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Tennessee football: Ranking position groups in Vols 2020 recruiting class with grades

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 29: A general view of Neyland Stadium during the South Carolina Gamecocks game against the Tennessee Volunteers on October 29, 2011 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 29: A general view of Neyland Stadium during the South Carolina Gamecocks game against the Tennessee Volunteers on October 29, 2011 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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8. Running Backs: C+

Number of commitments: 3

  • Tee Hodge

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

  • Jabari Small; All-purpose back

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

  • Len’Neth Whitehead; Athlete

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

If Zachary Evans commits, this will immediately shoot up the list. But for now, while Tennessee football has loaded up in terms of numbers at the running back position, the Vols didn’t get a lot of star quality. Again, both things matter, and that’s why we have this unit down here in last place for UT’s 2020 recruiting class.

Next year, Ty Chandler, Tim Jordan and Carlin Fils-Aime will all be seniors. So they will be gone after 2020, meaning Jeremy Pruitt needed immediate help ready to step in. Eric Gray is obviously still going to be on the roster, and he’s a rising superstar. But there’s nobody else, and there’s particularly no power back.

On that front, Tee Hodge is a great in-state pickup given his size. Jabari Small, meanwhile, is the complement to Hodge from the other side of the state. But neither recruit was that highly rated, as both were three-stars. Meanwhile, we don’t know for sure if Len’Neth Whitehead will play running back.

The possibility of that still allows this grade a C+, as Pruitt made sure the roster won’t be depleted. But not enough was done here to make sure the backfield will be stacked with quality talent heading into the future.

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