Recruits still true to Vols

As details of the arrests of three freshmen on the University of Tennessee football team continue to be sorted, part of the aftermath is how the incident will effect recruiting.

Defensive backs Janzen Jackson and Mike Edwards and receiver Nu'Keese Richardson were arrested for attempted armed robbery Thursday. Jackson had been committed to sign with LSU, Richardson with Florida and Edwards with Ohio State before being swayed by the Volunteers' new coaching staff.

Ooltewah defensive end Jacques Smith, the Chattanooga area's only current UT commitment for February's signing period, said he did not think the incident will have a negative effect on the team's recruiting.

"It doesn't bother me at all, because this was not a coach's decision, it was the players' stupid decision," Smith said. "That can happen anywhere because it's up to the players to be responsible and not make those type choices. What were they doing running around that late, past curfew, in the first place?

"To me, that's the players' responsibility to follow the rules. If they can't and they do something that stupid, either they don't play or they get kicked off the team, and nobody could blame the coaches for whatever they decide."

Smith knows punishment firsthand. He was suspended by Ooltewah coach Benny Monroe for the Owls' first-round playoff game for getting into an altercation during practice last week. Without Smith, the Owls, who spent part of the season ranked No. 1 in Class 6A, lost 24-7 to Farragut.

Smith said he already has talked to other UT recruits, and they still are committed to the Vols.

"I've already spoken to Corey Miller and Brandon Willis (two defensive line commitments from Byrnes. S.C.), and they agree with me that this won't hurt our recruiting," Smith said. "If anything, knowing how hard this staff recruits, they'll go out and find another five-star safety and some other really good players to replace them with."

The incident came just two days after the Vols landed one of their biggest commitments at a position of need when Atlanta-area offensive lineman Jawuan James said he would sign and enroll early.

Tennessee has 22 players committed for the 2010 signing class, including 12 who are rated four-star prospects, making it the nation's sixth-ranked class according to Rivals.com.

At least one recruiting expert does not share Smith's optimism, however.

"It can't be good," Rivals.com nation editor Jamie Newberg said of Thursday's arrests. "Richardson is a South Florida kid, and that's where Tennessee has concentrated a lot of its efforts. They already have five or six commitments from the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area for this next class. Short-term, it's hard to say what this will mean. In the long term, I imagine this will not help their reputation in south Florida."