Tennessee football: Five reasons Vols will have top 5 2020 recruiting class

Tennessee football had a top 12 recruiting class in 2019. Here are five reasons the Volunteers should have a top five class under Jeremy Pruitt in 2020.

Given the circumstances, Tennessee football had a lot to celebrate with its top 12 recruiting class in 2019. After all, the Vols were coming off a losing season and had a lot of specific areas where they needed to focus.

Simply put, Jeremy Pruitt did not have a lot of flexibility. Nonetheless, he got a five-star on National Signing Day and a surprise commit from a four-star in California. With a full year to recruit and a few offseason staff changes, being able to do what he did was pretty impressive.

However, this is clearly not the standard he is setting for the program long-term. Eventually, Pruitt and Tennessee football will need to be securing top 5 classes like the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs if they want to compete with them.

Of course, we’re not talking top 5 classes the way Butch Jones did it. He just went for the highest rated players he could get regardless of fit or evaluation. Pruitt will need to focus on those things but still get elite talent.

The good news is the recruiting field should be a lot friendlier to the Vols for 2020. In fact, if things go the way they should, UT has a great chance at a top 5 class next year. I’m calling it a likelihood and going to go ahead and predict why they will get that ranking.

There are numerous things that go into a recruiting class. It depends on the coaching staff, program prestige, success at the time, fans, the location of the school, and the success of other programs within proximity.

All of these things matter, but what’s clear is that the Tennessee football brand is still strong. That was proven with a top 12 class this past year, so given a few things bending their way, it could easily move into the top 5. Let’s take a look at the five reasons the Vols will have a top 5 recruiting class for 2020.