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.