'We're Really Excited': Jeremy Pruitt Recaps Tennessee's Early Signing Day
If there is one thing that Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt enjoys most about his job, it is the concept of building relationships through recruiting. That was never more apparent than when UT's leading man took the podium on Wednesday.
As the Vols wrapped up the early signing day with the nation's 21st-ranked class according to ESPN, Pruitt couldn't help but reflect on the journey that he and his staff have been on since he became UT's head coach in January 2018.
Turns out, many of the signees that committed today were already on the newly-appointed coach's radar.
"We have 21 signees and this has been a long road," Pruitt said. "We started recruiting a lot of these guys two years out and built a lot of relationships with them. I think it says a lot about the men on our staff."
To his credit, Pruitt's recruiting philosophy has not wavered since his arrival. It's also trickled down to his staff and nearly everyone associated with the Tennessee football program.
From the university's chancellor to the person in charge of UT's nutrition program, the Vols have truly honored the "all in" motto that Pruitt brought with him from Alabama.
"When you talk about recruiting, it's a team effort," Pruitt said. "And we have used all of the resources here at Tennessee from our chancellor to some of the deans...everybody has been bought-in."
The list of signees includes four-star quarterback Harrison Bailey from Marietta, Georgia and local products Tee Hodge and Cooper Mays.
Hodge, the son of Tennessee wide receivers coach Tee Martin, is coming off of a state championship run with Maryville High School. Mays, who’s brother Cade currently plays for Georgia, has been a longtime Tennessee commit.
Of the on-field qualities that Pruitt and his staff were searching for, size and speed were the most critical.
Not only do Pruitt and his staff want to be big in all facets, they want the groundbreaking speed that typically comes in smaller packages.
"There's critical factors for every position," Pruitt said. "But you've got to have plan...football players come in all shapes and sizes but we would like the bigger, longer, faster guys."
Pruitt also maintained that the Vols will not ask any player to change their position.
Recruiting individuals as athletes rather than typical positional players, Pruitt says that UT’s staff will not attempt to put any of them in a box.
While he and his staff will always have a position in mind, they let the player do the choosing.
"When we recruit our guys, we're going to recruit them for a certain position," Pruitt said. "All of these guys know exactly what they want to play and we're going to allow them to play exactly what they want to play."
One thing that the Vols will not ask of their incoming class? To unwillingly change positions.
"It doesn't do us any good to recruit somebody, tell them one thing and then put them at another position.”
A seeker of excellence both on the field and in the locker room, talent was not the only criteria in which Pruitt and his staff were judging by.
To build a winning program in a conference such as the SEC, the Vols are going to need far more than just skill for them to return to contention.
Pruitt is well-aware of that reality, and while what he sees from them on the field may be the most important factor in making the final decision, what these players bring off the field in terms of leadership and character also go a long way.
"To me, how you play on the field matters the most," Pruitt said. "The next thing to me is what kind of makeup you have...that's important when you're building a team."
