Got this email today from Vol fan Chad McCormick concerning Chris Simms:

By the way, I was in a chat room(on his site) with Jamie Newberg earlier
this week, and I asked him about the Simms kid and if UT had a chance of
signing him. He told me that UT had a very good chance at signing him, and
that he was told that Simms' was leaning to UT. Whether any of this is true
or not, I'm not sure, but I thought you might be able to use it on your
"Recruiting Gossip" page.

Thanks for sharing that, Chad!

All Vol fans who follow recruiting are aware that Border Wars and Jamie Newberg are always quietly rooting for the University of Georgia.  Newberg always puts a Georgia spin on his propaganda and it must kill him to acknowledge that the Vols may lead for Chris Simms.  If Newberg is reporting this rumor, though, it must be pretty accurate.

Leo Bell Update

As many of you have probably heard by now, the Leo Bell commitment that I reported earlier this week has turned into a strange story.  Bell, OL from Cincinnati Moeller High, told the NRA and other media outlets on Sunday afternoon (Nov 22, after his unofficial visit to the Kentucky game) that he was offered a scholarship by Tennessee and gave a verbal commitment.  On Monday afternoon, it was reported that UT offensive line coach Mike Barry called Bell’s school and informed Bell and his coach that Tennessee was withdrawing their scholarship offer.

According to Bell, he was told that he is “on Tennessee’s B list” and the Vols are only offering prospects on the “A” list at this time.  The Chattanooga Free Press reported on Tuesday that an offer for Bell in January is “possible, if not probable.”  Bell told our friend Jamie Newberg at Border Wars that he “felt like a fool” and “doesn’t know what to think of Tennessee now.”

I have a couple of thoughts on this situation.  Bell looks like a great prospect; at 6-7, 285 he is a PrepStar All-American.  Still, Tennessee is wooing a handful of OL prospects who are even more highly rated than Bell, including Kevin Breedlove, Tony Pape, Alfio Randall and Chris Buda, all of whom are expected to visit Knoxville in the coming weeks.  As I stated earlier, Leo Bell is also a teammate and family friend of Michael Munoz, son of NFL Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz.  Mike Munoz, a junior at Moeller, is expected to be the #1 OL prospect in the nation next year.  This awkward situation was most likely caused by poor communication between Mike Barry and Phil Fulmer, or Mike Barry and the Bell family.  The Bells came away with the definite impression Leo had been offered a scholarship; Leo even said he had written documents to prove it.  Hopefully this issue can be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction, and if the Vols offer Leo in January, he will still want to be a Vol.  Thankfully, Leo told Border Wars that he had not ruled out Tennessee, despite the misunderstanding, and that’s good news.  Leo is still considering Boston College, Notre Dame, and Northwestern along with the Vols.

Charlotte Independence QB C.J. Leak said a few weeks ago that he would begin to make his official visits around Thanksgiving.  He’s scheduled three official visits over a four-week period.  He tripped to Notre Dame on 11/21, and will be at Syracuse this weekend (11/28).  Michigan St is scheduled for 12/11.  Tennessee, Nebraska, and Florida will battle for the last two visits.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel has released a list of the Top 40 Prospects in Tennessee for 1998.  For the third consecutive year, the #1 Prospect in the State plays football for Memphis Melrose.  David Paine, a 6-7, 260-lb defensive end is this year’s top player.  Last season, Kindal Moorehead of Melrose, also a defensive lineman, was the Co-#1 prospect along with Tennessee’s John Henderson of Nashville Pearl-Cohn.  Moorehead signed with Alabama and has had a fine freshman season.  Tennessee CB Andre Lott was the Top Propect when he came out of Memphis Melrose in 1997.

This year’s Top Five, according to the KNS:

1. David Paine, DL, Memphis Melrose
2.    (tie)  Santonio Beard, RB/DB, Nashville Pearl-Cohn
               Troy Fleming, RB, Franklin Battle Ground Academy (Tennessee Commitment)
4. Michael Scruggs, OL, Trousdale County
5. Scott Wells, OL/DL, Brentwood Academy
 

Antwan Fleming, LB, Plant City, Fla says Florida leads Tennessee, Ohio State, Miami, and Kansas St.  Fleming has a 2.4 GPA and scored a 16 on his first ACT attempt.

Wide Receivers Update

Observers of the Vols’ 1999 recruiting campaign are feeling uneasy about recent developments in Wide Receiver recruiting.  Even the most optimistic fans (like myself) are forced to admit that so far, Tennessee has lost out on two of their top three targets (Kareem Kelly and Eddie “Boo” Williams) and the Vols are rumored to trail Georgia in the chase for their remaining top target, Durrell Robinson.  This apparent lack of success is disheartening, especially since Coach Fulmer himself has said that landing an impact receiver may be a key piece of the puzzle to keep the Vols in the SEC Championship race.  With that in mind, who are the Vols’ remaining WR targets, and how are we doing with their recruitment?

Durrell Robinson, 6-1  190, 4.4, Spartanburg, SC:  In the 1998 regular season, Robinson caught 65 passes for 1,268 yards and 21 touchdowns. In his Junior season, Durrell had 48 catches for 838 yards and 13 TDs.  Robinson plans to set official visits with Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Clemson, and Tennessee. The Bulldogs and the Vols seem to be in a dead heat for Durrell’s signature. Last season, Robinson was named top junior in Region 2-AAAA in South Carolina. Coaches and talent scouts say he may be the best offensive prospect to come out of the state in at least 10 years, and he is considered one of the top five WR prospects in the nation.

Tory Mitchell, 6-0  170, 4.28, Big Spring, Texas:  Mitchell grew up a Vol fan and says Tennessee is the early leader for his services.  Tory may well be the fastest prospect in the nation.  He has been timed at 4.28 in the forty-yard dash and 10.12 in the one hundred. However, contrary to some reports, he has not set up any official visits at this time. Tennessee's strong track program and tradition of two-sport athletes (football and track) may be the difference, and many observers predict that Mitchell will end up in Knoxville.  Mitchell can play either offense or defense in college, and has in fact stated a preference for cover corner.

Trey White, 6-1  205, 4.5, Monroe, LA.  Caught 31 passes for 461 yards and three touchdowns as a senior.  As an RB, averaged 6.2 yards per rush, and averaged 20.8 yards per kickoff return. Son of NFL All-Pro Wide Receiver Sammy White.  White has stated recently that he is leaning to Tennessee over Oklahoma St, Miami, and Grambling.

Reggie Brown, 6-2  180, 4.4, Carrollton, GA.  Brown caught 66 passes for 1,150 yards and 15 touchdowns during his junior campaign. He bench presses 280-lbs. and squats 450.  He stole the show in the semi-finals of the Class 2A Georgia State Playoffs. On the last play of the game, Brown returned an interception 90 yards for a TD.  Suffered a broken leg midway through his senior year, though he recovered in time to play in the playoffs.  Some recruiting analysts rate Brown the #1 WR in the nation.  Georgia is most likely his leader, though the UGA coaches are also concentrating heavily on Durrell Robinson.  Brown has also expressed interest in Tennessee, Florida, FSU and Ohio State.

Jamaar Taylor, 6-1  195, 4.4, Mission, TX.  As a Junior, Taylor had 61 catches for 962 yards and eight touchdowns to earn first-team all-district, all-valley, all-region and all-area accolades.  Taylor bench-presses 355-lbs. and squats 500-lbs. He also vertical jumped 36 inches at this summer's Nike combine held at Rice University.  Taylor’s stock is really on the rise.  He will make official visits to Tennessee, Notre Dame, Miami and Colorado, and the Florida Gators are making a strong push for Jamaar’s last visit.

Deandre Green, 6-2  200, 4.5, Mobile, AL.  Had been committed to Auburn but has backed off that and is now considering Michigan State, San Diego State, Tennessee, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Alabama.  In his brilliant high school career, Green has caught more than 210 passes for nearly 3,000 yards and 43 TDs.  In his junior season, Green made 79 pass receptions for 1,094 yards and 23 touchdowns.  Green is a friend of Tennessee QB Tee Martin, who is also from Mobile, and has said he would enjoy catching TD passes from his old high school friend with the Vols.

Ryan Sawyer  WR/DB 6'3" 195 lbs. 4.45/40  Pope HS Marietta, Georgia:  Ended his high school career last week with these statistics for his senior season:  58 catches for 1185 yards, with 10 TDs and three 2-point conversion catches.  He averaged 28 yards per punt return.  Sawyer is not a speed merchant, but he is an excellent possession receiver prospect.  He is big, tall and fearless, and catches everything thrown in his direction.  He’s a great leaper with excellent body control.  Ryan has a scholarship offer from Virginia and will visit the Cavs’ campus in Charlottesville on Dec 19.  He is also considering Auburn, Georgia Tech, Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee.

Mandrell McGregory 6-0, 185, 4.5, Clarksdale, MS.  Caught 35 passes for 670 yards and 5 TDs as a junior, making honorable mention All-State for Clarksdale HS.  Considering Tennessee, Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and LSU.

Maurice Harris, 6-2  205, 4.5, Jacksonville, FL:  Had 17 catches for 300-yards this season in his school’s run oriented attack.  As a junior, he averaged a touchdown every other reception, scoring 14 times on 28 catches. In all he racked up 882 yards.  Harris is considering Florida, Miami, Tennessee, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Ohio State at this juncture. All of his favorites have offered and the Gators appear to be the team to beat.  Harris said that he would take an official to Tennessee in December and will visit Miami the first week in January. He recently tripped to Ohio State with teammate Lito Sheppard.  Harris has attended three Florida home games this season.

Detronn Harris, 6-2  190, Atlanta, GA:  Harris was a little known receiver heading in to the 1998 season, but has attracted much attention from college recruiters this fall. Early on Georgia lead in the race for his services, then Auburn took over, and then, following the coaching controversy on the plains, Georgia and Tennessee emerged as the leaders.

Taylor Jacobs, 6-2  185,  4.4, Florida A&M High School, Tallahassee, FL:  Jacobs, who liked Tennessee early on, now says he is leaning to Auburn.  His mom is an FSU graduate, and the Noles may be close to offering Taylor and his teammate, QB Willie Simmons.  At one time it appeared that Simmons would be the next Dameyune Craig at Auburn, but now Simmons says he is upset over the Auburn coaching situation, and will not go to Auburn unless current QB coach Jimbo Fisher is retained.  In any event, Auburn hasn’t offered Simmons anyway.  FSU will probably get both Jacobs and Simmons if they offer them.

Michael Waddell, 5-11  170, 4.2, Rockingham, NC:  Ran a 4.19 and 4.23 at UNC camp this summer. Runs a 10.5 100 and a 21.6  200.  The Tar Pit, a UNC recruiting site, described Waddell as a Deion Sanders clone who has the man-to-man cover skills to step in at DB and make an immediate impact (47 tackles and 8 interceptions as a junior). Has rushed for 1,282 yards and 18 touchdowns on 107 carries through November 13th of his senior year.Also plays WR (3 receptions for 57 yards and 1 touchdown as a junior) and RB (37 carries for 687 yards and 4 touchdowns as a junior) on offense and is a standout kick and punt return specialist (11 touchdowns on returns as a junior). 225 bench, 405 squat.  As of late November, lists FSU slightly over FL, NC, TN and VA.

Ryshaun Conover (6-3  195 4.5) Lakewood, NJ:  Similar in size, speed, and ability to Ryan Sawyer, but Conover gets more ink.  Has made a couple of Top 100 lists.  Had Tennessee in his top two early on, but has evidently cooled on the Vols.  Not sure if he will make an official visit to Knoxville.  Considering Penn State (leader), Michigan, Syracuse, Notre Dame and perhaps Tennessee.

Michael Johnson (6-4  200  4.55)  Tulsa, OK:  Vol coaches were very high on this guy in late summer.  He is a national prospect as an “Athlete” and projects as a college WR.  Compared to current Vol David Martin in size and ability.  Tennessee seems to have cooled on him recently, speed could be a concern.

Andrae Harrison (6-3  187  4.4) Newport News, VA  PrepStar Dream Teamer who was rumored back in late summer to be on the verge of committing to Tennessee, but has become more of a Virginia or Virginia Tech lean in recent weeks.  Looks as if he will not make an official visit to Tennessee after all.

Keshan Fudge (6-1  190) Hattiesburg, MS was considering Tennessee, but Bill Hodge of FansOnly reported today that Fudge has verballed to Mississippi State.
 

Santonio Beard vs. Troy Fleming

Who’s the best running back in Tennessee, Bama lean Santonio Beard or Tennessee commitment Troy Fleming?  The following excerpt from a Knoxville News-Sentinel article about the top 40 prospects in the state outlines most of the pertinent facts.  You be the judge:

This year's poll also indicated a virtual tie for runner-up honors between
Nashville area running back sensations Santonio Beard of Pearl-Cohn and
Troy Fleming of Battle Ground Academy, a private school in Franklin.
Fleming became a University of Tennessee commitment last summer and then
passed Emmitt Smith this season in career high school rushing yardage.
Fleming had 3,008 yards on the ground and finished No. 2 all-time with 9,327
yards. Ken Hall of Sugarland, Texas, set the all-time record (11,232 yards)
from 1950 to '53.

Beard had 2,421 rushing yards and scored 38 touchdowns this season - one
more than Fleming - while having about 100 fewer carries and facing tougher
competition. He led the Firebirds to back-to-back Class 4A state titles and
was the Offensive MVP in Clinic Bowl victories over Halls in 1996 and
Maryville last year.

Fleming also plays linebacker and was his team's second-leading tackler.
National analysts rank Beard even higher at defensive back than running back.
Because their talent is so similar, Beard and Fleming are co-No. 2's on this
year's list.
 

Stallworth’s HS Teammate Leading Candidate for Player of the Year

This article appeared on StudentSports in late October:

 The leading candidate for State Player of the year in CA
 has to be RB Onterrio Smith, 5-11, 180 pounds from Grant,
 Sacramento CA. In six games, Smith has rushed for 1,689
 yards and scored a whopping 33 TDs.

 Last week, Onterrio set school records with 43 carries for 373
 yards and scored five TDs to rally Grant to an exciting 40-35 win
 over undefeated Yuba City. Trailing 35-34 with four minutes to
 play, the RB carried the ball 13 times on a 14 play drive and
 scored the game winning TD to seal the win.

 We heard later on that Onterrio was so nervous about the SAT
 test he took earlier in the week, he threw up several times
 before the game started.

 Smith has set up a trip to NEBRASKA (Dec 11) and said he has
 scholarship offers from WASHINGTON, PITTSBURGH and
 CAL. Eligibility concerns are the only thing holding him back
 from being one of the most sought after recruits in the country.

 The RB said he’s currently carrying a 2.6 core GPA and will
 continue to take the SAT until he passes. His top five remains
 the same with TENNESSEE, OHIO STATE, WASHINGTON,
 UCLA and NEBRASKA leading the pack.
 

Update for 23 Nov 98

Tennessee added a fourth verbal commitment for 1999 over the weekend, one which caught even us die-hard UT recruitnicks by surprise.  In fact, until just a few hours ago, I had never heard of this young man; he was not one of the targets I've been following.  Offensive lineman Leo Bell (6-7, 290) of perennial powerhouse Cincinnati Moeller High School committed to the Vols while on an unofficial visit to the Kentucky game on Saturday.  The NRA reported the PrepStar All American's commitment Sunday afternoon.   Bell was also being recruited by Nebraska, Notre Dame and Boston College.  He is a teammate of junior OL Mike Munoz, son of NFL Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz and sure to be one of the nation's top OL recruits next season.  Tennessee is already developing a recruiting relationship with Munoz and Bell's pledge to be a Vol could mean that Munoz will follow his teammate to Knoxville next year.  I hope to find some stats and additional info this week, so I can post a more complete profile on my Verbals Page.  Welcome to the Vol family, Leo!!

Also enjoying his official visit this past weekend was Anthony Herrera of Naples, Florida.  Anthony now says that the Vols are "definitely" in the lead for his signature.

Linebacker Rod Royal of Baton Rouge, LA visited Texas A&M over the weekend.  It must have been a good visit because now Royal says the Aggies lead.

Ryan Sawyer (6-3  195  4.5) of Pope High School in Marietta, Georgia completed his high school career over the weekend.  Ryan had a phenomenal senior season, with 58 catches for 1,127 yards (both are District and County records).  He caught 10 TD passes and added three two-point conversion catches, leading Pope to a playoff appearance.  Max Emfinger has named Ryan a National Blue-Chipper and he is a PrepStar All-American.  SuperPrep rates Sawyer the #13 WR in the country and he was recently included on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Georgia Top 50.  Ryan has scholarship offers from Virginia and Clemson.  He is also considering Alabama, Tennessee, Auburn, Florida and Georgia.  He has scheduled an official visit to Virginia and the Cavaliers may be the team to beat.

Just watched ESPN Sports Center a few minutes ago, and Peerless Price's sensational one-handed catch against Kentucky was featured as a "Play of the Week."  The 41-yard grab, which Price made brilliantly with his right hand while fending off the Kentucky DB with his left arm, set up Tennessee's first touchdown and gave the Vols a 12-7 lead that they never relinquished.

Tennessee won the Eastern Division crown with their victory over Kentucky on Saturday.  The Vols' opponent in the December 5 SEC Championship Game in Atlanta will likely be Mississipppi State, a 22-21 winner over Arkansas on Saturday.  If Jackie Sherrill's Bulldogs can defeat Ole Miss on Thursday, they are Atlanta-bound.  Arkansas can still make it to Atlanta if Mississippi State loses to Ole Miss and the Razorbacks beat LSU on Friday.

Florida State's win over Florida on Saturday, combined with Wisconsin's win over Penn State and Ohio State's victory over Michigan, cleared up the bowl picture somewhat.  UCLA and Wisconsin are in the BCS as Champions of the Pac-10 and Big 10, respectively.  FSU has won the ACC and will be in a BCS Bowl.  It was a tough day for the Florida Gators; while they were losing to their most bitter rival, the Seminoles, UT was clinching the East and removing the Gators from the SEC Championship picture.  Ohio State will most likely make the BCS as an at-large team, as the Buckeyes finished 10-1 and beat hated nemesis Michigan for only the second time in the last eleven tries.  The second and final BCS at-large berth will go to Notre Dame if the Irish can defeat USC on Saturday.  Should the Irish falter, Arizona, which will go to 10-1 and Co-Champions of the Pac-10 with a victory over ASU, will mostly likely get in the BCS pool.  The winner of next Saturday's Miami-Syracuse game will represent the Big East in the BCS, along with the winners of the SEC and Big XII Championship Games.  The final BCS Standings, to be released on December 6, will determine the participants in the Fiesta Bowl National Championship Game on January 4, 1999.  Tennessee will be #1 and UCLA #2 in tomorrow's rankings; the Vols and Bruins have been 1-2 for three straight weeks.

Update for 21 Nov 98

In a move that surprised fans of both Tennessee and Alabama, JUCO All-American WR Eddie "Boo" Williams announced on Thursday of this week that he was committed to Arkansas.  The battle for Williams was expected to come down to Tennessee-Alabama.  Alabama Recruiting Coordinator Ronnie Cotrell placed Williams in JUCO when he left high school in Tallahassee in 1996, and the Tide were thought to have the inside track on Williams.  In recent weeks, Boo has spoken highly of Tennessee; Volunteer Head Coach Phil Fulmer was said to be personally recruiting Williams.  But Williams shocked both schools by casting his lot with Houston Nutt's Razorbacks, saying that Hog WR Anthony Lucas needed some WR help on the other side, and he intends to be that help.

The Atlanta Journal and Constitution has released their annual AJC Top 100.  Check it out.

Tennessee will be hosting Offensive Tackle Anthony Herrera from Barron Collier High School in Naples, Florida on an official visit this weekend for the Kentucky game.  Herrera is 6-foot-4 and weighs 295 pounds, and runs a 5.0 forty.  He is originally from Trinidad.  Not sure what other schools Herrera is considering, will post that info when it becomes available.

Bob Bell stated on WLAC Friday that Chris Simms has told a close circle of his friends that he has narrowed it down to two schools--Tennessee and Penn State.  Of course, this is strictly rumor but Tennessee certainly seems to have as good a chance as any school of landing Simms at this point.  It would be fantastic to get a verbal from Simms several weeks before signing day, as numerous other recruits might be swayed the Vols' way if they knew that Chris was going to be running through the "T" next fall.

The Vols' mens basketballers dropped their game Thursday night at Miami, Ohio as star Red Hawk forward Wally Szczerbiak scored 34 points.  The final score was 68-62, making the Vols' record a disappointing 2-2 so far.  After being ranked ninth in the preseason AP poll, UT dropped to 18th upon losing the opener to Arizona.  The Vols will most likely drop out of the Top 25 in the next poll to be released on Sunday.   Tennessee has been plagued by poor perimeter shooting (they hit only 3 of 20 three-point shots against Miami) and defensive lapses so far this season.  They try to regroup and get a win when they face Tennessee-Chattanooga at Thompson-Boling on Tuesday.

Update for 18 Nov 98

Check out a new article, my assessment of the Vols' Recruiting Needs for 1999.

Both the Vols and the Lady Vols basketball teams got off to a shaky start as both lost over the weekend.  The men were knocked off by one point, 73-72, by Arizona in the Black Coaches' Association Classic in Albuquerque, New Mexico Friday night.  The Vols had five or six shots on their final possession, but could not pull out the win.  On Sunday, the Lady Vols lost for the first time in 46 games, being beaten by the Purdue Lady Boilemakers, 78-68.  Both teams bounced back to win their next games, and the men ran their record to 2-1 by defeating Cal St Northridge, 83-64, on Tuesday night.

In football recruiting news, Andy Mignery committed to Michigan on Monday as expected.  As I had predicted, the Wolverines landed Mignery because they wanted him as a QB, while the Vols were recruiting him as an "Athlete."

Deandre Green, WR from Mobile, AL says he is no longer committed to Auburn, although the Tigers still lead.  He attended the Auburn-Georgia game over the weekend and was impressed by Auburn's passing game and true freshman QB Gabe Gross.  Green says he plans to visit Tennessee, San Diego State, and Michigan State.

The Vols have scheduled a visit from an intriguing prospect, Constantin Ritzmann of North Florida Christian High School in Tallahassee.  Ritzmann is an exchange student from Berlin, Germany.  He plays defensive end and is 6-4, 240 lbs with 4.6 speed in the forty.  His stock is really on the rise, and his visit to Knoxville is slated for 16 January...a date that is shaping up as a huge visit weekend for the Vols.

Update for 15 Nov 98

Since my last update, several prospects that the Vols were recruiting have made verbal commitments to other schools.

Ricky Upton has indeed committed to Penn State.  He chose the Nittany Lions over Wisconsin.  Ricky grew up a Vol fan but Tennessee never offered.  Upton graduates at mid-year and could not afford to wait any longer for an offer from UT.

Elgin Hicks of Port Charlotte, Florida has verballed to the Florida Gators.

DeMarco Monroe, big OL from Evansville, Indiana, has pledged to sign with Michigan State.  The Spartans beat out Kentucky, Tennessee and Notre Dame for Monroe.

The pass-catch duo of Chris Lewis and Kareem Kelly, from #2 ranked Long Beach Poly, California, have both chosen a school.  Lewis verballed to Stanford and Kelly will sign with the University of Southern California.  The Vols were interested in Lewis, and had been recruiting Kelly for months.  Florida was another school that was disappointed by Kelly’s decision.

Quarterback Update:  Andy Mignery of Hamilton, Ohio says he will announce his decision Monday.  His three finalists are Michigan, Maryland and Tennessee, but expect him to cast his lot with the Wolverines.  He had a great visit to Michigan last weekend, which included lots of one-on-one time with Head Coach Lloyd Carr.  The Wolverines are recruiting the 6-5, 225-lb Mignery as a QB, while Tennessee wants him as an “athlete,” projecting him as a TE or LB.

Eli Manning announced his final five schools this week, and Tennessee was not one of them.  Virginia may be the new leader, with Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, and Tulane still in the running.  Many Vol fans have held out hope that Eli would sign with Tennessee in the end, but it does not look likely at this point.

Chris Simms continues to list the Vols as a co-leader with Penn St, Ohio St, Texas and perhaps Pittsburgh.  Tennessee is pulling out all the stops in an effort to sign Simms, but a couple of QBs from California remain interested in UT.  Ken Dorsey of Orinda Miramonte lists Tennessee among the five schools he would like to visit.  A new prospect, Kyle Boller, will visit Tennessee in January.  Boller (6-3, 185) from Newhall (Hart) is the top passer in the state of California, with 3,364 yards and 41 TDs on 200-of-318 passing.  He has thrown only 2 interceptions in 9 games, and has also scheduled visits to Florida St, Oregon, California and Colorado.

Georgia recruitnicks have talked a lot lately about the “attitude” and “questionable work ethic” of Carrollton WR Reggie Brown.  Brown suffered a broken leg two weeks ago that ended his season, though he is expected to make a complete recovery.  While the 6-2, 200-lb Brown is arguably the top prospect in the Peach State, South Carolina’s Durrell Robinson was the most outstanding WR who camped in Athens last summer and indications are that the Dawgs’ top WR target is Robinson, not Brown.  Tennessee, listed for months as Brown’s second choice behind UGA, may be taking advantage of the situation.  The Vols and Dawgs are neck-and-neck for Durrell Robinson’s signature, and now the Vols are improving their position with Brown as well.  Don’t be surprised to see one of these great WR prospects sign with Georgia and one with Tennessee…but don’t ask me to predict which one ends up where at this point in the game!

Eddie “Boo” Williams is the nation’s top JUCO WR.  The 6-5, 221 pounder runs a 4.5 forty and has become one of Tennessee’s top targets in recent weeks.  Placed in Coffeyville Community College by FSU’s Ronnie Cotrell when he left high school in Tallahassee in 1996, Williams has long been thought to be headed to Alabama.  But UT  Head Coach Phil Fulmer is now personally recruiting Boo for the Vols, and Williams has said recently he might be leaning to Tennessee.  Williams is set to graduate in December and will have three years to play two for a Division 1A school.  An added consideration for the lucky school that signs Boo Williams:  Antonio Carter of Tallahassee, former high school teammate of Boo, would like to attend the same school as Williams.  Carter is also considering Tennessee.  This shapes up as an Alabama-Tennessee battle.

WR Ryshaun Conover of Lakewood, NJ has Tennessee as one of his top five schools and says he will set up an official visit to Knoxville.  Conover’s two favorites are Penn St and Ohio St.  He also wants to visit Miami and Indiana.

WR Ryan Sawyer (6-3, 195  4.5) of Pope High School in Marietta, Georgia has had a solid senior season. I received this email update from his father this weekend:

Ryan Sawyer WR/FS Pope HS caught 5 passes for 107 yards and one touchdown as
Pope defeats Cherokee 28-0. Ryan has 53 catches for 1045 yards and 9 TD'S
for the regular season. A school and county record. Pope claims the region
6-AAAA championship with the victory. On to the playoffs next week.

Sawyer has scholarship offers from Virginia and Clemson, and has scheduled an official visit to Virginia’s campus in Charlottesville.  He also lists Alabama, Tennessee, Auburn, Florida, and Georgia, in that order.

Running back Derek Watson of Winston, SC was rumored to be on the verge of committing to Georgia, but this week he denied that, saying that Tennessee and Georgia were in a dead heat for his services.  Watson will end his high school career as the all-time leader in yards, TDs and points scored in South Carolina.  In the regular season this year, he rushed for 2,136 yards on 196 carries and scored 39 TDs.

OL Greg Barnum (6-3  270) of Killeen, Texas is a rarity: a true center prospect.  Barnum has not begun to narrow his list yet, but says he will definitely visit Tennessee and Miami.  Barnum needs to add 80 points to his test score, so qualifying may be close.  Barnum is also considering LSU, Texas A&M, Nebraska, Ole Miss and Notre Dame.

Trey White of Ouachita High School in Monroe, LA is a strong Tennessee lean.  The 6-0, 195-lb White runs a 4.5 forty and is being recruited as an all-purpose Athlete by the Vols.  He is the son of former NFL wide receiver Sammy White, who was an All-Pro with the Minnesota Vikings.  White is also considering LSU, Arkansas, Florida and Michigan.

Athlete Tory Mitchell (6-1, 170) of Big Spring, TX has been timed at sub-4.3 in the forty.  He says he would choose the Tennessee Vols if he had to make a decision today.  He projects as a cover corner in college.

The top DL in Texas may be Ty Warren of Bryan.  Warren (6-4, 280) who says Texas A&M is his leader, has scheduled an official visit to Tennessee in January.  He says he “likes the way the Tennessee coaches talk.”  Warren has 8 sacks and 27 total tackles for loss on the year; he has 28 QB pressures and has forced five fumbles.

Santonio Beard of Nashville Pearl-Cohn has rushed for 1,920 yards and 31 TDs this season.  Though I think Alabama leads for Beard’s services, he recently told the media he is wide open between Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Kentucky.  Beard officially visited Alabama on Oct 2, and is scheduled to make an official visit to Georgia on Nov. 27.

Rush end Leslie Williams, a national recruit from Stone Mountain, Georgia now says that Georgia Tech has taken a slight lead over Georgia and Tennessee.
 
Tennessee has recently reaffirmed a scholarship offer to Scott Wells, 6-4 270, OL/DL from Brentwood Academy, Tennessee.  UT Coaches have attended several of Brentwood’s games this season, watching Wells and teammate Ian Bass, a 6-1 235-lb LB that the Vols have also offered.  Tennessee is thought to lead for both players.  The Vols project Wells as a guard or center in college.

Another top instater, Luke Powell of Smyrna, plays option QB and cornerback in high school.  Kentucky may be Powell’s early leader; he has scheduled an official visit with the Wildcats.  Powell is said to be a similar player to Eric Locke, who was heavily recruited by the Vols when he came out of Murfreesboro Riverdale last season.  Locke signed with Alabama.  Powell is somewhat smaller, but has more pure speed than Locke.  Tennessee has not yet offered Powell, but Luke lists the Vols in his top five along with Kentucky, Auburn, Ohio St and Michigan.

Tennessee remains the team to beat for Albert Haynesworth, the 6-6, 310-lb DL out of Hartsville, SC.  Haynesworth was rated by many as the finest DL in the land in the preseason.  As a junior, he was the Defensive Player of the Year in AAAA in the state, with an incredible 56 tackles for lost yardage.  But this season has been a disappointment for Haynesworth, as Al played most of the season with a bulky cast on his arm after an injury, and has been described as overweight and out-of-shape by some observers.  Still, he has tremendous upside potential and can be a great one in college.  Qualifying may be close, however.  Haynesworth is also considering Georgia, Penn St and Florida, and has numerous Division 1A scholarship offers.

Outside linbacker Marcus Reese of San Jose, California continues to list Tennessee as one of his favorites and definitely intends to make an official visit to Knoxville.  Reese is rated the #4 OLB prospect in the U.S. by StudentSports.  He is also considering California (visited for the UCLA game), Washington, and UCLA.

Tennessee has reaffirmed its scholarship offer to Eddie Moore of South Pittsburgh, TN.  Moore (6-2, 205) plays RB and DB in high school, but has been told by UT that he is wanted as an OLB.  He reminds observers of Vol sophomore OLB Eric Westmoreland, who was similar in size and ability coming out of Jasper, Tennessee in 1996.  Moore, like Westmoreland, is an accomplished RB in high school, having rushed for over 1,600 yards and 31 TDs so far this season.  Clemson is trying to lure Moore away with a promise to play him at RB, but expect Eddie to sign with the homestate Vols and Coach Randy Sanders.

Linebacker Devon Davis of Austin, Texas has finally set up an official visit with Tennessee on January 16.  There has been much confusion on Tennessee’s recruitment of Davis; he has said that there have been miscommunications, and for a long time it was unclear whether or not the Vols had offered.  Apparently a scholarship offer has been extended, and Davis now says the Vols lead.  Davis made 128 tackles last season, despite playing six games on a badly injured ankle.  Davis also says he will visit UCLA, Miami, Michigan and Texas A&M.

Basketball Recruiting Update:  6-9 Carlton Aaron of Chesapeake, Virginia will sign with Tennessee during the early basketball signing period.  Aaron rounds out a Top 10 signing class that also includes 6-7 Ron Slay of Oak Hill Academy, Virginia; 6-2 Jonathan Higgins of Shaker Heights, Ohio; 6-1 Harris Walker of Hargrave Military Academy, VA; and 6-2 Terrance Woods of Memphis.  Jenis Grindstaff, a 6-2 guard who transferred to Tennessee from Virginia Tech, will also begin playing with the team in the 1999-2000 season.    As expected, the Vols lost out to Kentucky on 6-9 power forward Marquis Estill.

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