Tennessee Football’s 5-Star Recruits: Hits and Misses

Tennessee Football has a history of landing highly-touted 5-star high school football recruits, but their success on the field is not always guaranteed.

The University of Tennessee has a storied history of recruiting some of the nation’s top high school football players, including several 5-star recruits. From Eric Berry to Bryce Brown and, most recently, Nico Iamaleava, these highly-touted prospects have captivated the attention of Vols fans across the country.

While not all 5-star recruits have gone on to achieve success at the collegiate level, their signings have generated a buzz and optimism for the future of Tennessee football.

Some of the Tennessee Football Hits and Misses Over the Last 2 Decades

★ Nico Iamaleava (2023):

Nico Iamaleava, the new No. 1 2023 prospect, is a 5-star quarterback from Long Beach, California. Nico recently jumped the previous No. 1 ranking prospect, Arch Manning. Tennessee football fans are all too familiar with the Manning family and even have a street named after Arch’s uncle, Peyton Manning. Arch and Nico are neck and neck in most rankings, and it’s exciting to see Nico finally get the respect he deserves. On3 Sports described Iamaleava as a taller, big-armed quarterback with some of the best natural physical tools we’ve seen from a quarterback in the last few recruiting cycles.

★ Darnell Wright (2020):

Darnell Wright, from Huntington, West Virginia. Wright was ranked as the No. 10 overall prospect and the No. 2 offensive tackle in the nation. He played in all 10 games for Tennessee in his freshman season, starting in six of them, and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. He then went on to be one of the best players for the Vols over the last few years and has declared for the NFL draft and will likely be a first-round pick.

★ Cade Mays (2018):

Cade Mays was another highly-touted offensive lineman from Knoxville, Tennessee. He was ranked as the number two offensive tackle in the nation by 247Sports and was the highest-ranked recruit for Tennessee football in the 2018 class. Mays played in 25 games at Tennessee and started in 22 of them. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman team in 2018 and was a second-team All-SEC selection in 2020. Mays declared for the NFL Draft after the 2020 season and was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round.

★ Trey Smith (2017):

Trey Smith was another great offensive lineman from Jackson, Tennessee. He was ranked as the number one offensive tackle in the nation by 247Sports and was the highest-ranked recruit for Tennessee football in the 2017 class. Smith had an impressive career at Tennessee, starting in 42 of the 44 games he played in. He was a two-time All-SEC selection and was named to the All-American team in 2020. After his junior season, Smith declared for the NFL Draft and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 6th round.

★ Kahlil McKenzie (2015):

Kahlil McKenzie was a 5-star defensive tackle from Walnut Creek, California. He was the highest-ranked recruit for Tennessee in the 2015 class. McKenzie played in 37 games at Tennessee, starting in 19 of them. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman team in 2015 and was an All-SEC selection in 2017. McKenzie declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 6th round.

★ Jauan Jennings (2015):

Jauan Jennings was a 5-star wide receiver from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He was ranked as the number six wide receiver in the nation by 247Sports and was the second-highest-ranked recruit for Tennessee football in the 2015 class. Jennings played in 49 games at Tennessee and had 146 receptions for 2,153 yards and 18 touchdowns. He was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2019 and declared for the NFL Draft after his senior season. Jennings was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the 7th round.

★ Derek Barnett (2014):

Derek Barnett was a 5-star defensive end from Brentwood, Tennessee. He was the highest-ranked recruit for Tennessee in the 2014 class. Barnett had an outstanding career at Tennessee, setting the school record for sacks with 33. He was a three-time All-SEC selection and was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. Barnett declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round.

★ Alvin Kamara (2013):

Alvin Kamara was a 5-star running back from Norcross, Georgia. He was ranked as the number two all-purpose back in the nation by 247Sports and was the highest-ranked recruit for Tennessee in the 2013 class. Kamara played two seasons at Tennessee, rushing for 1,294 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was named to the All-SEC team in 2016 before declaring for the NFL Draft. Kamara was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the third round and has since become one of the top running backs in the NFL.

★ Bryce Brown (2009):

Bryce Brown was a 5-star running back from Wichita, Kansas. He was ranked as the number one running back in the nation by Rivals.com and was the highest-ranked recruit for Tennessee in the 2009 class. Brown played in 12 games at Tennessee, rushing for 460 yards and three touchdowns. He left the team after his freshman season and transferred to Kansas State. Brown was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 7th round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

★ Eric Berry (2007):

Eric Berry was a 5-star safety from Fairburn, Georgia. He was the highest-ranked recruit for Tennessee in the 2007 class. Berry had an outstanding career at Tennessee, recording 245 tackles, 14 interceptions, and three sacks in three seasons. He was a three-time All-American and was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2008. Berry declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round. He has since become one of the top safeties in the NFL.

★ Gerald Jones (2007):

Gerald Jones was a 5-star athlete from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was ranked as the number three athlete in the nation by Rivals.com and was the second-highest-ranked recruit for Tennessee in the 2007 class. Jones played in 44 games at Tennessee, catching 98 passes for 1,233 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also rushed for 540 yards and five touchdowns. Jones went undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft but played two seasons in the CFL.

★ Butch Lewis (2006):

Butch Lewis was a 5-star offensive tackle from Aurora, Colorado. He was the highest-ranked recruit for Tennessee in the 2006 class. Lewis played in 37 games at Tennessee, starting in 18 of them. He was a two-time All-SEC selection and was named to the All-American team in 2009. Lewis was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 6th round of the 2010 NFL Draft but never played a regular-season game due to injuries.

Follow us @Allfortennessee on Twitter and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of Vols news, updates, and recruiting.