Tennessee football 2021 early signing period primer

Here is our coverage of the Tennessee football Volunteers’ early signing period.

It’s been a rough three weeks for Tennessee football on the recruiting trail, as seven players have decommitted and three of them committed elsewhere. However, the Vols still enter the early signing period for its 2021 class with 21 commitments.

With the arrival of the early signing period, we’ll be covering the news on the recruiting trail for the Vols throughout the next three days. That includes who signed and didn’t sign, who flipped or committed to UT and who flipped or decommitted from UT.

Rocky Top still has a top 15 class across the board in recruiting, even if Jeremy Pruitt is looking to improve upon that. Let’s see how he does in securing the talent already committed. Welcome to our coverage of the early signing period for Tennessee football’s 2021 recruiting class.

Stories during the early signing period

JuCo DE Byron Young commits, signs with Vols

On Wednesday evening, Tennessee football picked up its first commitment during the early signing period. Three-star junior college edge rusher Byron Young announced his decision to commit to and sign with Rocky Top.

Commitments

Signed

Trinity Bell

• Defensive end (Athlete on 247Sports)
• 3-star
• 6’7″; 250-260 pounds
• Albertville, Ala.
• Albertville High School

Cody Brown

• Running back
• 4-star
• 6’0″; 211-220 pounds
• Lilburn, Ga.
• Parkview High School

Miles Campbell

• Tight end
• 3-star
• 6’3″-6’4″; 230-238 pounds
• Douglasville, Ga.
• South Paulding High School

Christian Charles

• Athlete
• 3-star
• 6’1″; 185 pounds
• Gainesville, Ga.
• Chestatee High School

KaTron Evans

• Defensive tackle
• 4-star
• 6’4″-6’5″; 295-320 pounds
• Baltimore, Md.
• St. Frances Academy

Tiyon Evans (Junior College; Hutchinson Community College – Hutchinson, Kan.)

• Running back
• Hutchinson Community College (Hutchinson, Kan.)
• 3-star (Rivals); 4-star (247Sports; ESPN)
• 5’9″-5’11”; 215-225 pounds
• Hartsville, S.C.
• Hartsville High School

William Griffin-Parker

• Offensive lineman
• 3-star (Rivals, 247Sports); 4-star (ESPN)
• 6’5″; 310-320 pounds
• Nashville, Tenn.
• Pearl-Cohn High School

J’Marion Gooch

• Offensive lineman
• 3-star
• 6’7″-6’8″; 340-358 pounds
• Gallatin, Tenn.
• Gallatin Senior High School

Kaemen Marley

• Athlete
• 4-star
• 6’2″-6’3″; 205-215 pounds
• Ramseur, N.C.
• Eastern Randolph High School

Amari McNeill

• Offensive lineman
• 3-star
• 6’4″; 280-285 pounds
• Suwanee, Ga.
• Peachtree Ridge High School

Walker Merrill

• Wide receiver
• 4-star
• 6’1″; 175-180 pounds
• Brentwood, Tenn.
• Brentwood High School

Julian Nixon

• Wide receiver
• 4-star (247Sports, ESPN); 3-star (Rivals)
• 6’3″-6’4″; 200-230 pounds
• Roswell, Ga.
• Centennial High School

Kaidon Salter

• Quarterback (Dual threat)
• 4-star (Rivals, 247Sports); 3-star (ESPN)
• 6’1″; 180-185 pounds
• Cedar Hill, Texas
• Cedar Hill High School

Aaron Willis

• Linebacker
• 4-star
• 5’11”-6’0″; 200-210 pounds
• Life Christian Academy
• Colonial Heights, Va.

Jaylen Wright

• Running back
• 3-star
• 5’11”-6’0″; 187-205 pounds
• Durham, N.C.
• Southern High School

Byron Young (Junior College; Georgia Military College – Milledgeville, Ga.)

• Defensive end
• 3-star
• 6’3″ 240 pounds
• Hemingway, S.C.
• Carvers Bay High School

Unsigned

Dylan Brooks

• Defensive end
• 4-star
• 6’5″; 220-250 pounds
• Roanoke, Ala.
• Handley High School

Jordan Mosley

• Wide receiver
• 4-star (247Sports, ESPN); 3-star (Rivals)
• 5’11”-6’0″; 180-190 pounds
• Mobile, Ala.
• McGill Toolen High School

De’Shawn Rucker

• Defensive back
• 3-star (Rivals, 247Sports); 4-star (ESPN)
• 5’11”; 170-184 pounds
• Tallahassee, Fla.
• Amos P. Godby High School

Colby Smith

• Offensive lineman
• 3-star
• 6’7″; 280-315 pounds
• West End, N.C.
• Rockingham County High School

Roc Taylor

• Athlete (Tight end on Rivals)
• 3-star (ESPN, 247Sports); 4-star (Rivals)
• 6’2″-6’4″; 210-220 pounds
• Oxford, Ala.
• Oxford High School

Isaac Washington

• Defensive tackle
• 3-star
• 6’3″-6’4″; 265-284 pounds
• Pilot Mountain, N.C.
• East Surry High School

Obviously, a six-game losing streak in the midst of the 2020 season and the inability to connect with recruits hurt the Vols on the trail. They had to rely on the elite recruiting skills of their staff, largely through virtual meetings.

This is also the first time that a signing period comes in the midst of the regular season, as Tennessee football still has a matchup with the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday. National Signing Day for 2021 after this period is still set for Feb. 3, four days before the Super Bowl.