Vols Currently Sitting In Top Five Of Recruiting Rankings

Apr 20, 2013; Knoxville, TN, USA; The Tennessee Volunteers football team holds up their helmets while the band plays Rocky Top after the spring Orange and White game at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

National Signing Day is a long way away, especially if you’re a Tennessee football coach right now. The Vols currently have 11 commits and have reached the top five of several outlet’s recruiting rankings, but all of that will mean nothing if they don’t come through on February 5th.

As the Vols prepare for the summer months ahead, they find themselves rated as the third best recruiting class according to 247Sports, and the fourth best according to Rivals. Scout has the Vols listed at the 6th best class in the country so far.

Texas and Texas A&M are responsible for the top two spots in each list, while the Florida Gators jumped the Vols on Rivals’ list.

Neither Rivals or Scout lists Vols commit Jalen Hurd as a five star running back.

Butch Jones and his staff have continued to answer the questions that plagued them when they took over the Tennessee football program. The biggest question was how would Jones and his staff recruit in SEC territory?

Jones has done quite well so far, all without the help of a so called “big name recruiter”. A lot of fans were upset at the lack of a big name assistant coach hire by Jones, he ended up bringing most of his staff with him from Cincinnati.

When running back coach Jay Graham bolted for Florida State the panic began immediately. The panic was understandable. Graham was considered the best recruiter on staff, he was responsible for closing the deal with four star receiver Marquez North, and above all he was a former Vol.

In the months since Graham left, Butch Jones and his staff have proved that not one man can own the recruiting trail, not one man can deliver a top five class. It’s a collaborative effort.

More than that, Jones has showed, that just like Graham, all the coaches on staff are firmly entrenched as Vols. They may not have played their college football in Knoxville, but it’s quite apparent they’re giving their all for Tennessee.