KNOXVILLE — Tennessee has taken full advantage of the college football dead period caused by the coronavirus pandemic, having hauled in a number of blue-chip prospects to vaunt its 2021 recruiting class to No. 2 in the country, according to 247Sports.
The Vols are doing so behind a coaching staff filled with experienced and obsessive recruiters, whose prowess has been on full display for the last month. 247Sports rates individual recruiters just as it does recruiting classes, and UT currently occupies the top five spots in the 2021 SEC recruiter rankings.
Defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley leads the way at the No. 1 spot, and he has been the most successful recruiter of this cycle. Ansley has been the primary recruiter in landing 4-star Alabama linebacker Dylan Brooks, 4-star Florida safety Kamar Wilcoxson, 3-star Florida safety De’Shawn Rucker and 3-star Alabama cornerback Jay Jones.
Behind Ansley at No. 2 is recently named running backs coach Jay Graham, who has landed two 4-star running backs in Cody Brown and Tiyon Evans for his alma mater.
Another former Tennessee star in wide receivers coach Tee Martin sits at No. 3 in the SEC after helping land three wideouts so far in the 2021 class, including Alabama 4-star Jordan Mosley.
Tight ends coach Joe Osovet is No. 4, and has been instrumental in recruiting north, earning commitments from two 4-star Baltimore products in defensive tackle KaTron Evans and outside linebacker Aaron Willis.
Finally, inside linebackers coach Brian Niedermeyer rounds out the top five. The former 247Sports National Recruiter of the Year helped the Vols land 5-star outside linebacker Terrence Williams.
Before this stretch of commitments for the 2021 class began, Tennessee fans knew what kind of recruiters it had on its staff. In head coach Jeremy Pruitt, Martin and Niedermeyer, the Vols have three former 247Sports National Recruiter of the Year recipients.
Now with Ansley, Osovet and Graham developing crucial relationships as well, the sky is the limit for what type of players Tennessee can bring to Knoxville, and it is showing so far in the 2021 class.