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Tennessee Football National Signing Day Recap: Vols Finish With Top 20 Recruiting Class

By Caleb Calhoun

Feb 1, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Montgomery Bell Academy football player Ty Chandler hands out cake to his classmates after signing his letter of intent to attend the University of Tennessee at a ceremony during National Signing Day. Mandatory Credit: George Walker IV / The Tennessean via USA TODAY NETWORK
Feb 1, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Montgomery Bell Academy football player Ty Chandler hands out cake to his classmates after signing his letter of intent to attend the University of Tennessee at a ceremony during National Signing Day. Mandatory Credit: George Walker IV / The Tennessean via USA TODAY NETWORK /
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National Signing Day is over for 2017, and Tennessee football recruiting once again was relevant on the national stage. The Volunteers got a Top 20 class.

It’s not as star-quality as Butch Jones’s two loaded recruiting classes in 2014 and 2015, but this year’s Tennessee football recruiting class is once again in the Top 20.

The Vols finished an uneventful National Signing Day from their end, as 27 players already committed to the program signed letters of intent.

Three-star athlete Princeton Fant would be the 28th commitment, but he still has not yet signed. He could Blueshirt this year, according to reports.

While recruiting services disagree all the time, not one respected one put Tennessee below No. 15 in its final rankings.

The Vols’ class was No. 15 on Rivals with nine four-stars by their metrics, No. 17 on 247Sports with with one five-star and six four-stars by their metrics, and No. 15 on Scout with one five-star and four four-stars by their metrics.

ESPN put them at No. 14.  

However, they finished No. 7  in the SEC across all three services, behind the Auburn Tigers, LSU Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs, Florida Gators, Texas A&M Aggies, and Alabama Crimson Tide.

So despite a Top 20 class, it is barely in the top half of even their own division at this point.

Still, considering the fact that the Vols led the nation this past year with 13 decommitments after an under-achieving 2016 season, the fact that Butch Jones did not get a splash pickup on National Signing Day itself, and the fact that there is still a lot of turmoil on the Tennessee football staff, a Top 15 class is something to be ecstatic about.

For a complete list of all the Vols’ commitments, go to the All for Tennessee National Signing Day tracker here.

The day ended up more disappointing than Tennessee football fans had hoped for, however. Not one of their five major targets committed to them.

Two of the prospects, Rivals four-star defensive linemen Aaron Sterling and LaBryan Ray, were long-shots from the beginning.

And three-star wide receiver Jordan Pouncey was a complete 50/50 chance.

But three-star athlete Javonta Payton and four-star defensive tackle Elijah Conliffe seemed like they had the Vols as their favorites up until the day before.

That’s when the pendulum swung to Florida according to the recruiting services, and Conliffe picked the Gators that night.

The next morning, Payton, an in-state prospect, picked the Ole Miss Rebels over the Vols.

Despite their five losses, Jones still shored up his depth in the trenches and brought in lots of skill players.

And considering that he has already brought in two Top 5 classes while scouting lots of undervalued guys, Tennessee football is still in a solid situation.

For more Butch Jones’s comments on National Signing Day and other updates from the university, go to UTSports online here. 

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