Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
These Tennessee commits were in action for their high school teams last Friday.
Many Tennessee commits started playoff action last week.
Despite its recent four-game losing streak, Tennessee currently has the No. 10 recruiting class in the 2021 cycle according to the 247Sports Composite.
The Vols have the fifth-rated class in the Southeastern Conference, highlighted by several key players. Many of these players have been in action and are wrapping up their high school football seasons in the playoffs, however, some are in the midst of the regular season or are not playing due to COVID-19.
Below is a rundown of how some Tennessee commits fared under the Friday night lights last week.
These Tennessee commits starred for their high school teams on Friday.
Tennessee’s 2021 recruiting class currently ranks No. 10 in the country and No. 5 in the SEC according to the 247Sports Composite.
A few of these commits have had their high school football seasons delayed or canceled due to COVID-19, but many were in action last weekend as they near the end of their regular season or begins the playoffs.
Here is how some of Tennessee’s future stars played under the Friday night lights last week for their respective teams.
The Tennessee Volunteers now boast the No. 1 class in the SEC for the 2021 recruiting cycle
Coach Jeremy Pruitt and the Tennessee Volunteers coaching staff have been busy recruiting during the coronavirus lockdown.
The Vols have received 11 commitments in the 2021 recruiting class in the last two months, including six in the last two weeks.
Georgia fans remember Pruitt’s time as UGA’s defensive coordinator (2014-2015) under Mark Richt. Although the relationship did not work out, Pruitt was a very successful recruiter for the Bulldogs.
Fast forward to the 2021 recruiting cycle and Tennessee now has the No. 1 ranked class in the SEC and the 3rd best in the country behind Ohio State at No. 1 and Mack Brown’s North Carolina Tar Heels at No. 2.
Pruitt is a part of the same Nick Saban coaching tree that produced coaches like South Carolina’s Will Muschamp and Georgia’s Kirby Smart. Saban disciples are known for a strong defensive strategy and a knack for signing elite defensive talent. So far, the Vols have received commitments from two of the top defensive players in the country: 5-star outside linebacker Terence Lewis and 5-star weak-side defensive end Dylan Brooks.
Lewis (Opa Locka, Florida) is rated as the nation’s No. 9 overall player and as the No. 1 OLB in the country. Brooks (Roanoke, AL) is rated as the No. 1 WDE and the 29th best recruit overall. Other than Lewis and Brooks, Tennessee holds commitments from 15 more recruits, four of which are 4-stars.
On Sunday, the Vols also picked up a commitment from 4-star running back Cody Brown out of Lilburn, Georgia. A few days prior to that, they received a commitment from Roswell, Georgia native 4-star wide receiver Julian Nixon.
Tennessee’s 2021 class broken down by stars:
Two 5-star commits
Four 4-star commits
Eleven 3-star commits
Tennessee finished with the No. 10 ranked recruiting class in 2020, which unfortunately for the Vols, meant a No. 7 finish in the SEC.
That should prove to be Pruitt’s biggest obstacle while at Tennessee. Georgia, LSU, Florida, Alabama and Auburn are some of college football’s best recruiting programs.
However, if Tennessee can continue to take advantage of the down time and bring in more 5-stars, it may be able to compete for the top spot when the 2021 recruiting cycle comes to an end next year.
As for Georgia, Kirby Smart has the Bulldogs sitting at No. 16 in the country, but we are not nearly close enough to signing day to think about hitting the panic button. Kirby has finished with the No. 1 class for three consecutive seasons now, so it’s safe to bet on the Dawgs turning up the heat as we creep closer to December’s early signing day.
Dylan Brooks is fifth Tennessee commit from Alabama in 2021 class.
KNOXVILLE — University of Tennessee football head coach Jeremy Pruitt and the Vols have received a verbal commitment from a five-star prospect in Alabama.
Dylan Brooks, a weakside defensive end from Roanoke, Ala., announced his commitment to UT via Twitter on Sunday.
Locked In🔒 #GBO🍊 @CoachJPruitt @DansleyAnsley @shelton_felton pic.twitter.com/Kxv4dtl6cz
— Dylan Brooks (@_dylanbrooks) April 26, 2020
Brooks, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs in at 220-pounds, chose the Volunteers despite having offers from Southeastern Conference in-state powers Alabama and Auburn.
He is a rising senior at Handley High School and was named to Alabama’s all-state second team for Class 4A following the 2019 campaign.
Brooks is nationally ranked No. 18 (247Sports Composite) among 2021 football players. He is also the No. 1 player in Alabama.
The future Vol made an unofficial visit to Knoxville in November and was part of Junior Day events on both March 7 and Jan. 18.
Brooks joins Jordan Mosley, Roc Taylor, Edwin White and Jay Jones as commitments from Alabama in Tennessee’s 2021 recruiting class.
Tennessee lands 5-star Alabama defensive end Dylan Brooks.
Tennessee secured its biggest recruiting coup of the 2021 cycle on Sunday, beating out Alabama and Auburn to earn a commitment from 5-star defensive end Dylan Brooks from Roanoke, Alabama.
Locked In🔒 #GBO🍊 @CoachJPruitt @DansleyAnsley @shelton_felton pic.twitter.com/Kxv4dtl6cz
— Dylan Brooks (@_dylanbrooks) April 26, 2020
At 6-foot-5, 220-pounds, Brooks is rated the top weak-side defensive end in the country, No. 18 overall prospect in his class and the No. 1 prospect in Alabama per the 247Sports Composite.
A linebacker and wide receiver at Handley High School, Brooks is an explosive, speedy defender off the edge with a flexibility that is rare at the high school level. With offers from Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Georgia, Florida and several other major programs, Brooks gives Tennessee its highest rated commitment since quarterback Harrison Bailey in the 2020 class.
With a big, rangy frame and long arms, Brooks looks the part of an upper tier edge defender in the SEC, much like Darrell Taylor, who was taken in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks on Friday.
Brooks has another year of high school football left to play, so his recruitment will not slow down over the coming months, but for now, Tennessee has ventured into Jeremy Pruitt’s home state of Alabama and secured a top talent coveted by the state’s biggest programs.
Tennessee defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley is the primary recruiter for Brooks, who gives UT its 11th commitment of the 2021 recruiting class.
