Grades, Remaining Needs for Tennessee’s 2021 Offensive Recruiting Class Ahead of Early Signing Period

We are now less than a week from the early signing period beginning on December 16th, and Tennessee's class has suffered several key setbacks in the past few days with de-commitments coming from Hudson Wolfe, Terrence Lewis and Damarius McGhee, all of which were guys the Vols wanted to keep in their 2021 class. There is the possibility of more movement, mutual and unwanted, ahead of the period, so we will take this article to grade each position group (in terms of long-term fit/need at Tennessee) and discuss their remaining needs.

Quarterback

Tennessee has their quarterback in the 2021 class in Kaidon Salter. The dynamic, dual-threat quarterback has only improved his stock during his second season at Cedar Hill (Texas), as he has played against national competition. Salter has been Tennessee's top focus at the position since the early Spring, and the Vols hit on their top target at the position, after evaluating multiple guys early on.

Grade: A

Running Backs

The Vols could return every running back on the current roster, if Ty Chandler comes back for 2021, and the room should be crowded with competition going into the Spring. The Vols currently hold commitments from Tiyon Evans, Cody Brown, and Jaylen Wright, and they value each of them. This is a solid group they have assembled, and Tennessee did not miss out on anyone here to speak of, even though they did attempt to make a run at elite back TreVeyon Henderson. If the Vols hold these three in the class, or even lose one, it is a solid position group coming in.

Grade: A

Wide Receivers

This is an interesting group to grade because there are several moving parts to it. For starters, does Julian Nixon stay in the room, or does he end up as more of a tight end/H-back? The same can be asked of Roc Taylor, even though I feel confident that he ends up at receiver if the Vols are able to sign him. They also added commitments from Walker Merrill and Jordan Mosley. Tee Martin hit on all of these guys early on and the Vols did not waste a lot of time elsewhere, even though they did court some other guys at times. This group has a lot of potential to make plays for Tennessee, and Taylor is explosive enough to find the field early on as a big-framed, vertical threat. I do believe they require a little more polish than the two groups mentioned above.

Grade: B

Tight Ends

Losing Hudson Wolfe stings for the Vols, but it is not the end of the world. Tennessee still holds a commitment from Miles Campbell, who I am extremely high on, and Trinity Bell projects to be a tight end as well. Both are explosive athletes, who bring differing skill sets to a position that has been underutilized for whatever reason. Nixon could also find time here. I do not think the Vols have any remaining needs here, nor do they have another target to zero in on to close out the cycle, so I think they are done recruiting. Wolfe's departure sets Campbell up for the opportunity of an expanded role, but Bell could be a bit more of a project, but his sheer size and athleticism bodes well for him. These two will be interesting to watch.

Grade: B-

Offensive Line

This is a group that I am not as impressed with as most are. The Vols have continued to stay in contact with Amarius Mims, but that seems to be a pipe dream at best. Tennessee also made a run at Diego Pounds, but he opted for North Carolina, and they seemed to be the favorite for Rod Orr before backing off of his recruitment. I still believe they need a true left tackle body, and Sidney Fugar is a guy they have expressed interest in of late. They hold commitments from William Parker, Colby Smith, and J'Marion Gooch, all who possess impressive frames, and appear to be solid in their commitment. Parker projects as more of a right tackle, while Smith and Gooch both have some things they need to clean up before making an impact at the next level. Now, the benefit with this group is a tremendous amount of upside, and Tennessee is bringing back Wanya Morris and Darnell Wright, which bodes well for production there. The Vols will continue to recruit Mims until the end, but with likely no avail, so only time will tell how this class could shake out, but it is not the best one for Will Friend.

Grade: C