gators are really loading up on LBs this year and it is rumored that Hardmon may be wavering on his verbal to UF.  The 6-3, 215-lb Hardmon is a vicious hitter and could be the fast OLB prospect UT coaches covet for this year's recruiting class.

Other weekend visitors scheduled are RB Onterrio Smith (5-11, 185) of Sacramento, CA and DE Tommy Kelly (6-7, 260) of Jackson, MS.

The Vols still hope to sign at least one, and hopefully two, of the following four prospects to play WR at Tennessee:  Reggie Brown of Carrolton, GA; Durrell Robinson of Duncan, SC; DeAndre Green of Mobile, AL; and Bruce Thornton of LaGrange, GA.  Brown is also considering Ohio St and Georgia.  Robinson says he will sign with either the Vols or Georgia, but won't reveal his choice until signing day.  Green is leaning to Auburn over Tennessee and Georgia Tech; he is the only one of the four who has not visited Knoxville.  Thornton will choose from among Tennessee, Georgia, Auburn and Florida.

It's crunch time...less than one week left.

26 Jan 99

In a shocking turn of events yesterday evening, Tennessee's most prized verbal commitment, QB Chris Simms of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, told the media that he was de-committing from Tennessee and would instead sign with Texas.  Simms, recently named USA Today's Offensive Player of the Year, indicated that Texas was his favorite all along, and he may have allowed his famous father, Phil, to influence him to choose Tennessee, where he had doubts about replacing legend Peyton Manning.  Simms may also have been wary of competing with Tennessee's A.J. Suggs, another national QB recruit who has already finished high school in Powder Springs, GA and will participate in the Vols' spring practice.  Go here to read the Knoxville News-Sentinel article about Simms' change of heart.

Other news continues to be almost as bad for Tennessee.  Durrell Robinson now says he favors Georgia a "little bit" and would like to catch passes from Quincy Carter.  He indicates he might not announce his decision until signing day, a sure sign that he is a silent verbal to someone...most likely Georgia.

Kenny King enjoyed his visit to UT over the weekend and preliminary reports indicated the Vols had a chance...but he committed to Alabama on Monday.  Similar comments were made about Jeff Womble, but he chose Florida State yesterday.  Numerous reports say that Ty Warren will verbal to Texas A&M today at a press conference.  The link above says that Alex Jackson has ruled out Tennessee and will choose Georgia, Georgia Tech or Kentucky.  DeMarco McNeil says he will not visit Knoxville this weekend and will announce a decision soon; he has not ruled out Tennessee, but Auburn is the big leader.  Linebacker Ian Bass of Brentwood will probably verbal to Ole Miss before the week is out; South Pittsburg LB Eddie Moore has already committed to Ole Miss.

Among visitors expected next weekend, the last visit weekend before signing day, include David Paine of Memphis, Byron Hardmon of Jacksonville, FL, Deandre Green of Mobile, AL, and big Tennessee OL Dennis Alexander.  Tennessee is not thought to lead for any of these prospects.

One QB prospect that Vol coaches have contacted is Ken Dorsey of Orinda Miramonte, CA.  Dorsey was interested in the Vols, but they stopped recruiting him when Chris Simms committed in December.  Dorsey has since committed to Miami, Florida.
 

23 Jan 99

It's been less than 48 hours since my last update, but oh what a tremendous couple of days it has been for Vol fans!!

It appears that the information I reported about Scott Wells on Wednesday was dead-on.  On Thursday, Wells cancelled his Ole Miss visit and gave a verbal commitment to the Volunteers.  The 6-3, 280-lb Wells is the second-highest rated lineman (behind Memphis Melrose's David Paine) in the state of Tennessee.  Although he was recruited as a defensive tackle by Ole Miss, Virginia and Vanderbilt, Tennessee coaches project Wells as an offensive lineman, thinking he will make a fine center.  He will begin his career at UT on the defensive line and take it from there.  Wells is the #1-ranked heavyweight wrestler in the nation, with a 67-0 career record in high school.  Here's a link to the Nashville Tennesseean article about Wells' commitment.

Wells' commitment, as exciting as it was, did little to prepare Vol fans for the big news that rolled in on Friday, though.  At a morning press conference behind closed doors at North Florida Christian High School, DE Constantin Ritzmann announced that he would attend Tennessee, choosing the Vols over runner-up Florida State.  Alabama, Ohio State and Florida were also considered.  In the Knoxville News-Sentinel article about Ritzmann's commitment, he is called the #1-rated prospect in the nation at his position, making him the fourth such prospect in the Vols' signing class.  Chris Simms is the #1 QB, Greg Barnum is the #1 center, and Albert Haynesworth is the #1 defensive tackle in the nation.  Ritzmann, an exchange student from Berlin, Germany, has played only one year of American high school football; but what a year it was.  He is credited with 151 tackles--45 for lost yardage--including 26 sacks.  He caused 13 fumbles.  He runs the 40 yard dash in 4.55 seconds, bench presses 350 pounds, and made a near-perfect score on the math portion of the SAT test.  The addition of Ritzmann virtually assures Tennessee of a Top-Ten recruiting class this year, and the linemen committed to the Vols this year take a back seat to no other team.

While Ritzmann's commitment was anticipated at an announced, pre-determined press conference, Vol fans got another surprise Friday evening totally out of the blue.  South Carolina's "Mr Football" in class AA for 1998, and the leading rusher and scorer in state history, Derek Watson, committed to Tennessee live on the air on WNOX radio.  The 6-foot-1, 205-pound running back had an incredible senior season, rushing for more than 2,500 yards and 44 touchdowns.  In his record-shattering prep career, Watson totalled 6,671 yards rushing, 88 TDs, and 536 points.  Watson was long thought to be leaning to Georgia, but after he rushed for a record 275 yards in the North Carolina/South Carolina Shrine Bowl All-Star Game in December, he got even more attention.  He gave a verbal commitment to USC Coach Lou Holtz, a pledge that he now says he rushed into.  Tennessee persuaded Watson to visit last weekend, and he reportedly gave a verbal to the Tennessee coaches on the visit.  Before committing to Tennessee on Friday, Watson cancelled an official visit to Georgia that had been set for this coming weekend.  Go here to read the Knoxville News-Sentinel article about Watson's commitment.

Of ten visitors scheduled to visit UT this weekend, the KNS confirms that five of them are on campus:  Rob Droege, OL out of St Louis, MO; Jeff Womble, DL out of Dunwoody, GA; Kenny King, DL out of Daphne, AL; and teammates Bradie James (LB) and Brian West (DL) out of West Monroe, LA.  In addition to these players, the Vols are still actively recruiting WR Durrell Robinson of Duncan, SC; WR DeAndre Green of Mobile, AL; OT Alex Jackson of Quincy-Shanks, FL; WR Reggie Brown of Carrollton, GA; Athlete Bruce Thornton of LaGrange, GA; DT Ty Warren of Bryan, TX; LB Byron Hardemon of Jacksonville, Florida; OL Kevin Breedlove of Daniel, SC; DL DeMarco McNeil of Mobile, AL; and DL David Paine of Memphis.

Tennessee reportedly has 18 scholarships to give at this point in time.  The Vol coaching staff plans to sign 20 or 21 players.  Wells, Ritzmann and Watson bring the total number of verbals to 16 for the time being.  RB Santonio Beard and DE/LB Charles Roberson have also committed to Tennessee, but these players will not likely be academically eligible to enter school this fall.

21 Jan 99

Unfortunately, there is not much good news to report today.  Durrell Robinson did not commit to Tennessee at his banquet last night as Vol fans had hoped he would.  He does not expect to reach a decision until his return from Hawaii next week.  I am confident he will end up in Knoxville, but the longer he delays the more hope he is giving the Georgia Bulldogs and their fans.

DE Constantin Ritzmann set a press conference for 10:30 this morning to announce his intentions, but then delayed it until Friday morning at 9:45.  Tennessee's big lead has apparently shrunk somewhat, and Florida State coaches reportedly made up a lot of ground while visiting Ritzmann in his home last night.  It is still thought that Tennessee is the team to beat, but again, the delays are troublesome.

LB Rod Royal, who was thought to be Tennessee's to lose just one week ago, has verballed to Coach Steve Spurrier and the Florida Gators.  Apparently, Tennessee coaches confessed to Royal that he was on their "B" list at OLB, behind California prospect Marcus Reese.  The Vols missed on Reese, though, and lost Royal also thanks to their candor.  UT scrambled to get back in on Royal, inviting him for an official visit this weekend, but the damage was done.

Other prospects who have gone elsewhere:  Athlete Tory Mitchell of Big Spring, TX committed to Miami, and LB/DE Marcus Waters of Sarasota, FL committed to Michigan State.

Here is a list of official visitors scheduled for this weekend:

DLs:  Kenny King, Daphne, AL
         Jeff Womble, Dunwoody, GA
         Tommy Kelly, Jackson, MS
         Brian West, West Monroe, LA
LB:   Bradie James, West Monroe, LA
OLs:  Dante Ellington, Leighton, AL
         Rob Droege, St Louis, MO
         Chris Buda, Tallahassee, FL
RB:   Onterrio Smith, Sacramento, CA
DB:   Mike Waddell, Rockingham, NC

NOTE:  Though Waddell, Smith, Buda, Droege and Kelly are scheduled, it is quite possible that some or all of them won't make it to Knoxville for the visit.  Visit lists become very fluid this close to Signing Day, but right now this is who is scheduled to visit UT this weekend.

RB Derek Watson now says he will likely take an official visit to UGA this weekend.  The Watson tea leaves are very difficult to read.  He committed to South Carolina, then visited Tennessee, telling the Vol coaches he'd like to sign with UT.  He is probably just telling folks what they want to hear, and will most likely honor his commitment to the Gamecocks on signing day.

OL/DL Scott Wells of Brentwood Academy has an offer on the table from UT, but it may not be there much longer.  Tennessee projects Wells as an OL, but Ole Miss coaches have intrigued him with the promise to let him play defensive tackle, which he would prefer.  VolInsider says that if Wells does not commit to Tennessee by the weekend, the Vols will likely withdraw their offer.  Wells wants to take an official visit to Oxford this weekend; if he does, he probably won't be wearing Orange this fall.

20 Jan 99

As expected for months, Defensive Tackle Terriea Smalls of Timberland, SC committed to Tennessee today.  The 6-2, 315-lb Smalls was SuperPrep magazine's #6 prospect in the state of South Carolina and is rated the #5 nose guard prospect in the nation by National Recruiting Advisor.  He was Phil Grosz's pick in the preseason as the #1 DL prospect in the state.  Tennessee beat out Penn State, North Carolina, South Carolina and Clemson, among others, for Smalls.  Smalls was recruited by Tennessee DL Coach Dan Brooks.

Durrell Robinson now says he will not make a decision until he returns from the Rivalnet High School All-America extravaganza in Hawaii, which is being held in conjunction with the Hula Bowl on Maui this weekend.  This is causing some anxiety for Vol fans, who were hoping that Durrell would commit tonight at his football banquet, where Coach Fulmer is to speak.  Although this delay is disconcerting, most of those close to the situation still predict that Robinson will sign with Tennessee, and is just taking a few more days to be absolutely sure of his decision.  His other finalist is Georgia.

Defensive tackle Ty Warren had a great visit to Tennessee this past weekend, and now says the Vols lead.  He told Texas Top 100 in an interview shortly after his return from Knoxville that he plans to sign with Tennessee and is going to inform the coaches at USC, where he also gave a verbal commitment.  Warren at one time verballed to Texas A&M; the Aggie campus is only 10 miles from his home in Bryan.  He still has one more official, to A&M this weekend.  Warren is very difficult to read, but he will get an inhome visit later this week from several of Tennessee's defensive assistants.  Unfortunately, Coach Fulmer has already used his inhome visit with Ty in December.  Warren told Texas Top 100 that he was very impressed with Tennessee's approach to academics (a tutor for every 15 players) and Judy Jackson, UT academic counselor for the football team, made a favorable impression on him as well.

It is rumored that Constantin Ritzmann will make a decision in the next few days, and his two finalists are Florida State and Tennessee.  Vol coaches and observers of the recruiting process are confident in Tennessee's chances to land Ritzmann.  The German exchange student is often compared to Vol freshman DE Will Overstreet.  Ritzmann has 4.6 speed and may be the best pass rush specialist in the South.

Alex Jackson of Quincy-Shanks HS, Florida is perhaps the best OT prospect in the South, and had been long considered Florida State's to lose.  Jackson visited Tennessee this past weekend and was reportedly very impressed.  He says he is going to narrow his choices this week, but that Tennessee would definitely make his cut as a finalist.  It was even rumored in some quarters that Jackson gave the Vol coaches a private verbal.  His last visit is to FSU, the team that was long thought to be his favorite.

Louisiana LB prospect Bradie James of Monroe was visited in his home this evening by Coaches Fulmer and Chavis, along with UT strength and conditioning coach John Stuckey.  James and teammate Brian West will visit Tennessee this coming weekend.  James has already visited Texas A&M, LSU, and Arkansas.  He says he will probably not visit Florida, though the Gators are lobbying for a Jan 29 visit.  It appears likely that James will choose between the Vols and the Bengal Tigers.
 

19 Jan 99

Well, it has been exactly a month since I was able to update the gossip, and so much has happened since then it will be impossible to post it all.  And, it will be unnecessary, since most of you who read this page already know most anything I could post that has occurred over the past month.

The Vols beat Florida State, 23-16, on January 4 to claim the first undisputed National Championship in college football history, thanks to the Bowl Championship Series formula.  Peerless Price led the Vols to their first National Championship since 1951, catching 4 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown against the Seminoles.  Tee Martin was brilliant against the vaunted FSU defense, completing 11 of 18 for 278 yards and two TDs.  The Vol defense held the Noles to 253 yards of total offense, and added a TD of their own when Dwayne Goodrich picked off a Marcus Outzen pass and returned it 54 yards.  The Vols got every first place vote in both the AP and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' polls.  Ohio State finished second, Florida State third.

Just after my last update, and only a couple of days before Christmas, the Vols added two more commitments from top prospects out of Texas, Center Greg Barnum and Safety Sterling Kazee.  See my Verbals Page for their profiles.

Right around New Years', while the Vols were in Tempe for the Fiesta Bowl, DE Charles Roberson of Fairburn Creekside HS, GA told the media that he was committing to Coach Fulmer and the Vols.  However, when Fulmer returned from Arizona, he had a visit with Charles in his home and told him the Vols' scholarship offer was only good if Roberson qualified academically.  He has not yet received a qualifying test score.  Indications are that Tennessee will place Roberson in a JUCO, or he will attend a prep school.  If he can qualify academically, UT would love to have him in Knoxville.

Tennessee took a couple of weeks to bask in the glow of their National Title, and there were no additional verbal commitments for the first two weeks of the New Year.  Only a couple of recruits came in for the Vols' first recruiting visit weekend of '99; the Vol coaches preferring to gear up for the January 15 weekend which saw the Vols host nearly 25 of the top high school players in the country.  Just before the weekend got rolling, however, the Vols added commitment #9 in the person of Steven Lee, a placekicker from Citronelle, AL.  His profile can also be found on the Verbals Page.

One more newsworthy item that occurred in the middle of last week:  Georgia Head Coach Jim Donnan hired away a Tennessee assistant coach in the middle of the recruiting wars for the second straight year.  Secondary coach Kevin Ramsey was named the Dawgs' Defensive Coordinator on Thursday.  Ramsey joined his close friend Rodney Garner on the UGA staff; longtime Dawg DC Joe Kines was "promoted" to Assistant Head Coach, but his on-field duties will be reduced.  What part of the country was Ramsey recruiting for Tennessee?  You guessed it...Georgia!!

Alright, enough preliminaries...on to the VERBALS!!

The first verbal to report, oddly enough, is not from one of Tennessee's weekend visitors, but from a big lineman from Florida who visited Knoxville in November, Anthony Herrera.  Herrera had narrowed his choices to Nebraska, Miami, or Tennessee; he visited the Hurricanes officially over the weekend.  On Sunday, after returning from his visit, he made up his mind and phoned Coach Fulmer to commit to the Vols.  Herrera, a 6A All-State tackle, is one of the top three OL prospects in the Sunshine State and projects as a guard or tackle for the Vols.

The Vols also pulled off a major coup over the weekend, getting the #2 prospect in the Volunteer State, Running Back Santonio Beard of Nashville, to switch his verbal commitment from Alabama to Tennessee.  Beard was a two-time All-State tailback who led the Firebirds to back-to-back state championships in 1996 and 97, as a sophomore and a junior.  As a senior, he scored one more TD than Vol commitment Troy Fleming, while getting 100 fewer carries and playing against better competition.  Santonio will have to spend a year at Milford Academy, a prep school in Connecticut, in order to become academically eligible.  He plans to enroll at UT in January, 2000 and his commitment will count against next years' class.

On Monday, the NRA's #1-rated Defensive Tackle, Albert Haynesworth of Hartsville, SC, committed to Tennessee on a local Hartsville radio show.  The Vols beat out Georgia, Florida, and the SC schools for Haynesworth, who was the AAAA Defensive Player of the Year in South Carolina after making an incredible 56 tackles for lost yardage as a junior.  The 6-6, 310-lb Haynesworth has unlimited upside potential and could develop into an absolute monster compliment to Vol partial qualifier John Henderson, who will get to play this fall after sitting out his freshman season in '98.

The fireworks on Monday weren't over yet, though.  Late Monday evening, NRA's Bobby Burton reported that Kevin Young, a 6-3, 235-lb DE from Duncanville, Texas, had verballed to Tennessee.  Young had been committed to Texas, but was intrigued enough by Tennessee that he wanted to visit Knoxville.  He wanted to commit to the coaches while on the visit, but needed to talk it over with his parents.  After returning home and talking with his dad, he called the Vol coaches and gave his pledge to sign with Tennessee.  How good is Young?  Well, he was named the Dallas Morning News Defensive Player of the Year after leading Duncanville to the Class 5A State Title.

The flurry of commitments has left Vol fans breathless, but indications are strong that more will follow this week.  Defensive lineman Terriea Smalls, of Timberland, SC, has long been rumored to be a Vol lean.  Smalls has indicated that he'd make his college choice known today, and it certainly looks like it will be Tennessee.  On Wednesday evening, Coach Fulmer is the guest speaker at the football banquet for Spartanburg, SC's Byrnes High School, where Durrell Robinson plays football.  Robinson, NRA's #1-ranked Wide Receiver prospect, has indicated he would choose between Tennessee and Georgia, perhaps before he leaves Thursday to be honored by Rivalnet in Hawaii as a Prep All-America.  Vol commitments Chris Simms and Albert Haynesworth will also be guests of Rivalnet in Hawaii.  Could it be that Robinson will make his intentions known at the banquet?  Vol fans will be watching closely.

DE Constantin Ritzmann, nicknamed "The Germanator" in honor of his German heritage, may make a decision by the end of this week.  The Vols look like the team to beat; Ritzmann is also considering FSU and Bama.  It is notable that his girlfriend has enrolled in Samford University in Birmingham; will this be a factor in his decision?

Tennessee is rumored to have made up ground with two Georgia leans who visited Knoxville this past weekend, OL Kevin Breedlove and Athlete Bruce Thornton.  The Dawgs are still the team to beat in both cases, but the Vols are really making a race out of it.  Another UGA lean who visited UT this past weekend, WR Reggie Brown of Carrollton, GA, says that Ohio St and Florida lead over Georgia and Tennessee.  Some speculate that Brown may be on the verge of verballing to the Buckeyes.

West Monroe, LA teammates Bradie James and Brian West visited LSU this past weekend, but although they were supposedly pressured, they did not commit.  Tennessee hosts these two next weekend.  On the linebacker front, Tennessee appears to have lost two of their top targets, Californian Marcus Reese and Louisianan Roderick Royal.  Reese plans to verbal to UCLA tomorrow, and Royal no longer considers Tennessee among his leaders.  Another Vol LB target, Angelo Crowell of North Carolina, verballed to Virginia, where his brother Germaine (now a WR with the Detroit Lions) played college football.

Will close here for now, and try to post more after we hear news on Smalls and/or Robinson later in the week.
 

19 Dec 98

As expected, JUCO Athlete Anthony Sessions signed with Tennessee today.  He will enroll in school next month and participate in the Vols' spring practice.  Sessions is one of the most versatile college football players in the country.  He was the best kick returner in his JUCO conference, and might give Tennessee's struggling return game an immediate boost next season.  The Vol coaching staff thinks that the 6-2, 215-lb Sessions will eventually find a home at Outside Linebacker.  Anthony played OLB for Copiah-Lincoln as a freshman, and moved to Strong Safety as a sophomore.  Either way, there is little doubt that Sessions will make an instant impact on the Vol football team.

Vol fans have followed Eli Manning's recruitment, not only because many would have liked to see him sign with the Vols, but because we feel a special interest and concern for the Manning family.   Eli has decided on a school, and although it isn't Tennessee, Vol fans still have reason to smile.  Eli announced today that he will sign with Ole Miss in February, where he'll play quarterback for Coach David Cutcliffe, the new Rebel head coach who developed big brother Peyton into the NFL's #1 Draft Pick.  I think I speak for the majority of Vol fans when I say "Congratulations, Eli and Coach Cutcliffe, and best of luck to you and the Ole Miss program."  Of course, it's easier to say this knowing that Tennessee will not play Ole Miss in the regular season for several years.

Wide receiver Bryant Johnson, who de-committed from Penn State in the wake of Chris Simms' commitment to the Vols, surprised observers last evening by telling the media that his commitment to PSU is "firm."  It isn't clear whether Tennessee ever actually offered Johnson a scholarship.  In any event, it's my understanding that Durrell Robinson of Spartanburg, SC and Kevin Beard of Plantation, FL remain the Vols' top two WR targets.

This weekend the Vols are hosting a small but very important group of official visitors.  QB A.J. Suggs, who signed his scholarship papers Wednesday morning, less than 12 hours after Chris Simms announced his commitment to Tennessee, will make his official to Knoxville.  Two Texans--Safety Sterling Kazee of Irving and Center Greg Barnum of Killeen--will also be on campus.  Look for Tennessee to try and close the deal with both of these great prospects.  The fourth and final scheduled visitor is TE Ivan Mercer, a Mike Barry recruit from Orange County CC, a JUCO in California.  Detailed information about all scheduled official visits from now until signing day can be viewed here, courtesy of VolInsider.

One of the reasons I started this web page was that most of the online Vol football coverage resources, especially the KNS, left a lot to be desired in tracking Vol football recruiting.  Two days ago, however, the Nashville Tennesseean online published one of the most thorough, excellent recruiting articles I have ever read on the internet.  Tennessee's 1999 needs, commitments to this point, and possible targets are included.  This article is a must-read for those interested in Vol football.  Go here to read it.

18 Dec 98

Just a quick update...I don't have much time this morning, but wanted to post the big news that Devon Davis, 6-3  228, 4.6, Linebacker from Austin McCallum High School, Texas has committed to the Vols.  Bobby Burton of the NRA broke the news on WNOX's Sports Talk program yesterday evening.  Davis is the best prospect in the Austin area and made numerous Top 100 lists, including the PrepStar Dream Team and SuperPrep.  He had a whopping 128 tackles as a junior and projects as a Middle Linebacker at the next level.  He chose Tennessee over UCLA, Michigan, Florida State, Texas, and Texas A&M.

Welcome to the Vol family, Devon!

16 Dec 98

Simms to Be a Tennessee Vol
Last night, for the third time since 1991, the number one Quarterback prospect in the country decided he would play his college football at the University of Tennessee.  Chris Simms, 6-5  218, of Ramapo High School in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, told viewers of the National Finance Sportsdesk show on the MSG Network that he would play for Tennessee, choosing the Vols over Texas, Penn State, Ohio State and Pittsburgh.  Most recruiting analysts consider Simms the nation's top prep prospect, regardless of position.

Simms led Ramapo to a 9-2 record in his senior season, passing for 2,239 yards and 18 TDs.  He threw only three interceptions.  The son of Super Bowl MVP and television broadcaster Phil Simms, Chris has grown up around football and is an extremely knowledgeable student of the game.  Though Chris was reluctant to follow so closely behind Vol legend Peyton Manning, his hero, Simms realized when he visited Tennessee on October 24 that Knoxville was the place he wanted to go to school and play college football.

"I'm proud to be a Vol and it's a good place for me," Simms said on the Sportsdesk show. "I'm a big fan of coach (Phillip) Fulmer and I think it fits me right. I feel so relieved and finally I can get back to being a high schooler and enjoying myself."

Other Updates

The Simms commitment is expected to have a ripple effect, perhaps luring other top prospects to Knoxville.  The first evidence of the "Simms Effect" may already be underway, as WR Bryant Johnson (6-3, 190, 4.5) is likely to de-commit from Penn State and cast his lot with Tennessee.  Johnson visited Tennessee over the weekend (Dec 12) and came away calling himself a "lean" to the Vols.  Johnson, out of Baltimore, MD, seems set on playing his college ball with Chris Simms and will almost certainly follow Chris to Knoxville.  Johnson has been promised his favorite number, 4, the number currently worn by Vol senior kicker Jeff Hall, who is graduating.

Rumors also abound that JUCO Athlete Anthony Sessions (6-1  205) of Copiah-Lincoln Junior College, Mississippi, may be committed to Tennessee.  Sessions was one of the top five players in Georgia as a high school senior at Warner-Robbins in 1997, but did not make his grades.  Though Sessions originally committed to Georgia, he visited Tennessee along with teammate Cleveland Pinkney this past weekend and is believed to have verballed to the Vols.  Sessions plays strong safety at Copiah-Lincoln but is being recruited as an OLB by Tennessee.  Pinkney, a 6-foot-1, 290-lb DT, is committed to South Carolina but showing interest in Tennessee.

Nick Maddox, the nation's top RB prospect from Kannapolis, North Carolina, is also thought to have an interest in playing college football with Simms.  Chris Simms told the media tonight that he would make some phone calls to try and persuade some players he had met during the recruiting process to come to Tennessee and play with him.  Simms said his first call would be to Nick Maddox.  Tennessee is one of Maddox's final five schools, and it would be quite a coup for the Vols to get Maddox to go along with Simms.

Coach Philip Fulmer was in the home of South Pittsburgh's Eddie Moore last week, trying to seal the deal and get a verbal commitment from Moore.  Although Moore says he wants to take his official visit to Clemson, who has offered him as a Running Back (the Vols have told Moore they project him as an OLB), Eddie did say he is "90 percent committed" to UT.  Moore is said to be a slightly bigger version of current starting Vol OLB Eric Westmoreland.  In fact, Moore may be "about a half-step faster" than Westmoreland.

When Georgia Offensive Line Coach Chris Scelfo was named the head coach at Tulane, the Vols may have gotten a boost in the recruitment of South Carolina prospects Kevin Breedlove (OL) and Durrell Robinson (WR).  Though both players told UGASports.com that Scelfo's departure to New Orleans would not affect their recruitment, I'm not so sure.  This week, Robinson told the NRA's Bobby Burton that Tennessee leads Georgia slightly.  In addition, Alliance Sports has reported this week that the Vol coaching staff has made up ground with Breedlove and the Vol coaches "feel confident" about their chances to land the big lineman from Clemson Daniel.

Speaking of Georgia, the Dawgs got commitments this week from a couple of long-anticipated instaters, DL Jonathan Sullivan of Griffin and WR Damien Gary of Athens.  Stanford Simmons, a DB prospect from Georgia who committed to Auburn two years in a row but never made his grades, has reportedly verballed to UGA after becoming academically eligible at Hargrave Military Academy.  Simmons was one of the most highly regarded safety prospects in the South two years ago...nice pickup for the Dawgs, and I'm sure Auburn fans are grinding their teeth.

Here are some other commitments of interest since my last update:

-Santonio Beard to Alabama
-Kamau Jackson to Mississippi State
-Leo Bell to Boston College
-Ryan Sawyer to Virginia
-Michael Owens to Auburn
-Benjamin Walker to Vanderbilt
-Tony Pape to Michigan
-Tim Green to Nebraska
-Nathan Ball to Arkansas
-Cedric Hilliard to Notre Dame
-Bernard Sykes to Ole Miss
-Dustin Wynn to Kentucky

See my Recruiting Page for all the details on prospects the Vols are or have been considering.
 
 

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