Tennessee football: Elijah Howard, Edwin White decommitments embarrassing for Vols

Elijah Howard and Edwin White have left the Tennessee football Volunteers.

After a rash of decommitments that hit within a two-week period, Tennessee football has now lost two more 2021 prospect on the eve of the early signing period. One is an in-state player who was among their earliest commitments as well, making it worse.

Elijah Howard, out of Baylor High School in Chattanooga, Tenn., announced Tuesday evening that he had decommitted from Rocky Top. Standing at 5’11” 180 pounds, he initially committed to the Vols in June of 2019.

Recruited as an athlete who could play running back, defensive back or wide receiver, Howard was initially Tennessee football’s second 2021 commitment after wide receiver Jordan Mosley. He announced his decision to decommit on Twitter.

Just a few minutes after his decision to decommit, Howard revealed where he would be going instead. He tweeted out that he was headed to Blacksburg, Va. to play for Justin Fuente’s Virginia Tech Hokies.

Less than 30 minutes after Howard’s decommitment, Alabama defensive back Edwin White also decommitted. A three-star across the board, White had been committed to Rocky Top since early March, just before UT began its major recruiting haul.

Another three-star across the board out of UMS Wright High School in Mobile, Ala., White stands at 5’11” 172 pounds and would have likely played cornerback. He also announced his decision to decommit from Tennessee football on Twitter.

Two decommitments on the eve of Early Signing Day and seven within a 20-day period is incredibly embarrassing for Jeremy Pruitt. Of the two, though, losing Howard is the most embarrassing and may be the most embarrassing of all the losses.

Despite being a three-star across the board, Howard’s decision to look elsewhere is costly. He is a speedster who has reported running a 4.33 40-yard dash. As a result, Pruitt had plenty of ways he could have used the guy. He’s the second in-state decommitment in this wave of decommitments, but he’s also a local talent the Vols lost out on.

Before heading to Baylor, Howard played at Webb High School in Knoxville, Tenn., meaning a guy Pruitt targeted and received a commitment from early has now left his backyard. That’s a horrible look right before the early signing period.

White and Howard  follow four-star defensive back Damarius McGhee, three-star defensive end Darrell Jackson, four-star tight end Hudson Wolfe and three-star defensive back Jay Jones. Linebacker Terrence Williams, a four-star on Rivals and 247Sports but a five-star on ESPN and 247Sports Composite, was the biggest loss.

Of those, Jackson and Wolfe have committed elsewhere, to the Ole Miss Rebels and Maryland Terrapins respectively. Meanwhile, the LSU Tigers are a favorite to land McGhee, and Jones has no favorites. Williams is down to UT and the UMD Terps.

Now, with Howard gone elsewhere, we don’t know what will happen with White. He’s up in the air like Jones. However, Tennessee football is down to 21 commitments for its 2021 class, and Pruitt has no momentum just as the Vols are set to sign players.