Tennessee football: Strongest metro areas for Vols on 2019 roster

2. Atlanta, Ga.

Not one player on Tennessee football is actually from the city of Atlanta. By that logic, this should be further down on the list. But the Vols are loaded with talent from the Atlanta area, and it’s only growing with the pipeline Jeremy Pruitt’s trying to build into the state of Georgia.

The most notable area for the Vols is Gwinnett County. They have five players on the team there from five different towns in the county, and four are scholarship players while three were on first-teams in the spring game.

Standing out among them is safety Nigel Warrior, the legacy player and son of Dale Carter Jr. Warrior comes from Duluth and has one starting spot locked up. But another guy from a football family, Baylen Buchanan, comes from Lawrenceville, also in the county. And he’s likely to start at nickel.

Newcomer Wanya Morris is an elite offensive lineman who made his way onto the first team as an early enrollee in the spring. And he comes from Loganville, which is partially in Gwinnett County but also in Walton County. Warren Burrell is a highly rated defensive back from the county, Suwanee to be exact, and he’ll provide depth.

After Gwinnett County, though, another major Atlanta suburb has produced two players. Marietta, Ga. has inside linebacker Solon Page III, who made his way onto the first team in the spring, and wide receiver Ramel Keyton, a four-star commitment who was an early enrollee and has a bright future on Rocky Top.

Other notable freshmen are defensive lineman Kurrott Garland of Conyers, Ga., tight end Jackson Lowe of Cartersville, Ga., and defensive back Jaylen McCullough, who was a breakout star with two interceptions in the spring game, from Powder Springs, Ga. Then there’s sophomore Trevon Flowers of Tucker, Ga., who could start this year at safety. All of these are Atlanta suburbs.