Freshman quarterback Jarrett Guarantano holds his follow-through after throwing a pass during Tennessee's practice at Haslam Field on Aug. 1, 2016.KNOXVILLE - The players from Tennessee's 2016 signing class have yet to take their first snaps for the Volunteers, but coach Butch Jones already is raising the bar for his latest recruiting haul.
Earlier this week Jones said only four players currently are on plans to redshirt this season, and he also compared this class, which ranked 15th nationally according to both 247Sports.com and Rivals.com, to the two elite classes Tennessee signed in 2014 and 2015.
"We've had quote-unquote two top-five recruiting classes, but this recruiting class will rival any of the recruiting classes we've had here," he said. "You don't judge recruiting classes on the rankings. You judge recruiting classes three or four years down the road.
"Out of those individuals you signed, were they impact players? Were they role players? How many misses did you have and why were they misses?"
It's far too early to begin answering those questions, and the true evaluation of the class won't come until after the 2017 season at the earliest.
Still, the early returns have been positive.
Top-rated freshmen Tyler Byrd at wide receiver and Nigel Warrior at safety have performed up to their recruiting rankings. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano looks like a future star. Jonathan Kongbo has been impressive this preseason, and Alexis Johnson should bolster the defensive tackle position when he's back up to speed after a long suspension.
Wide receiver Tyler Byrd runs upfield after catching a punt during Tennessee's practice at Haslam Field on Aug. 10, 2016.
Nigel Warrior, a former four-star recruit from Atlanta-area high school Peachtree Ridge, looks like a good option for playing time in Tennessee's secondary early this season.
Freshman cornerback Baylen Buchanan stretches before Tennessee's practice at Haslam Field on Aug. 6, 2016.There have been surprises, too - players who come in as under-the-radar recruits and impress immediately.
Baylen Buchanan, Warrior's high school teammate, is Tennessee's fourth cornerback and drew quick comparisons to the freshman version of Cameron Sutton.
Offensive tackle Marcus Tatum, signed as a 265-pounder, may be an injury or two from playing.
"I think we as coaches have said this from the start, that this freshman group has learned how to play fast at a faster pace than any of these classes," offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said. "I know last year's class, they did a good job of coming in and picking it up, but not as fast as this class did.
"We're happy with that group, and it'll be interesting to watch that group continue to grow physically and mentally as we continue on."
With the summer additions of running back Jeremy Lewis and defensive end Mykelle McDaniel, Tennessee wound up with 22 players in the class. Nearly half were wide receivers and defensive backs.
It's been up to wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni to get five first-year players up to speed with Brandon Johnson, Jeff George, Marquez Callaway and Latrell Williams joining Byrd.
Johnson and Williams have been slowed by injuries, but Tennessee may need at least three newcomers to fill out the rest of the rotation and take some of the load off the returning players as the season progresses.
"As far as a mentality standpoint, I couldn't be happier with these freshmen," Azzanni said. "They are a joy to coach. They come to work every day, they don't say a word and they work as hard as they can. That's why the future is real bright."
Marquill Osborne impressed during spring practice after enrolling early, but Warrior and Buchanan appear closer to helping Tennessee on defense, though Osborne will have a role on special teams.
"I think they're right on schedule," secondary coach Willie Martinez said. "Not overly excited and really not down. They're right about where we would love for them to be. Obviously they've still got to learn our package and feel comfortable with the entire package. That makes sense, because they're young guys and you do needs reps. I don't think they're way ahead.
"There's a lot that they have to learn, and we haven't played a game yet (to see) what they do given the opportunity."
Tennessee needed multiple classes like the ones it signed in 2014 and 2015 to get the program back to a competitive level, and while it's probably unrealistic to expect a top-five class every year, the drop-off must be minimized for the program to sustain the on-field success generated by those elite classes.
Time will tell on the 2016 class, but so far Jones is pleased with the talent of the additions.
"They came in, and we were giving them high expectations to come in and make an impact, and I would say right now they're owning up to it," quarterback Josh Dobbs said. "We talk about 'Own It' - it's the cliche phrase of this season, but they've come in and owned up to the expectations we've given them.
"We've pushed them hard and held them to a high standard, and they definitely have accepted those expectations and are doing very well with them."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.