Wu's very own recruiting thread.

If current commitments stick for the 2015 group,*Tennessee*head coach Butch Jones will have convinced five running backs to become Volunteers during his first two recruiting classes.

While some prospects may shy away from such a situation, Scout four-star running back*Bryce Love*is not one of them.

Love, who is rated the No. 41 tailback for the 2015 class, has taken notice of the positional influx of talent to Rocky Top but wouldn’t be worried about his ability to garner carries if he made Knoxville home.

“I see all the recruits and all the running backs going there, and a lot of people consider it a competition,” the star back out of Wake Forest, N.C., said.

“I know they’re all good players. I believe in a real good rotation (of running backs) and things like that. … Competition is definitely good. Playing time, wherever you go, is going to be hard to come by. I know they have a lot of really good running backs up there right now. It’s just a matter of going there, if I decided to go there, and really competing.”

Any additional ballcarrier that gives his pledge to Tennessee will have to be prepared to prove his ability.

In 2014 the Vols signed three runners — three-star*Treyvon Paulk*and four-starsJalen Hurd*and*Derrell Scott. The two pledged for 2015 are Scout four-star*Alvin Kamara*and three-star and fellow North Carolinian*Rocky Reid.

“I met (Reid) actually a couple weeks ago. … I feel like he’s a really good player. He adds a change of pace to the game. He definitely has that power. He runs behind his pads, knows how to hit the hole,” Love said of the 6-foot, 215-pound rising senior.

As far as his recruitment with Tennessee goes, Love has been impressed with the Vols’ coaches. Running backs coach Robert Gillespie and linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen have made a move with Love.

“Coach Thig went to (North) Carolina and knew my uncle. My uncle and him had a good relationship. Me and him got a pretty good relationship. We talk, we’re pretty close,” the 5-foot-10, 180-pounder said.

“Coach G, I met his family. He’s real down to earth, a real cool dude. I like him a lot."

Gillespie and Thigpen have good reason to pursue Love. The Tar Heel State back makes his mark with what Scout national recruiting analyst Chad Simmons describes as “blinding speed.”

As a junior at Wake Forest High School, Love amassed 1,973 yards and 26 touchdowns. A commitment from Love would enhance an already-burgeoning backfield with legitimate speed and quickness.

The timing of Love’s college declaration is still undecided, however. He stated his commitment will “probably” take place after all five of his official visits but that “there’s still a possibility” it comes earlier.

As for who will “for sure” receive one of his official visits this fall, Love only mentioned Stanford and Tennessee. At this time, the other three spots are up for grabs between Florida, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech.
 
Major weekend ahead for the future of Tennessee football as a more profound step forward with prospects in the 2016 make their way to campus to either compete for an offer or camp or are invited with some 2015 targets for the second “Orange Carpet Day” event of the summer. This event takes place almost a month exactly after the first that saw nearly the entire commitment class on Rocky Top, posing for photos as though they were on a runway, playing video games using the Jumbotron screen, competing in corn hole and more. Rain affected the first edition, so if Mother Nature cooperates then this OCD will be different by simply going down in its entirety.


Ryan Johnson is one of two rising junior offensive tackles at Brentwood Academy with a Tennessee offer. The Vols have been a long-time favorite to land him. Johnson tells IT that he thinks he’s perfect for coordinator Mike Bajakian’s scheme and gives details on why playing for offensive line coach Don Mahoney would be a treat to play for. Bryce Mathews is his BA teammate and the two have discussed playing together. Johnson’s declaration is tentatively set for Saturday.


Quarte Sapp is also on “pop watch” but may not be as close to committing as some think. Sapp gave IT vibes in Oregon and months in advance that Tennessee is a potential landing spot but the Miami Hurricanes have had the gas pedal down as well. The former Milton (Ga.) High School teammate of Treyvon Paulk lights up when asked about Vols linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen, who’s helping the charger to land Sapp.


Speaking with Midlands analysts with Scout this week, more often prospects in Texas are claiming interest from Tennessee. The Mesquite, Texas, area had been one of the few that the Vols would target prospects but that is slowly changing. Part of that is due to the Longhorns no longer being a superpower in their own state. Another analyst in that region recently told IT that at a Texas junior day earlier this year, not one of the state’s top 10 prospects was on campus.


Cameron Ordway is the four-star cornerback at Giles County with heavy interest in Tennessee. Ordway say he will make his public declaration in August. Tennessee undoubtedly must land at least one (probably two) cornerback with one of the remaining spots in the ’15 group. Ordway said a factor he’s considering is the type wide receivers a school boasts so he can be challenged weekly in practice.


“I’ve thought about it,” Ordway told IT. “Going places where some school may have the No. 1-rated receiver. It’s just motivation to be able to go out and compete with him every single day of practice. Competing with him at practice, it will make it easier for me in the game to go guard anybody else’s receiver.I thought about it plenty of times.”


Now-four-star quarterback Torrance Gibson has Oct. 20 in mind to come forth with his public declaration. If he were deciding July 19, IT would have to say Gibson is a Vol. That may still be the case come this fall. Sources say the staff has been back and forth on interest level with Gibson, who’s years away from being an every-down starting quarterback.


The magic number for National Letters of Intent for the ’15 class is still at 24. Sources say the staff will have to be even more creative this year than last to get to 24 but it’s obtainable. Cross Jocquez Bruce off the list of commitments that Vols fans think will be asked to move on. The staff knew it would likely get a commitment from the South-Doyle athlete before it offered, which is why it waited longer to make sure. Bruce is expected to sign an NLI with Tennessee in February and enroll in May.
 
Do you mean this weekend or just in general? Outside of Ford, I can't imagine having any qualms about our commits this weekend. And even he isn't a lemon but he's a project recruit for sure.
 
NochNoch said:
Do you mean this weekend or just in general? Outside of Ford, I can't imagine having any qualms about our commits this weekend. And even he isn't a lemon but he's a project recruit for sure.
Click to expand...

I'm not all that impressed with Ford, Bruce, or Miller.

JMO.
 
I like Miller. Ford seems to get some good reviews but I dunno.
 
It’s not very often a member of the Southeastern Conference is able to pluck top high school talent away from California. However,*Tennessee*did just that on July 10 when it earned a commitment from Scout’s No. 1 overall prospect, five-star defensive tackle and Volunteers legacy*Kahlil McKenzie.

Despite the difficulty, the Vols’ staff will try to strike twice on the west coast in its pursuit of Scout five-star*Keisean Lucier-South.

Lucier-South, rated the No. 5 outside linebacker and No. 29 overall prospect for the 2015 class, contends the Vols are serious players in his recruitment.

“Yeah, they’re in the top group right now,” the 6-foot-4 1/2, 220-pounder said.

“Great coaches, I can feel the vibe over there and great support and all that stuff. … I’m really liking the program, and they really take care of the players. I really like (Tennessee coach) Butch Jones.”

The defensive stud for Orange (Calif.) Lutheran told InsideTennessee that a couple Vols coaches stand out so far in his recruitment. According to Lucier-South, he’s “mostly” in contact with Jones and defensive line coach Steve Stripling.

“(Stripling)'s a great coach. He started talking to me again, because he took a break, but he started talking to me again, and I’m really liking him,” the Californian said.

Lucier-South had high praise for Jones as well. Thus far, Tennessee’s second-year head man played an integral role in the elite prospect’s recruiting process.

“It’s a big honor,” Lucier-South said of Jones hands-on approach the Vols’ pursuit of him.

“He’s a great coach and he’s changed that program, too. All the stuff he’s done has changed the program. I’m really liking Butch Jones.”

Though Tennessee is high on the blue-chip prospect, they’re by no means the only ones.

Lucier-South has made quite a name for himself, and the offers have rolled in as a result. Besides the Vols, Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas, UCLA and USC highlight the long list of suitors. In a recent interview with Scout, the five-star mentioned Michigan and UCLA as the two teams recruiting him the hardest.

Lucier-South proved his worth so far this summer. The rising senior, who’s projected by many to end up as a hybrid defensive end/linebacker, earned defensive line MVP honors at the NIKE Football Training Camp held in Los Angeles. As a result, he became one of the 162 top high school prospects invited to NIKE's all-star summer camp, The Opening, in Beaverton, Ore.

The Californian plans to make his college choice either at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 3 or the following month on National Signing Day.
 
When a recruit hears from college coaches on a daily basis, it’s safe to say he’s a priority target in that recruiting cycle.

Drew Richmond*admits that he hears from someone on the*Tennessee*staff “every day.”

Not only is the Scout four-star prospect an in-state target as he competes for Memphis University School, but he also plays at a position of need at offensive tackle.

Coach Butch Jones and his staff welcomed several prized targets onto campus Saturday for the July version of “Orange Carpet Day.” While it was far from his first time being on The Hill, the Bluff City standout had a quality time.

“It was a nice event,” Richmond told InsideTennessee. “My parents enjoyed it.”

The No. 151 in the Scout 300 understands how badly he’s needed by the Volunteers and the opportunity for early playing time with both starting tackles from the 2013 team now in the NFL.

“I like Tennessee a lot,” Richmond told InsideTennessee. “It’s a great school. I know I can come in there and I know they need me. I know it’s not a want-base. I know they need me. I know I can come in there and make some things happen early.”

Alabama, Ohio State and Ole Miss are three of many suitors in fast pursuit. In fact, a visit to Columbus is slated for July 25.

Still, should he come to Knoxville, Richmond fully believes he could potentially start as a true freshman.

“Honestly, I believe in myself. Looking at depth charts and numbers of schools, I think I can go in there and play as a true freshman.”

A public declaration is set for Sept. 9. That’s the five-year anniversary of the death of one of Richmond’s dear friends.

The Memphis University School Owl represented the Volunteer State as its best blocker and the No. 12-ranked offensive tackle in the country at The Opening this month, receiving instruction from idol and Washington Redskins tackle*Trent Williams.

Richmond hit the road often last fall to see gameday atmospheres for several schools he’s considering, including trips to Knoxville (twice), Memphis (twice), Oxford and Tuscaloosa. He saw the Volunteers take on Georgia and Vanderbilt at Neyland Stadium.

A return trip to Ohio State’s campus is set up for July 25.

Even though he declares in September, he still plans to use his official visits. One visit set up already is to UCLA for the Oregon game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Oct. 11.
 
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