Wolverines Offer Horn  (26 Jun 98)
    After another stellar performance in a summer camp, this time at Michigan, athlete Victor Horn (6-1 200) of Huntsville J.O. Johnson was extended his first scholarship offer by the Wolverines.  Horn has run 40-yard dashes in the 4.4 range at Tennesee's camp, Alabama's camp, and now at Michigan.  The defending national champs project Victor as a defensive back, but he is so versatile he could also play RB or DB.  Tennessee and Bama, among others, have been very interested in Horn but have not yet offered a scholarship.  Horn had included Michigan on his lists of top schools, and it will be interesting to see if the Wolverines being the first school to offer will give them a recruiting advantage over other contenders.

Mississippi Top 10  (26 Jun 98)
        1)  Dontae Walker, RB, 5-9  205, 4.4, Clinton.  NRA Top 100, Tom Lemming, Max Emfinger, Bill Buchalter Southeast Super 27, SuperPrep Elite 100.  Was named first-team All-State as a junior, at the DB position.  Could play DB or RB in college.  Had 2,042 yards on 244 carries as a junior and scored 28 TDs.  Leaning heavily to Miss St, with Bama, LSU, and Ole Miss involved.
        2)  Walter Young, DL/OL, 6-5  285, 4.9, Purvis.  NRA Top 25, G&W Top 75, Tom Lemming, Max Emfinger, Bill Buchalter Southeast Super 27.  He is a big-time player on both sides of the ball.  LSU leads Fla, FSU, Bama, Ky, OM, MSU.
        3)  Casey Gilbert, DL/TE, 6-5  280, 5.0, Pascagoula.  NRA Top 100, Max Emfinger.  Wants to play TE in college, but is great DL prospect as well.  LSU, Bama, FSU, Tenn, Miss St.
        4)  Donald Tucker, OL, 6-6  295, 5.2, Tupelo.  Tom Lemming, Max Emfinger.  355-lb bench press and 475 lb squat.  Ole Miss, Tenn, Bama, Miss St, Mich.
        5)  Kevin Fant, QB, 6-3  190, 4.6, Moss Point.  Max Emfinger.  Top QB prospect in the state.  Sou Miss, Aub, Miss St, Bama.
        6)  Lincoln Smith, OL, 6-9  285, Hollandale.  Max Emfinger.  Huge O-lineman, one of the top talents at his position in the state.  Ole Miss, Miss St, Bama, Tenn.
        7)  Jeremy LeSueur, DB, 6-2  185, 4.4, Holly Springs.  SuperPrep Elite 100, Bobby Burton Top 5 in Mississippi.  Had 80 tackles and 3 INTs as a junior, even though most teams didn't throw toward his side of the field.  Nicknamed "Prime Time Jr." and "Baby Woodson."  Has already committed to Mich., but Ole Miss, Sou Miss and Clemson may still have a shot.
        8)  Byron Long, OL, 6-6  305, 5.1, Poplarville.  Max Emfinger Super Dixie 200 Bluechips and National Super 200 Bluechips.  Auburn, Ole Miss, Miss St.
        9)  Jessie Mitchell, DL, 6-4  250, 4.7, Moss Point.  Max Emfinger Super Dixie 200.  FSU, LSU, Tenn, Florida.
       10)  Walter Billingsley, OL, 6-5  285, 5.4, Winona.  Max Emfinger Super Dixie 200.  Miss St, Bama, Aub, LSU.

Rashad Moore Rumors Persist  (26 Jun 98)
    The rumor that Rashad Moore would be academically eligible and report to Knoxville to play football this fall has not gone away, and I'm beginning to believe it.  Although no official source has confirmed the story, the Moore family has insisted that Rashad would be eligible to play and now I'm hearing that some UT insiders are expecting Moore to be eligible also.  The story I've heard that makes the most sense is that Moore's exit exam score, though technically failing in English, was borderline on passing and that a letter has been sent to the NCAA Clearinghouse asking that the score be allowed.  It has been reported that Moore made an 18 on the ACT, and his core GPA was good enough to fully qualify him on the sliding scale with that ACT score.  Hopefully this will all be cleared up soon, and Rashad will get the green light to play.  John Henderson's ACT score from June 13 should be back in about a week, and I'm confident there will be even more good news to report for Vol fans.  It would be tremendous to have both Henderson and Moore report for fall drills, fully eligible to play football this season.

Alabama Top 10  (24 Jun 98)
    We all know the drill by now.  This is a great year for talent in Alabama, particularly for linemen.

        1)  Robert Johnson, TE, 6-6  250, 4.7, Jeff Davis High, Montgomery.  Tom Lemming, Max Emfinger, SuperPrep Elite 100, G&W Top 75.  Also an outstanding defensive lineman, will star on both sides of the ball as a senior.  Auburn and Georgia lead Bama, Tenn and Ga Tech.
        2)  DeAndre Green, WR/Ath, 6-0  180, 4.5.  Prichard Blount High, Mobile.  NRA Top 100, Tom Lemming, Max Emfinger, SuperPrep Elite 100.  Caught 72(!) passes for over 800 yards as a junior.  Had a somewhat disappointing showing at the Capital City Combine in April, due to adverse weather conditions, but still ran the fastest 40-time of any athlete in attendance.  Auburn leads Tenn, Bama, and Florida.
        3)  DeMarco McNeil, DL, 6-2  285, 4.9, Prichard Blount High, Mobile.  USA Today Honorable Mention All-America as a Junior, G&W Top 75, Tom Lemming, Max Emfinger, Bill Buchalter's Southeast Super 27, SuperPrep Elite 100.  An argument could be made for McNeil, Green and Johnson each to be the state's #1 prospect.  Had 109 tackles as a sophomore.  Bama may have a slight lead over Auburn.
        4)  Dante Ellington, OL, 6-5  310, 5.1, Colbert County High, Leighton.  #1 OL prospect in the state.  Tom Lemming, Max Emfinger, SuperPrep Elite 100.  Auburn and Georgia lead Bama, Kentucky.
        5)  Kenny King, DL, 6-3  275, 5.0, Daphne.  NRA Top 100, Max Emfinger, SuperPrep Elite 100.  Very athletic, has an explosive first step.  Clearly favors Bama over Auburn, Tenn, Miss St, Kentucky.
        6)  Alonzo Ephraim, OL, 6-3  285, 4.8, Wenoah High, Birmingham.  Tom Lemming, Max Emfinger.  Projects as a center in college, but also plays a mean DE, had 15 sacks and an interception last year as a junior.  Bama leads Auburn, Ga Tech, Kentucky, Note Dame and Tennessee.
        7)  Josh Billue, OL, 6-5  295, 5.2, Guntersville.  Tom Lemming, Max Emfinger.  Auburn leads Bama, Fla, Georgia and Ga Tech.
        8)  Saleem Rasheed, LB, 6-2  225, 4.5, Shades Valley High, Birmingham.  State's top LB prospect, has a brother who plays for Duke.  Max Emfinger's National Top 200 and Super Dixie 200 Bluechips.  Bama leads Ga Tech.
        9)  Victor Horn, Ath, 6-1  200, 4.4, J.O. Johnson High, Huntsville.  Max Emfinger's Super Dixie  200 Bluechips.  Rushed for 630 yards on only 72 carries as a junior, while splitting time at TB.  Turned in the fastest 40-yard dash times at both the Tennessee and Alabama camps this summer (4.39, 4.43).  Phenomenal athlete who has a 300-lb BP.  With his size, strength and speed he could play WR, RB or S in Division 1A.  Between Tennessee and Bama.
        10) Michael Owens, RB, 5-10  210, 4.45, Deshler High, Tuscumbia.  Max Emfinger's Super Dixie 200 Bluechips.  Gained over 1800 yards and scored 24 rushing TDs as a junior.  Added 5 TD catches and returned 3 kicks for TDs enroute to over 2500 all-purpose yards.  Auburn leads Bama, Tenn, and FSU.

Quick One-Liners  (23 Jun 98)
    A couple of items of interest from Alliance Sports:  Damien Gary, NRA's #1 WR prospect, out of Athens, GA, has eliminated Tennessee.  He will choose between Georgia, FSU, and Florida.  As Gary plays high school football right in UGA's backyard, Tennessee's chances to sign Gary were very slim anyway.  Don't despair though; I've added an interesting new WR prospect to the recruiting table.  Taylor Jacobs is a 6-1, 185 WR out of Tallahassee, Florida who says Tennessee and Auburn are his co-leaders.  Jacobs has been timed at 4.4 and snagged 38 passes for over 700 yards and 9 TDs as a junior.
    Alliance Sports also reports that Kenyon Hambrick (6-3  200, 4.6), one of the top JUCO WR prospects out of Hinds Community College in Mississippi, will not be heavily recruited by either Alabama, Auburn, or Tennessee.  All three schools were thought to be interested in Hambrick.  It's unclear why all have backed off in recruiting him.  As for myself, I have always thought that he seemed a little slow.  The fastest 40-time I've ever seen listed for Hambrick is 4.55.
    VolInsider reports that Tennessee is recruiting QB Brian Miller (6-5 220) out of Johnson City Science Hill.  Miller's performance at the Tennessee summer camp has apparently sparked the interest of coaches.  Florida is also looking at Miller...perhaps they think he is the second coming of Spurrier?

Florida Top 10  (22 Jun 98)
    Sorry there were no weekend updates, I took some time away from the PC for some family outings and Father's Day activities.  For those of you who have discerned my pattern, you know that my next top ten list is from the Sunshine State.  It's very difficult to select just 10 prospects in Florida to profile...there are probably at least 20 more players in this talent-rich state that could make one top-ten list or other, but here's the way Jumpmaster sees it:
 

Page May Not Qualify  (22 Jun 98)
    Auburn signee Don Page, a DL/LB from Foley, Alabama, was expelled from school in April following a fight with another student.  However, it was thought that Page would still make the core GPA he needs to qualify to play for Auburn.  He scored a 22 on the ACT.  A report has appeared on Alliance Sports that Page may not get there after all, as his suspension may cause his grades to dip too low.  If that is the case, he will probably attend a Mississippi Junior College.

LSU Gets 5th Commitment  (22 Jun 98)
    LSU has tacked on their fifth early commitment, once again getting a pledge from an instate player to sign with the Tigers in 1999.  Rodney Reed, a 6-5  270 offensive lineman from West Monroe, will be a Bengal Tiger.  Reed joins four other highly-touted instate players as having promised to sign with LSU.

Rumor:  Huskers Almost Landed Leake (22 Jun 98)
    Some posters on a Nebraska recruiting board claim that QB C.J. Leake of Charlotte, one of Tennessee's top targets, was ready to commit to the Huskers when he camped at Lincoln a couple of weeks ago.  According to a Nebraska source, Leake and his father were prepared to give Nebraska a verbal commitment, but C.J.'s mother persuaded him to wait and take some more visits.  Leake camped at Tennessee the weekend of June 13 and at Florida State this past weekend.
    Alabama recruiting enthusiasts report that QB Colby Freeman, a run/pass option QB from Texas, is all but locked up by Nebraska.  Wonder if the Leakes are aware of that?  Tennessee has been thought to be the front-runner for Leake's services for several months.

A Few Tidbits  (19 Jun 98)
    The Auburn Tigers have received their first verbal commitment for 1999.  DB/OLB Philip Pate has pledged to sign with the Plainsmen in February.  Pate is 6-2, 190, 4.6 and attends Erwin High School in Birmingham.  Pate's brother is already in school at Auburn and his commitment comes as no surprise.

Hawg Squeals, an Arkansas recruiting website, reports that when Arkansans Gary Brashears and Cedric Cobbs were at the Tennessee football camp last weekend, considerable pressure was put on Brashears to commit to the Vols.  The QB from Clarksville didn't give in to the supposed "pressure" and still intends to take all his visits.  The same website reports that Brashears, who was thought to be a strong Arkansas lean, told the Northwest Arkansas Times that he is now "wide open" as far as school choices go.  Hawg Squeals called this "worrisome news."  Could the Vols be making a serious play for Brashears?  As far as I know, Brashears would rank behind A.J. Suggs of Georgia and C.J. Leake of North Carolina on the Vol wish list, but there's no denying that Brashears' national stock is on the rise.  As for Cobbs, I've added this highly-regarded TB prospect to my Recruiting Page, as I've seen it mentioned in several places on the internet that the Vols are very much in the mix for Cobbs' services, along with Colorado and Arkansas.

I briefly mentioned a couple of weeks ago that DL Cedric Hilliard of Arlington, Texas was interested in the Vols.  Well, I'm excited to say that Hilliard has narrowed his list to four schools, and the Vols are still very much in the picture.  The 6-4, 295-lb Hilliard is one of the nation's premier defensive tackle prospects and says his top school choices are Texas, Ohio State, Tennessee and Notre Dame.  This could be quite a year for Tennessee in defensive line recruiting, as the Vols lead for Terrea Smalls of South Carolina, Theo Harris of Chattanooga, and Scott Wells of Brentwood, and are being strongly considered by Albert Haynesworth of South Carolina as well as Hilliard.

Quarterback Eli Manning of New Orleans Newman, LA is said to be giving the Texas Longhorns strong consideration.  Along with Texas, he is still looking at LSU, Ole Miss, Florida State, Michigan, and Tennessee.  Notre Dame seems to be off Eli's list for now.  Stay tuned to this continuing saga.

Alliance Sports published a recent interview with Pat Maddox, the mother of NRA #1 RB prospect Nick Maddox of Kannapolis, NC.  Mrs. Maddox said that although Nick has a long list of offers and hasn't even begun to narrow it down, the schools he tends to mention most often are UNC, Tennessee, Clemson, and Florida St.  Nick attended last year's UT-Georgia game at Neyland and was impressed by the enthusiasm of 107,000 rabid Vol fans.  Mrs. Maddox also commented that Nick looked up to Jay Graham, who completed a very successful Vol career in 1996 and now plays for the Baltimore Ravens.  Graham and the Maddox's are from the same area and Jay is also a product of Kannapolis Brown High School.  Hopefully the Jay Graham connection will work to Tennessee's advantage in recruiting Maddox.

Speaking of North Carolina prospects...I came across something recently that may be cause for concern for both Tennessee and UNC fans.  DB Mike Waddell of Rockingham may not sign with either the Vols or the Tar Heels.  Waddell's father wants Mike to go to Notre Dame.  Waddell and his cousin and teammate Marcus Ellerbe want to attend the same college, but I don't believe the Fighting Irish have offered Ellerbe a scholarship.

Georgia Top 10  (19 Jun 98)
    The state of Georgia typically produces more blue-chip high school football players than any other Southeastern state, with the exception of Florida.  During the down years of Georgia football under ex-Coach Ray Goff, Tennessee was enjoying decent success in the Peach State, signing a few top talents each year, but the resurgence of the Dawg program under new headman Jim Donnan may have changed all that.  Last year was a particularly abundant year for talented Georgia players, but by hiring away the Vols' top recruiter, Rodney Garner, and having their best season on the field in years, the Dawgs all but shut Tennessee out in Georgia.  Georgia followed up a victory over Florida on the gridiron in November by defeating the Gators soundly in recruiting, beating UF head-to-head on a number of recruits, most notably LB William Witherspoon from Panama City.  Though Tennessee and Florida also inked Top 10 recruiting classes last year, there's no denying that the Dawgs got the best of both schools in the recruiting season, and the landscape of the SEC East is changing.  While this year's haul of talent in the Peach State doesn't look as strong as last year's, there are plenty of fine prospects, and once again Florida and Tennessee will be trying to land a few Georgia blue-chippers.  The top athletes in Georgia this year seem to be skill-position types; there isn't a single offensive lineman in Jumpmaster's Top 10.
 

South Carolina Top 10  (17 Jun 98)
    Recruiting gurus are raving about the abundance of talent in The Palmetto State this recruiting year.  1998 was the first year in quite a while that Tennessee didn't sign any players from South Carolina; the Vols have always gone into SC for a few signees each year.  This time around there are several blue-chip prospects from SC that have the Vols on their list at this early stage of the recruiting process.  South Carolina is also recruited by Defensive Line Coach Dan Brooks, who is the heir apparent to Rodney Garner as the Vols' "Ace Recruiter."
 

A Few Tidbits  (16 Jun 98)
    #1 Vol Recruit in the Class of '98 John Henderson feels very good about his latest attempt at the ACT.  Henderson took the test Saturday June 13 at Vanderbilt, and feels he got the required score to make him a full qualifier this fall.  There's a link on my Latest News page to a more detailed article.

    Vol Signee Tony Styles of Cleveland, the top LB prospect in Tennessee this past season, will not qualify academically.  He has decided to attend a Prep School, Georgia Military Academy.  Those who know Tony and his love and loyalty for UT believe he'll be wearing the orange and white in a year or two.  Good luck, Tony.

    A report on Alliance Sports stated that the Vols have offered a scholarship to Ian Bass, a 6-1, 235-lb linebacker from Brentwood Academy.  Bass did not play football in 1997 as he was recovering from a torn ACL.  He's back to 100% now and looks like the Vols are recruiting him the hardest, and UT is the only school so far to offer Bass a scholarship.

A Couple of Intriguing New Prospects  (16 Jun 98)
    I've added Gary Brashears to the Recruiting Table.  Gary is one of Allen Wallace/SuperPrep's top QB prospects in the nation, and is also highly rated by Max Emfinger.  Brashears, of Clarksville, Arkansas, is 6-5, 208 lbs and runs a 4.8 forty.  He camped at Tennessee this week and was quite impressive.  Coaches are still evaluating Brashears and the Vols recently reaffirmed a scholarship offer to A.J. Suggs of Georgia.  C.J. Leake camped at UT at the same time as Brashears and I think Leake and Suggs are still ahead of Brashears on UT's wish list, but the situation bears monitoring.  If the Vols decide to pursue Brashears the school to beat will probably be Arkansas.
     Also, South Carolina Sports Guru Phil Kornblut published in his online column that the Vols are recruiting monster (6-10, 310-lbs) offensive lineman Bryan McKinnie of Lackawanna Junior College in Pennsylvania.  Several other schools are interested including Clemson and South Carolina.  McKinnie's playing weight, according to Kornblut, is 330 pounds.  He's one of the most highly regarded linemen in the JUCO ranks right now.

Top 10 in North Carolina  (16 Jun 98)
    Same format as yesterday.  When you list these guys it's truly amazing how many of these players are interested in Tennesseee.  Defensive line Coach Dan Brooks of the Vols, who recruits North and South Carolina, is poised to have a very fruitful recruiting year.

        1)  Nick Maddox, RB, 5-11  180, Brown High School, Kannapolis.  There isn't a preseason blue-chip list that Maddox isn't on, and that's no wonder--he is the #1 prospect, regardless of position, on many gurus' lists.  Player of the Year in the state as a junior, when he rushed for 2,300 yards and scored 42 TDs.  Virtually every major Division 1A power has offered him a scholarship.  UNC, ND, FSU, PSU, Neb, Tenn.
        2)  Michael Waddell, DB, 5-11  170, Richmond County High School, Rockingham.  NRA Top 100, Tom Lemming, Bill Buchalter, SuperPrep, Max Emfinger.  Has been clocked at 4.29 in the forty; absolutely coveted by UNC, for whom cover corner is a top recruiting priority this year.  Projected by some schools as a WR, and quite a weapon as a kick returner (8 return TDs as a junior).  UNC, Tenn, FSU, ND, PSU.
        3)  C.J. Leake, QB, 6-4  215, Independence High School, Charlotte.  NRA Top 100, Tom Lemming, SuperPrep, Bill Buchalter's #1 QB in Southeast, Max Emfinger.  Extremely athletic QB (4.55 forty) who has firm scholarship offers from over 20 schools.  Could also play WR, RB, or DB in college.  Camped at Tennessee, attended Tennessee Spring Game, numerous unofficial visits to Knoxville.  Tennessee is the team to beat.  Also considering Nebraska and UNC.
        4)  Chavis Smith, DL, 6-4  285, East Rutherford High School.  Southeastern Recruiting Alliance's #1 DL in North Carolina.  UNC, Tenn, Clemson, ECU.
        5)  Art Brown, RB, 5-10  200, Mt Tabor High School, Winston-Salem.  4.4 Speed, Tom Lemming, Max Emfinger.  #2 RB prospect in the state.  Tenn, UNC.
        6)  Marcus Ellerbe, DB, 5-9  175, Richmond County High School, Rockingham.  Not only are Waddell and Ellerbe teammates, they are cousins, and they say it's their intent to attend the same college.  Max Emfinger Super Dixie Top 200.  UNC, Tenn, Clemson.
        7)  Angelo Crowell, LB, 6-2  215, North Forsyth High School, Winston-Salem.  Max Emfinger's Top LB in NC.  Has a brother, Germane, who was a star WR for Virginia.  Tennessee has an early lead over UNC, UVa, and NC St.
        8)  Carlos Hines, QB, 6-3  200, Smithfield High, Smithfield-Selma.  Max Emfinger's Super Dixie Top 200.  More of a dropback passer than Leake.  School choices unknown.
        9)  Menyel Flowers, WR, 6-4  170, Hickory High School, Hickory.  Top WR prospect in the state.  Still considering schools/options.
       10)  Kyle Pederson, OL, 6-4  270, West Forsyth High School, Clemmons.  Best offensive line prospect in NC.  Data on school choices not available.

Top Tennessee Prospects (15 Jun 98)
    Starting today, I'm going to take a look over the next several days at the top prospects in several states across the country.  Of course, I'm going to begin with Tennessee.  My intent for these lists is to quickly profile about 10 players from each state who are getting the most preseason attention.  If known, I'll mention the schools involved and which school(s) may be the early leader(s).  Please remember, this is only one man's opinion (mine) and it's early.  I'll list the services/gurus who have the player on their respective Blue Chip lists.  Oh yeah, one more thing...I will attempt to list the prospects in order (ie, best player first) but after the first few players, this gets very inexact, and as you get towards the end of the list, there is very little difference in the quality of the prospects.  Remember, if a player is one of the top 10 in the state, he's pretty darned good...no need to try and split hairs.  Okay, here we go!
 

Moore May Be Eligible  (15 Jun 98)
    Alliance Sports is reporting some possible good news out of Huntsville, Alabama.  Defensive tackle
Rashad Moore of J.O. Johnson High School, who signed with Tennessee in February, was thought to be ineligible after failing the English portion of his high school exit exam.  However, Rashad's father told
Alliance Sports on Sunday evening that Rashad had received some sort of reprieve, and would be eligible
to play football for the Vols this fall after all.  The 6-4, 280-lb Moore, who chose Tennessee over Auburn
and Alabama, was the #1 defensive line prospect in the state of Alabama this recruiting season.  His
presence could provide much-needed depth to Tennessee's injury-depleted defensive line this fall.
Details are still coming in; I'll post the complete story as soon as it becomes available.

Vols May Be Closing In On Suggs  (13 Jun 98)
    A.J. Suggs, highly regarded dropback passing QB from Powder Springs, GA McEachern High, may be close to making a decision that Vol fans will like.  Suggs, who will graduate from high school after the fall semester and enroll early in college, making him eligible for spring training, is the #1 quarterback prospect in Georgia and one of the top ten QB recruits in the nation.  Because he is set to graduate early, he doesn't have to wait until signing day to sign his letter-of-intent and has indicated he'd make a decision as early as sometime this summer.  All indications are that A.J. will choose Tennessee, where he'd be tutored by David Cutcliffe, whose last two star pupils, Heath Shuler and Peyton Manning, were the first QB chosen in the NFL Draft.  Suggs, a pocket passer, is a perfect fit for the Tennessee offense, and the Vols do not have a clear-cut successor for Tee Martin.  The University of Georgia Bulldogs, Tennessee's main competitor for Suggs, have seven young QBs on scholarship including Jon England, Mike Usry, Daniel Cobb, and freshmen Quincy Carter and Nate Hybl.  This combination of factors leads me to think that Tennessee has a big lead for Suggs.  The QB from the Peach State could be Tennessee's first verbal commitment of the '99 class.

Horn Impresses at Vol Camp  (10 Jun 98)
    RB/Athlete Victor Horn of Huntsville, Alabama was one of the most impressive athletes at the Tennessee football camp last week.  The 6-1, 204-lb Horn clocked a 4.39 forty yard dash, the fastest time recorded by any player at the camp.  Victor was similarly impressive at the Alabama camp this week, turning in a time of 4.43.  Horn is getting some national attention.  He's very versatile and could play WR, DB, or RB at the next level.  Horn's high school has sent several football players to Tennessee recently, but Victor is considering Alabama, Auburn and Michigan as well as the Vols.  He says he has not received any firm scholarship offers yet.

Simms Eliminates Tennessee  (10 Jun 98)
    Chris Simms, likely to be considered the top high school football player in the country this fall, has eliminated the Vols from his list of schools.  The 6-5, 211-pound QB from Franklin Lakes, NJ is the son of former NFL superstar Phil Simms.  Tennessee's coaching staff was hoping to get an official visit from Simms this season, but he told Alliance Sports that Tennessee was no longer in the running.  Simms says he and his parents have decided it wouldn't be desirable to play for Tennessee so soon after the departure of Vol legend and NFL #1 draft pick Peyton Manning.  The front-runner for Simms' services seems to be Penn State, but Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan and Florida State are still in the picture.

Another Top In-Stater Verbals to LSU  (9 Jun 98)
    Coach Gerry DiNardo and the LSU Tigers continue to ride an early wave of momentum for 1999 football recruiting.  Defensive back Demetrius Hoofkin, 5-11  180, 4.5, of Kentwood, Louisiana has made a promise to sign with LSU in February.  Hoofkin was considered one of the Top 200 prospects in the country by Louisiana recruiting analyst Max Emfinger.  This brings the total to four early verbal commitments for the Bengals.  All four of the players are from the state of Louisiana.

Bill Buchalter Has Updated Info  (9 Jun 98)
    It's another one of those hectic days for the Jumpmaster.  I've added a few names to the Recruiting Page.  After you check them out, I suggest you pay a visit to Bill Buchalter's site.  The Sunshine State's top recruiting analyst has some great new stuff, including a Southeast Super 26 List and a Florida Super 27 List.  The Vols are in the picture for some of these seniors-to-be, such as Sarasota's Michael Schafer, whom Buchalter has selected as the top placekicker in the Southeast.

LSU Gets Third Commitment  (6 Jun 98)
    The LSU Bayou Bengals continued their early football recruiting success, landing a commitment today from another top in-state prospect, QB/Athlete Antron Seiber of Independence.  The 6-1, 180-lb Seiber is a teammate of one of LSU's other early commitments, RB LeBrandon Toefield.  Seiber is a gifted athlete whose coach says could play QB, WR, or DB at the next level.  Seiber also is a baseball pitcher with a 90-mph fastball; the Tigers could lose him soon to the major leagues.  This brings the total commitments to three so far for LSU; I reported earlier about TE Eric Edwards, in addition to Seiber and Toefield.

Back-to-Back Key Saturdays for Baby Shaq  (6 Jun 98)
    Today is a national test date for the SAT college entrance exam, the last one this summer.  It's my understanding that John "Baby Shaq" Henderson, Tennessee's top '98 football recruit, will be taking the test this morning.  In two attempts at the ACT test, Henderson has come very close to achieving the minimum 17 (68 subpoints) on the test, but has come up just short.  Reportedly Big John has scored a 66, or a 16.5.  Next Saturday, June 13 is the last chance for Henderson to get the required ACT score, and he'll be taking that exam also.  Henderson can meet the requirements by achieving the minimum qualifier score on either the SAT or the ACT; Tennessee will honor either test.  Results from the entrance exams typically take about three weeks to come back.  Henderson has already achieved the required 2.5 minimum core GPA, meaning that he will be a partial qualifier at worst; in that case, he could practice with the Vols but not play in games as a freshman.  GOOD LUCK BIG JOHN!!

Commodores Get First Commitment (5 Jun 98)
    The Vanderbilt Commodores got a quick start on the 1999 football recruiting year yesterday.  Jason Tant, one of the top interior line prospects in the nation, pledged to sign with Vandy next year.  Tant, a two-time All-State performer, plays center on offense and nose guard on defense.  Tant plays for Pegram Harpeth High in the Nashville area.  He never considered Tennessee and his commitment to Vandy, though early, was expected.

Numerous DL Prospects Looking at UT (2 Jun 98)
     Last recruiting season, Tennessee did not close strongly, failing in their quest to sign a big-time defensive tackle prospect to complement All-Everything DE John “Baby Shaq” Henderson.  Huntsville, Alabama’s Rashad Moore signed with the Vols, but as feared, he did not qualify academically.  Down the stretch, the Vols lost Julius Yeast and Ryan Pickett to Ohio State, Rian Cason to Florida State, and Memphis Melrose’s Jerome Moorehead, who honored his commitment to Alabama.
     This season, many of the nation’s best defensive line prospects are mentioning Tennessee among their early top school choices.  I though it would be interesting to feature some of them:
     Terra Smalls:  6-4  300, Timberland (St Stevens), SC.  NRA, Tom Lemming, Max Emfinger Preseason Blue Chipper.  The Vols are rumored to hold an early lead over S. Car, UNC, and UVa.
     Albert Haynesworth, 6-5  295, Hartsville, SC.  NRA’s #3 DL in the nation, currently lists Tenn, S. Car, and Ohio St over UNC, FSU, Mich and others.
     David Paine, 6-6  255, Memphis Melrose, NRA Top 100.  Bama leads Tenn.
     Cedric Hilliard, 6-4  295, Arlington, TX.  Max Emfinger’s #1 Strongside DT in the nation.  Lists TX, Mich, TX  A&M, Okla, Tenn, Ohio St.
     Charles Roberson, 6-5  235, Fairburn Creekside, GA.  NRA Top 100.  Lists UNC, FSU, UGA, Tenn.
     Jesse Mitchell, 6-4  285, Moss Point, MS.  Max Emfinger’s National Top 200.  Current top choices are Fla, FSU, LSU, Tenn.

     In addition to these Preseason Blue Chippers, in-staters Theo Harris (6-4  280) of Chattanooga Meigs County, and Scott Wells (6-4  280) of Brentwood Academy are receiving interest from Tennessee.  Wells is the State Heavyweight Wrestling Champion, reminiscent of current Vol redshirt freshman DT Fred Weary, who was a wrestling champ in high school at Montgomery, Alabama.   The defensive line is still a major recruiting priority for the Vols this year.  With prospects like these showing a lot of interest in Tennessee, the coaching staff would love to get some early commitments this year.
 

The Huntsville J.O. Johnson Trio  (31 May 98)
    It's amazing how often a single high school can produce more than one Division 1-A prospect.  In 1997, Tennessee was fortunate to sign "The Memphis Melrose Trio" of Andre Lott, Cedrick Wilson and Kevin Taylor.  Last year, Washington County High School in Sandersville, Georgia produced Terrence Edwards, Jessie Miller and Derek Sanders.  Georgia signed Miller and Edwards, but Sanders went to Bama.  This year, Vol coaches and fans are hoping to hit a triple with a trio of prospects from J.O. Johnson High School in Huntsville, Alabama.
    Offensive lineman Troy Ragland and tailback Victor Horn have played football together on the same team since they were six years old, and they've expressed a desire to play college ball together as well.  The Tennessee Vols, who have a strong following in Huntsville and a particularly good relationship with Johnson High and Coach Harold Wells, may lead for Horn and Ragland early in the recruiting process.  The third highly-regarded prospect in the group is Kenyon Hambrick, who starred at Johnson High as a senior in 1996, before heading on to a Mississippi JUCO, Hinds Community College.  Hambrick will depart the JUCO ranks after this season and the Vols would love to reunite him with former Johnson teammates Jermaine Kent, Ed Butler, Rashad Moore--and hopefully, Troy Ragland and Victor Horn.

A Couple of New Prospects (28 May 98)
    I've uncovered two potential recruits who are interested in playing football at Tennessee.  They both play their football on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage.  Hugh Reilly, 6-4  250  4.9, is a DE from Atlanta, Georgia Martist High School.  Hugh lists three ACC schools among his favorites:  UNC, Ga Tech, and Virginia.  He also says he is interested in Notre Dame and Tennessee.
    Marcus Reese, 6-2  217  4.6, is another Northern California product, like '98 UT signee Donte Stallworth.  Reese is a linebacker at Oak Grove High School in San Jose.  Reese had over 100 tackles in both his sophomore and junior seasons; he is generally regarded as one of the top five prospects in Northern California.  He is looking at the major PAC-10 football powers, but also lists Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida St, Michigan and LSU.  Hopefully Coach Fulmer's foray into Northern California last year will continue to pay dividends.  Onterrio Smith, tailback who was the offensive MVP on Stallworth's Sacramento Grant High School football team, has made the preseason NRA Top 100 list; the Vols would love to reunite Smith and Stallworth in orange jerseys!

A Player to Watch (27 May 98)
    Not every player can be a preseason blue-chipper going into his senior year, but there are a lot of "Diamonds in the Rough" out there.  Here's a profile of one such player, who has a dream of playing college football when his high school career is over.

                Kyle Jones is a senior-to-be defensive end who is just beginning to hit his stride as a football player.  Kyle did not have the opportunity to play football for several years, but he got back on the gridiron as a sophomore and has rapidly improved his intensity and quality of play.  Kyle will attend the UT football camp in two weeks, where he hopes to have good workouts and perhaps clock an even faster time in the 40-yard-dash.   His statistics as a junior at Riverdale were impressive:  94 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 tackles behind the line, and a forced fumble.  Kyle is poised to have a break-out senior season, and has attracted interest from coaches at Tennessee Tech.  His ultimate goal is to play football in the SEC.

May I Suggest... (22 May 98)
    I am really busy with work right now, and Volunteer sports news is skimpy.   But I encourage you to read the News Plus page at Alliance Sports VolNet.  These folks have some great features on prospects the Vols are recruiting, including the South's #1 running back, Kannapolis Brown, North Carolina's Nick Maddox.  They've also got information on Smyrna, TN DB Luke Powell and RB/LB Eddie Moore of South Pittsburgh.  While you're waiting for me to update the site, read what these folks have to offer.  They have been kind enough to let me use pictures and information gathered by their staff on my recruiting page.  Those folks are top-notch!

Ohio State Verbals (20 May 98)
    Because I was wondering if I could in fact confirm that Ohio State has 10 verbal commitments, I did some searching the Net this evening.  Sure enough, there are 10 Buckeye commitments.  Here are their names, positions and heights/weights.
     QB Craig Krenzel, 6-4  195  (NRA Top 100)
     RB Kelton Lindsey, 6-1  190 (NRA Top 100)
     DL Tim Anderson, 6-4  275 (NRA Top 100)
     DB Curtis Crosby, 5-11  180 (NRA Top 100)
     DB Mike Doss, 6-0  200
     WR Maurice Lee, 5-10  170
     LB Pat O'Neill, 6-4  215
     LB Fred Pagac, 6-2  220
     TE Matt Wilhelm, 6-4  225
     OL Matt Zahn, 6-7  340

Another North Carolina Prospect (20 May 98)
    One of North Carolina's best linebacker prospects says Tennessee is the early leader for his services.  Angelo Crowell, 6-2  215, runs a 4.6 forty.  The senior-to-be plays for North Forsyth High School in Winston-Salem.  Angelo's older brother, Germane, was a star wide receiver for the University of Virginia Cavaliers.  Crowell's size and speed are reminiscent of Keyon Whiteside, another North Carolina linebacker from Forest City Chase.  Whiteside, recruited by Florida, Michigan, and Nebraska, was one of Tennessee's first commitments in the '98 signing class.  He will report for his first fall practice in August.

LSU Gets Early Commitments (19 May 98)
    The LSU Tigers are off to a great start on 1999 recruiting, having already received verbal commitments from two of Louisiana's top football prospects.  Eric Edwards, 6-6  245, tight end from Quachita Christian High School in Monroe, ended speculation last week and cast his lot early with LSU.  Not content to rest on their laurels, the Tigers quickly added a second verbal commitment early this week.  LeBrandon Toefield, superstar running back from Independence, LA will also sign with the Tigers.  Toefield is 6-0  220, and has been timed at an incredible 4.3 in the 40-yard dash.  LSU headman Gerry DiNardo continues to do an outstanding job of keeping the state's top talent at home to play college football.
    The Florida Gators have already received a commitment from one of the nation's top passing QBs.  Rex Grossman, NRA Top 25 signal-caller from Bloomington, Indiana, has pledged to sign with Florida.  Grossman and his parents, seeking to avoid the pressure and distractions of being a sought-after Division 1A prospect, conducted unofficial visits of their own in April, showing coaching staffs at Tennessee, Florida State and Florida (among others) a highlight tape of Rex's exploits.  UF Coach Spurrier was at first reluctant to meet with the Grossmans, but after viewing the tape agreed to talk with the family, and offered a scholarship.
    The Ohio State Buckeyes are also off to a very fast early start in recruiting.  The Buckeyes have already received 10 verbal commitments from top prospects, according to some sources.

Santonio Beard: Battle Lines Being Drawn (18 May 98)
    The premier football schools in the Southeast are preparing to go head-to-head in a battle for the services of one of the South's best football prospects, RB/Athlete Santonio Beard of Nashville's Pearl-Cohn High School.  The 6-0, 200-lb Beard runs a 4.4 forty and was the state's best running back as a junior.  Pearl-Cohn's Coach Maurice Fitzgerald has built the school into a state football power, winning back-to-back state championships with the likes of current UT player Buck Fitzgerald (formally known as Maurice, Jr.) and UT signees John Henderson and Reggie Ridley.  Three schools have emerged as serious contenders in the Santonio Beard Sweepstakes:  Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida State.  Other schools that are interested include Michigan, Kentucky, and Georgia.  Santonio states that he grew up rooting for Alabama and has always dreamed of playing for the Tide.  Florida State was one of the first schools to show a lot of interest in Beard, over two years ago (Ronnie Cotrell, the FSU recruiting coordinator who first began to court Beard, is now in a similar position at Alabama).  And Tennessee has developed an almost exclusive relationship with Fitzgerald and Pearl-Cohn, taking their pick of P-C's best talent each year, and showing commitment to the program by signing Reggie Ridley, little-known DT from the class of '98.  This contest will be one of '99's most heated recruiting "Border Wars" and is currently much too close to call.  Beard, projected by some schools as a cornerback, wants to play RB in college and will not sign with a school that is unlikely to let him run the football.

Uncertainty Surrounds Howard (18 May 98)
    Running back Todd Howard, who starred as a junior for Murfreesboro, TN Riverdale High School last season, now faces an uncertain future as a college football player.  Despite being named to numeorus preseason bluechip lists, including Tom Lemming's Top 200, the 5-11 200-lb Howard is dealing with questions about his academics and his commitment to football.  Reports are now surfacing that Howard will leave Murfreesboro Riverdale, perhaps because of a disagreement with football coaches, and play his senior season in his original hometown of Cookeville.  Once a top target of the Alabama Crimson Tide, it now appears that Bama will stop recruiting Howard, according to a report on Alliance Sports.  The Vols have shown some interest in Howard, but feared losing him to the Tide, who have beaten out UT for prospects Eric Locke and Fernando Bryant from Riverdale in recent years.  It is currently unclear whether these recent developments will lead Tennessee to offer Howard a scholarship.

North Carolina Recruits (18 May 98)
     Vol fans are interested in a handful of big-time prospects from the Tar Heel State.  Here is some updated news I have gathered from various sources.  Quarterback C.J. Leake of Charlotte Independence is attracting major attention.  Rated as a National Top 5 QB/Athlete, Leake has solid scholarship offers from over 15 major colleges, including UNC and Nebraska.  All indications at this time are that C.J.'s favorite is Tennessee.
    Running back Nick Maddox of Kannapolis Brown High School is the #1 RB prospect in the nation, according to NRA.  Maddox was the NC Player of the Year as a Junior last season, edging out the likes of Shamar Finney and Victor Peppers.  Maddox rushed for over 2,300 yards and scored a mind-boggling 42 TDs.  His top five schools are reportedly:  UNC, Notre Dame, Florida State, Penn State, and Nebraska.  Tennessee has been recruiting Maddox for a couple of years now as well, but apparently the Vols trail these other schools at this time.
    Defensive back Mike Waddell of Rockingham has also attracted national attention.  This speed merchant has clocked a 4.29 forty; he projects as a cover corner in college, though he is also a formidable wide receiver and kick returner.   Waddell is particularly coveted by the UNC Tar Heels, who see him as the heir apparent to All-American CB Dre' Bly.  UNC has already offered Waddell and they would love to get an early commitment from this outstanding talent.  Tennessee and several other schools would also like to enter the contest for Waddell's services.
 

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