4. California
Number of players: 4 (1 newcomer)
Key talent: Dominick Wood-Anderson, JT Shrout, Jordan Allen
Tennessee football actually has fewer guaranteed key players from California than South Carolina. After all, Dominick Wood-Anderson is not on Bryce Thompson’s level, and nobody else is sure to see any action.
However, California will have one guaranteed starter on the Vols just as South Carolina will. And the potential contributions of JT Shrout, the No. 2 quarterback, along with Jordan Allen, who will be in the rotation as an edge rusher, are likely to outweigh what Paxton Brooks can do, and it’s clear that Kenney Solomon won’t play this year.
So California has as many players as North Carolina and Louisiana with more guaranteed contributors and more potential contributors. Finally, the Vols got a newcomer from the state who could make an immediate impact.
Four-star Henry To’oto’o was a big get, and he just might work his way into the linebacker rotation. Sure, Quavaris Crouch out of North Carolina is a similar scenario, but Crouch might be the No. 2 player from North Carolina while, for now, To’oto’o is the No. 4 player from California.
Simply put, Jeremy Pruitt is working to re-establish the Vols’ presence on the West Coast that they used to have under Phillip Fulmer. All four of these guys were signed by him, and Wood Anderson is the standout of this group. He could become a superstar tight end in Jim Chaney’s system this Fall, which would really do wonders for California’s contributions to the team.