Tennessee football: Vols top 5 needs to fill National Signing Day 2019

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
Tennessee football
Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images /

3. Wide receiver

Heading into 2019, three of Tennessee football’s top four wide receivers are seniors in Jauan Jennings, Marquez Callaway and Brandon Johnson. It’s also worth noting that Tyler Byrd, who has seen limited action through three years but could still be a valuable slot guy, is a senior.

More from All for Tennessee

As a result, the Vols have a lot of work to do to load up their class. And quite honestly, they haven’t done that as well this year as they have at other positions. Receiver is a position where you need about twice as many players committed as you need on the roster because it’s so difficult to know who is going to work out.

Unless Jeremy Pruitt is a genius at identifying talent, this team has not reloaded for the future the way it needs to at the position. Only four-star wide receiver Ramel Keyton and three-star wide receiver Jerrod Means have committed.

It looks like Pruitt is going after a couple of guys before the day ends, including Dywan Griffin, Alante Brown, and JD Martin. But it’s going to be tough to get any of those guys to sign with Rocky Top given how late the Vols are to the game.

Still, they need to try. Pruitt, Jim Chaney and new receivers coach Tee Martin need a heck of a lot more help at that position for 2020, and right now, it looks like things are going to be very empty. That’s a huge problem for this team overall.