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Tennessee football’s 10 biggest storylines of 2020

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 22: Smokey the live Tennessee Volunteers mascot on the sidelines during the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Florida won the game 47-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 22: Smokey the live Tennessee Volunteers mascot on the sidelines during the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Florida won the game 47-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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KNOXVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 18: Detail view of footballs lined up on the field before the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Florida won 31-17. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 18: Detail view of footballs lined up on the field before the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Florida won 31-17. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

8. Top 10 recruiting class followed by spring/summer 2021 haul

It was a tale of two years in recruiting for Tennessee football. The Vols started with a strong National Signing Day in 2020 to secure their first top 10 class since 2015. It really looked like Jeremy Pruitt had the program back on the rise.

Then, the Vols began a major recruiting haul for their 2021 class right as March came to an end. Four-stars Walker Merrill and Roc Taylor got it started. Immediately after the NFL Draft, though, Rocky Top closed out April with commitment from elite prospects Dylan Brooks, Terrence Lewis and Kamar Wilcoxson. Julina Nixon also committed during April.

In the month of May, Rocky Top secured nine more commitments. They then brought in four more in August. Included in the commitments were elite prospects Kaemen Marley, Aaron Willis, Cody Brown, KaTron Evans, in-state prospect Hudson Wolfe and Texas quarterback Kaidon Salter.

This recruiting haul got the Vols up to No. 2 in the nation at one point across most major recruiting services and atop the SEC. By the middle of the summer, Pruitt seemed to have the program in line to become a powerhouse again. Unfortunately for him and the Vols, though, this momentum didn’t last. We’ll have more on that, and some decommitments, later.

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