1999 Tennessee Volunteer Verbal Commitments
Last Update 4 Feb 99
 
 
 
Name/Position HT/WT 40 School/Hometown Commit Date
A.J. Suggs, QB 6-4  210 4.7 McEachern H.S., Powder Springs, GA 29 Jul 98
Troy Fleming, RB 6-2  205 4.5 Battle Ground Academy, Franklin, TN 31 Jul 98
Chavis Smith, DL/OL 6-4  290 5.0 E. Rutherford H.S., Forest City, NC 3 Sep 98
Devon Davis, LB 6-3  228 4.6 McCallum HS, Austin, TX 17 Dec 98
Anthony Sessions, LB/S 6-2  215 4.5 Copiah-Lincoln JC, MS 18 Dec 98
Sterling Kazee, DB 6-2  170 4.5 Macarthur HS, Irving, TX 22 Dec 98
Greg Barnum, OL 6-2  285 4.9 Ellison HS, Killeen, TX 23 Dec 98
Charles Roberson, DL 6-5  235 4.5 Creekside H.S., Fairburn, GA 2 Jan 99
Steven Lee, PK 5-11 155 -- Citronelle High School, AL 14 Jan 99
Anthony Herrera, OL 6-3  295 5.0 Barron Collier HS, Naples, FL 17 Jan 99
Albert Haynesworth, DL 6-6  310 4.8 Hartsville HS, Hartsville, SC 18 Jan 99
Kevin Young, DL 6-3  235 4.7 Duncanville, TX 18 Jan 99
Terriea Smalls, DL 6-2  315 5.0 St Stephen's HS, Timberland, SC 19 Jan 99
Scott Wells, DL/OL 6-3  280 4.9 Brentwood Academy, Nashville, TN 21 Jan 99
Constantin Ritzmann, DL 6-4  235 4.6 No. Fla Christian, Tallahassee, FL 22 Jan 99
Eddie Moore, RB/LB 6-2  210 4.5 South Pittsburg High School, TN 1 Feb 99
Onterrio Smith, RB 5-11  185 4.4 Grant High School, Sacramento, CA 1 Feb 99
Profiles
 
        A.J. Suggs:  Dropback passer from Powder Springs, GA who chose Tennessee over Georgia, Clemson, Auburn, and Kentucky.  His choice really came down to Tennessee or Georgia, and he saw more opportunity to play at Tennessee.  He was also very impressed with Head Coach Phil Fulmer and Offensive Coordinator David Cutcliffe, and likes Tennessee's style of offense.  Tennessee was the first school to notice A.J. when he camped there after his freshman year in high school, and that has stayed with A.J. ever since.  He felt comfortable with Tennessee, had made up his mind that was where he wanted to go to school and play football, and thus made an early decision.  With the decision out of the way he feels more able to focus on his final football season at McEachern High.  A.J. has led McEachern to two consecutive state playoff appearances and is excited about this year's team.
        As a junior, Suggs threw for almost 2,000 yards (including playoff games) with 19 TDs and only 6 interceptions.  He put up these impressive stats despite the fact that McEachern ran a conservative, running offense.  He is an extremely accurate passer (completed 63% of his passes) who makes good decisions.  He describes himself as "smart" and says he has a great arm.  He wants to work on shortening his throwing motion in an effort to develop a quicker release.  He will graduate early from high school, enroll in college in January, and participate in spring training with the Vols.  He has a 3.5 GPA and has already scored 910 on the SAT, making him a full academic qualifier.
 
 
        Troy Fleming:  Terrific athlete who led BGA to the 1A State Championship last season, starring on both sides of the ball.  Troy is the cousin of former UT receiver Cory Fleming, who held the Vols' all-time record for TD receptions until his record was broken by Joey Kent in 1996.  Cory played in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys.  After taking an unofficial visit to UT on Tuesday, July 28, Fleming told Vol coaches he was casting his lot with Tennessee.  The public announcement came on July 31.  Fleming was also being recruited by Alabama, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, LSU, Florida and Florida State.
        Fleming is considered a prototypical I-formation tailback.  As a junior in 1997, Fleming rushed for an incredible 2,777 yards on 270 carries and scored 36 TDs.  He also led the team on defense, making over 100 tackles from his free safety position.  Fleming had already rushed for what is believed to be a state-record 2,817 yards as a sophomore in 1996.  Behind the exploits of Fleming, BGA won the State Championship in 97.  Fleming told the media that Tennessee coaches have promised him the opportunity to play running back as a true freshman.  He is a great all-around athlete and some scouts projected him as a WR or DB in college.  Fleming has a 3.0 GPA and should have no difficulty qualifying academically.
 
Scouting Troy Fleming (pics!)
 
 
        Chavis Smith:    Smith is a two-way player who Tennessee coaches project as a defensive lineman in college.  He is athletic enough to play fullback on his high school team in goal-line situations, and scored two TDs in a game against Forest City Chase earlier this season.  On defense, Chavis had 10 tackles and 3 sacks in that same game.  SuperPrep magazine had named Smith as the sixth-best prospect in the state of North Carolina, and the homestate Tar Heels had been recruiting him very hard.  Smith’s high school coach, Jerry Cash, said, “They’ll be upset at North Carolina because they were recruiting him heavy.  I think Coach Brooks’ connections in this area helped.”  Smith should be a welcome addition to Coach Brooks’ defensive line troops.  Much of Tennessee’s defensive success so far this season can be credited to the defensive line, and the coaching strategy of playing 10 or more linemen during the course of the game.  Chavis Smith has the size and ability to get in the mix early in his UT career.
 
        Devon Davis:  Hard-hitting inside linebacker prospect who acquired an interest in the Vols while watching them on TV over the past few years, Davis was so excited about the prospect of wearing Orange and White that he could not wait until his official visit to commit.  Gained notoriety as the best LB prospect in Texas after a phenomenal junior season in which he made 128 tackles, despite playing the last six games with a broken bone in his ankle.  He also had six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, four sacks, two blocked field goals and an interception as a junior.  In the Preseason, he was named a G&W Top 75, PrepStar Dream Team Top 100, SuperPrep Top 100, and Max Emfinger National Top 200.  As a senior, Davis continued to be all over the field, making 114 total hits (98 Solo Tackles).  He is quick and instinctive, running well from sideline to sideline and seeming to be in on every play.  Tough tackler with a terrific nose for the ball.  Projected to play Middle Linebacker for the Vols.  Tennessee beat out UCLA, Michigan, Florida State, and Texas A&M for Davis.

        Anthony Sessions:  Coming out of high school at Warner-Robbins, GA in 1997, Sessions was recognized as one of the South's top athletes, but he did not qualify academically.  Placed in Junior College by Mississippi State, Sessions played OLB as a freshman.  As a sophomore, played strong safety and led the conference in punt and kickoff returns, taking one kickoff back for a 101-yard TD.  In addition to kick return duties, Vol coaches project Sessions as an OLB.  He fits the mold of "glorified strong safeties" who play OLB at Tennessee, a tradition started by Al Wilson and continued with much success by Raynoch Thompson and Eric Westmoreland.  With three years to play two, Sessions has already enrolled at UT, beginning classes in January and making himself available for the 1999 spring drills at Tennessee.  The Vols beat out Georgia and Mississippi State for Sessions' signature.

        Sterling Kazee:  After intercepting 13 passes as a junior, Kazee was named First-Team All-District and the Defensive MVP of his high school district.  In the Preseason, he was named to numerous Blue-Chip lists including NRA Top 100, Tom Lemming Top 200, G&W Top 75, and SuperPrep Elite 100.  He was recognized as a top recruit by Max Emfinger, Bill Buchalter, and Aceess Waco's Don Cartwright, who listed him the #5 prospect in the state in July.  Sterling continued his stellar play as a senior, despite the glare of the spotlight.  He picked off 7 passes this season and picked the Vols over Florida State and Michigan.

        Greg Barnum:  Barnum is a rarity:  a true center prospect.  Bobby Burton of the National Recruiting Advisor rates Barnum the #1 center in the nation.  Greg bench presses 420 pounds, squats 670, and has been timed at 4.9 in the 40.  He led the way for Texas A&M signee Reggie Duncan to rush for 1,300 yards this season as the duo led Ellison High to a 9-2 record.  Barnum also visited Texas A&M and LSU, but chose Tennessee after an official visit in December.  He told the Knoxville News-Sentinel that he followed the Vols' perfect season closely, watching several of their games on TV.  He plans to report to school for the second summer school session in July, take a couple of classes, and get started on his weight lifting.

        Steven Lee:  This placekicker from Alabama has good bloodlines:  his brother, Bryan, kicked for Ole Miss and broke the school scoring record held by Archie Manning.  Evidently one of the things that led Coach Fulmer to offer a scholarship to Steven is his similarity to Vol kicker Jeff Hall, the SEC's All-Time career scoring leader.  Lee hit 8 of 14 field goals as a senior, including a 57-yarder, third-longest FG in state history.  He also punted for his high school team, averaging 40.8 yards a punt.  The Vols were impressed by the strength of Lee's leg; he put 22 of his 29 kickoffs into the endzone.  He showed accuracy and consistency as well, making good on 29 of 30 extra point kicks on the year.

        Anthony Herrera:  Originally from Trinidad, Herrera has only played football since the ninth grade, but improved steadily enough to be considered one of the top three OL prospects in the Sunshine State and a 6A (Florida's largest HS classification) All-State at left tackle.  Herrera also strongly considered Nebraska, where he was very impressed by the facilities, especially the weight room, and the Miami Hurricanes, the closest major program to his home.  In the end, though, his decision was helped along by Tennessee fans on an internet message board.  After his Tennessee visit, on the weekend of the Kentucky game in November, Herrera signed up for Alliance Sports Vol Net and logged onto the "Members Only" forum, telling Vol fans he was considering Tennessee and seeking advice.  He received numerous encouraging replies, including one ten-page dissertation on the merits of playing football for the defending National Champs.

        Albert Haynesworth:  As a junior, this huge defensive tackle was the AAAA Defensive Player of the Year in the state of South Carolina after making 157 tackles, including 56 for lost yardage, with 51 QB hurries.  Virtually every Blue-Chip list in America included Haynesworth in the Preseason:  NRA, G&W, Tom Lemming, PrepStar, Max Emfinger, Bill Buchalter, and SuperPrep.  Although Haynesworth suffered through a disappointing senior season and his team finished 1-10, Bobby Burton of NRA still ranks Haynesworth as the #1 DT prospect in the country.  He received scholarship offers from every major football school and could have signed with any college in the country.  When he committed to the Vols on January 18, Haynesworth said Georgia was his runner-up and he also strongly considered the in-state schools.   When it came down to it, though, he said Knoxville, Tennessee "felt like home."

        Kevin Young:  Named the 1998 Dallas Morning News area Defensive Player of the Year after leading Duncanville to the class 5A State Championship, Young had 23 combined sacks as a junior and senior.  He is from the same high school as star Lady Vol forward Tamika Catchings, and Catchings helped host Young on his official visit to Knoxville.  Young credited Vol assistant coach Mark Bradley with an outstanding job in his recruitment.  He is the fourth Texas blue-chip to commit to Tennessee and Coach Bradley in less than a month.  Young, who had been committed to Texas at one time, also considered Texas A&M, Oklahoma St, Miami, and Kentucky.

        Terriea Smalls:  Rated the #5 nose guard prospect in America by NRA, and the #6 prospect in the state of South Carolina by SuperPrep magazine, Smalls had been a strong Tennessee lean throughout the recruiting process.  As a youngster, Smalls was raised a Vol fan and often attended games at Neyland Stadium with his father.  Smalls was AAA All-State as a junior and Phil Grosz rated him the #1 DL prospect in South Carolina.  He made numerous Preseason Blue-Chip lists, including NRA Top 100, PrepStar Dream Team, SuperPrep Elite 100, and Max Emfinger's National Top 200.  Tennessee beat out Penn State, North Carolina, South Carolina and Clemson, among others, for Smalls.
 
        Scott Wells:  Named Mr. Football Lineman in Division II-AA for the 1998 season, and named First-Team All-State as a lineman on every published All-State team.  The #1-ranked heavyweight wrestler in the nation, Wells has a career record of 67-0.  Has told friends and coaches that he has two dreams:  To be an Olympic wrestler, and to play football in the NFL.  Moved around a lot growing up, just recently moved to Tennessee from Michigan, so didn't really grow up a Vol fan and isn't steeped in UT football tradition.  Still, Wells liked the winning ways at Tennessee and decided to pledge  with Coach Fulmer's Vols.  The Vols beat out Ole Miss, Virginia, and Vanderbilt for Wells.

        Constantin Ritzmann:  Exchange student from Berlin, Germany who came to America with the express purpose of garnering a Division 1-A football scholarship.  Ritzmann got plenty of attention from college coaches, having a simply phenomenal senior season.  Racked up 151 tackles, including 45 for lost yardage and 26 sacks.  He also forced 13 fumbles and led his team to the state championship game.  Steadily improved his stock with the recruiting gurus, ending the year rated as either the #1 or #2 DE by every recruiting service.  Bench presses 350 pounds and has been timed at 4.55 in the forty.  Projects as a full academic qualifier, having achieved a near-perfect score on the math portion of the SAT.  Coveted by several major powers, Ritzmann chose Tennessee over Florida St (runner-up), Alabama, Ohio St and Florida.

        


 
 
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