A Look at How The NCAA's Extended Dead Period Could Impact Tennessee's Top Targets

Author:
Matt Ray
Publish date:
Sep 18, 2020 7:56 PM EDT

Tennessee currently holds 26 commitments in its 2021 recruiting class, but the Vols are not finished recruiting top targets. Unfortunately, for Tennessee, recruits, and schools across the country, the NCAA has extended the recruiting dead period until January. This not only takes kids on-campus visits away, but it conflicts with the mid-December early signing period. The NCAA has not released any information on if the dates will stay the same for the early signing period or not, however, it seems likely that fewer recruits will sign during the period this year in an attempt to get in late visits. In this article, I examine what it means for Tennessee's top targets.

Amarius Mims- The elite offensive tackle from Bleckley County (Ga.) is planning to announce his college decision on October 14th, which is two months before the early signing period. Multiple teams remain in contact, but Tennessee and Georgia appear to be the front-runners. Mims has visited both schools multiple times over the last six weeks, spending time with recruits and his family. He will likely make at least one more trip to each before deciding. Both schools have unique relationships with him, as he has clicked with multiple Tennessee commits, and current Tennessee quarterback, Brian Maurer. At Georgia, Mims has a strong relationship with Brock Vandagriff, in addition to several other recruits in the class. Both schools will continue to swing hard down the stretch, so it will be interesting to watch. At this point, it seems unlikely the NCAA's extended dead period will affect him.

Smael Mondon- The most unpredictable recruit in the 2021 class has multiple schools making contact with him each day. He is taking things slow, but a decision could come at any time. He would like to take more visits, but that will not be the deciding factor for him. Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida are all hanging around in this recruitment, and if there is a clear cut leader, Smael Mondon is the only one who knows. He could drop an announced mid-day commitment on a Tuesday, and it would not come as a surprise to those who cover him. The NCAA's ruling could cause Mondon to take the process even further, or realizing there are no visits could lead to him pushing his timeline up and ending the process early. Out of this list, he is one to really keep an eye on.

Nyland Green- The coveted Cornerback from Newton (Ga.) has multiple suitors, but Auburn, Georgia, and Tennessee have the most buzz around them. There have been multiple leaders in his recruitment, and he has had a hard time releasing top schools, so it is tough to predict what the extension could mean to him. All of his finalists are with a few hours of a car ride, so he has that added benefit. He has visited Tennessee once during the shutdown on a self-guided trip, and he will likely have to take more of these trips to look at his finalist. It seems likely Green is going to take this into the winter, so this may cause him to put his recruitment on the back burner as he focuses on his senior season.

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins- the Gaffney (S.C.) star has been all over the board in his recruitment. He is down to four schools, and a commitment date could come at any time. He has made trips to each of his finalists, and he lives within three hours of each. He can self-guide trips, if needed, but he may not need that. He has hinted at being ready to announce his decision, but it is not the first time. Tennessee remains in a solid spot here, and the Vols face competition from Georgia and South Carolina, in addition to North Carolina, who continues to hang around. Several schools fell optimistic, but if Ingram-Dawkins has to decide off relationships, Tennessee could have the upper-hand. His recruitment could wage on with the recent news, or it could expedite the process. Only time will tell, but Tennessee has remained in a solid spot for months, and they are going to battle tooth and nail until the very last.

Other key targets such as Khristian Zachary and Tywone Malone, both have scheduled commitment dates. Zachary is set for October 15th, and Malone is scheduled to announce at the Under Armour Game in January. At this time, I do not believe either prospects' timeline will shift because of the recent news.