Tennessee football: Vols 2020 early signing period primer

The early signing period for Tennessee football’s 2020 recruiting class begins. Here is everything to focus on related to the Volunteers.

Now we find out if Tennessee football having a strong finish to its 2019 season was enough to give Jeremy Pruitt a selling point to recruits. The early signing period for 2020 has arrived, and UT has a big role to play in it.

Rocky Top has numerous targets still out there, and they are also hoping to lock up the 18 commitments they already have. A couple will not sign during this period, but the good news for them is that commits to other schools they are targeting will also not sign.

Most notably, five-star Darnell Washington, who has not committed anywhere and is a top target, will not sign during this period. Anyway, in this post, we’re going to keep tabs on everything related to Tennessee football throughout the early signing period.

That includes news, tracking targets, tracking commitments and storylines in that order. All of our ratings are based on Rivals, and UT enters the day ranked No. 18 nationally on that website. So let’s get started with our coverage of the early signing period.

Stories of the day

Len’Neth Whitehead commits to Vols

Wednesday began for Rocky Top with a solid pickup in three-star athlete Len’Neth Whitehead. A 6’2″ 232-pound prospect from Athens, Ga., Whitehead could play running back or linebacker but has indicated he prefers to play running back. That gives Jeremy Pruitt his second power back for Rocky Top’s 2020 class.

Jimmy Holiday flips from TCU to Vols

After securing a commitment from Len’Neth Whitehead, Jeremy Pruitt picked up a major flip in the morning. Mississippi athlete Jimmy Holiday, a three-star who ran a 4.38 40-time and can play any skill position on offense or defense, flipped his commitment from the TCU Horned Frogs to the Vols. He was a major steal for Pruitt and can even play quarterback.

Alabama DE picks Vols

With no depth at edge rusher, Jeremy Pruitt placed heavy emphasis on that Wednesday morning. Tennessee football got a major plus there when three-star Reginald Perry became the first strongside defensive end to commit to UT. At 6’5″ 245 pounds, he fills a huge need and has proven to be a solid run-stopper, which UT will need.

Four-star local DE commits to Vols

After securing their first strongside commitment in Reginald Perry, the Vols got the big fish in the pond on that front early in the afternoon. Four-star strongside defensive end Tyler Baron out of Knoxville committed to UT for 2020. At 6’4″ 250 pounds, Baron has expectations of immediately filling a void about to be left by Darrell Taylor.

Morven Joseph becomes Vols third straight DE commit

After two strongside defensive ends committed, one a three-star and the other a four-star, Tennessee football secured a commitment from a four-star weakside defensive end. Morven Joseph out of Florida, who decommitted from the Florida State Seminoles on Dec. 6, committed to Rocky Top Wednesday afternoon.

Targets who committed elsewhere

• Octavious Oxendine; Defensive tackle

4-star; 6’3″ 296 pound; Radcliffe, Ky.; North Hardin High School

Commitments

Signed

• Will Albright; Offensive center

2-star; 6’2″ 200 pounds; Greeneville, Tenn.; Greeneville High School

• Dominic Bailey; Defensive tackle

4-star; 6’3″ 290 pounds; Baltimore, Md.; St. Frances High School

• Harrison Bailey; Quarterback

4-star; 6’4″ 220 pounds; Marietta, Ga.; Marietta High School

• Tyler Baron; Strongside defensive end

4-star; 6’4″ 250 pounds; Knoxville, Tenn.; Knoxville Catholic High School

• Jimmy Calloway; Wide receiver

4-star; 5’11” 165 pounds; Morrow, Ga.; Morrow High School

• Bryson Eason; Linebacker

4-star; 6’2″ 230 pounds; Memphis, Tenn.; Whitehaven High School

• Martavius French; Linebacker

4-star; 6’3″ 235 pounds; Memphis, Tenn.; Whitehaven High School

• Tee Hodge; Running back

3-star; 6’2″ 230 pounds; Maryville, Tenn.; Maryville High School

• Jimmy Holiday

3-star; 6’1″ 180 pounds; Flora, Miss.; Madison Central High School

• Jalin Hyatt; Wide receiver

4-star; 6’2″ 170 pounds; Irmo, S.C.; Dutch Fork High School

• Morven Joseph; Weakside defensive end

4-star; 6’3″ 211 pounds; Lakeland, Fla.; Lake Gibson High School

• Keshawn Lawrence; Safety

4-star; 6’1″ 197 pounds; Nashville, Tenn.; Ensworth High School

• Cooper Mays; Offensive center

4-star; 6’3″ 272 pounds; Knoxville, Tenn.; Knoxville Catholic High School

• Tamarion McDonald; Linebacker

4-star; 6’2″ 215 pounds; Memphis, Tenn.; Whitehaven High School

• Reginald Perry; Strongside defensive end

3-star; 6’5″ 245 pounds; Fairfield, Ala.; Fairfield High School

• James Robinson; Offensive guard

3-star; 6’4″ 330 pounds; Montgomery, Ala.; Carver High School

• Doneiko Slaughter; Safety

4-star; 6’0″ 180 pounds; Roswell, Ga.; Roswell High School

• Jabari Small; All-purpose back

3-star; 5’10” 177 pounds; Eads, Tenn.; Briarcrest High School

• Javontez Spraggins; Center

3-star; 6’3″ 300 pounds; East St. Louis, Ill.; East St. Louis High School

• Omari Thomas; Defensive tackle

4-star; 6’5″ 301 pounds; Eads, Tenn.; Briarcrest High School

• Len’Neth Whitehead; Athlete

3-star; 6’2″ 232 pounds; Athens, Ga.; Athens Academy

Unsigned

• Kyree Miller; Offensive tackle

3-star; 6’5″ 379 pounds; Mesquite, Texas; West Mesquite High School

• Darion Williamson; Athlete

3-star; 6’3″ 190 pounds; Brownsville, Tenn.; Haywood High School

Interesting storylines

1. Will Jay Hardy and Jimmy Holiday sign?

These are two players committed to other schools still being targeted by Tennessee football. Jay Hardy is an in-state four-star defensive tackle committed to the Auburn Tigers, while Jimmy Holiday is a three-star Mississippi athlete committed to the TCU Horned Frogs. If neither signs, Ut could flip one or both of them before National Signing Day.

Update: Jimmy Holiday decommitted from the TCU Horned Frogs and signed with the Vols Wednesday morning.

2. How many players will decommit or not sign?

Two Tennessee football commitments, Darion Williamson and Kyree Miller, are not expected to sign this week. Will the Vols miss out on anybody else they expect to sign? Also, could they suffer a couple of decommitments? Jimmy Calloway hasn’t yet shut down his recruitment. Sure, they want to add to the class, but they need to hold what they have.

Update: Jimmy Calloway did end up signing, allowing the Vols to fend off late pushes from the Kentucky Wildcats and Florida Gators.

3. What will the defensive front look like in the end?

A clear target for Jeremy Pruitt is defensive line and edge rushers. Can the Vols lock up more talent on that front by the end of the signing period? That’s obviously a position of need, and as you can see by the top targets, many players are part of that group. Keep an eye on where Rocky Top stands before it’s all over.