BREAKING: Cai Bates Commits To LSU Over Tennessee, Others
Tennessee had been on a roll on the recruiting trail with commits from both five-star Wide Receiver Mike Matthews and four-star linebacker Edwin Spillman. However, you can't win every battle and despite a hard-fought battle, Cai Bates, the 103rd-ranked player in the 2024 class, ultimately chose LSU over Tennessee. With Bates' commitment to the Tigers, the Volunteers will remain a top 10 recruiting class for 2024.
The Vols recruiting class will stay at 18 guys for now and even without Bates, the Vols already have a couple of notable defensive backs. Kaleb Beasley (Nashville, TN) is the biggest name in the secondary from this group. The number 1 player from Tennessee in the 2024 class has shown that he has a very good football mind and can play in many different types of coverages.
Marcus Goree is another defensive back that the Vols have locked up. While not the high-profile name of Beasley, Goree makes his mark as a reliable tackler while also showing good lateral movement. Tennessee's secondary doesn't run a ton of complex schemes and their expectations for their secondary are not super high. It's clear that right now the intent in the secondary is to bring in guys that are dependable and won't break.
Tennessee continues to push hard on the recruiting trail to add to its top 10 class and there are a couple of targets like five-star defensive lineman Kamarion Franklin, five-star edge rusher Jordan Ross and four-star offensive tackle Bennett Warren that could come in the near future. For now, the class stands at 18.
Tennessee's 2024 Recruiting Class
- Jake Merklinger, QB
- Peyton Lewis, RB
- Mike Matthews, WR
- Braylon Staley, WR
- Jonathan Echols, TE
- Gage Ginther, OL
- William Satterwhite, OG
- Max Anderson, OG
- Jesse Perry, OT
- Kellen Lindstrom, DE
- Carson Gentle, DE
- Jeremias Heard, DL
- Edwin Spillman, ILB
- Jordan Burns, ILB
- Marcus Goree, DB
- Kaleb Beasley, CB
- Boo Carter, S
- Edrees Farooq, S
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