Vols Add Two More Commitments, Add Four In a Day

Four recruits in a single day is cause for celebration for the Vols. Keep it coming, Butch. PHOTO: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Surprise, surprise, Vol fans. Tennessee is at it yet again this weekend.

A month ago, the Vols held an “Orange Carpet Weekend” where they hosted some of their top targets in the 2015 and 2016 class and welcomed in some of their current commitments as well. The point of the weekend activities was to make recruits fall in love with the campus and with the Tennessee way of life. That weekend, Butch Jones added 5 recruits within a span of 3 days, and all their efforts paid off.

Well, it’s happening again this weekend. Saturday morning saw 4-star offensive tackle Ryan Johnson commit to the Vols for 2016. Then came 3-star cornerback Darrell Miller’s commitment late Saturday afternoon for the 2015 class. Now two more players have pledged their services to the Vols, one in the 2015 class and another for the 2016 class.

Early Saturday evening, 3-star defensive end Marques Ford committed to Tennessee via Twitter.

Ford gives the Vols their 3rd commitment in a single day, marking the second time in a month that Tennessee has added at least a trio of players in a day.

Like Darrell Miller, Ford seems to be rated lower than his skills suggest he should be. As of Saturday, 36 schools had extended scholarship offers to Ford, including Arkansas, Clemson, Cincinnati, Louisville, Miami, Nebraska, and Ole Miss among many others.

As a junior, Ford racked up 67 tackles, 17.5 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery (according to Max Preps). At 6-4, 220 lbs, Ford could use some more weight, but it’s often better for a defensive linemen to come in underweight as opposed to overweight. Ford also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds, so he boasts good speed and athleticism.

Take a look at his highlight film to see for yourself.

Ford joins Dylan Jackson and Andrew Butcher as defensive ends in the 2015 class, and he gives the Vols their 22nd known commitment for the 2015 class. The defensive line is a position of need moving forward, and Ford is an incredibly athletic end who should be just the kind of pass rusher the Vols are looking for.

The fourth commitment came from 4-star cornerback Bailey Phillips for the 2016 class.

Phillips is a 4-star corner from Mesquite, Texas, and he joins fellow Texas corner Darrell Miller on the Big Orange recruitment train. Phillips joins 4-star offensive tackle Ryan Johnson in the 2016 class, and he gives Tennessee four commitments for 2016.

At 5-7, 159 lbs, Phillips is one of the smaller recruits the Vols have added in recent years, but what he lacks in size he makes up for in speed.

Phillips had received offers from 10 schools so far in his recruitment process, including UCLA, SMU, and Clemson among others. As a sophomore, Phillips registered 36 tackles, an interception, 8 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery (according to 247Sports).

As quick and athletic as Phillips is, he’ll likely be used as more than just a defensive back once on campus. Look for Phillips to be pivotal in special teams as a tackler and possibly a return man as well.

If last month’s Orange Carpet Weekend is any indication, the commitments may not be through just yet. The Vols added 4 players in a single day today, but that doesn’t mean more players won’t jump on the bandwagon before the week is up. Tennessee remains red-hot in recruiting, and Butch Jones is building a massive foundation with all these bricks.