COMMITMENTBREAKDOWN
Here’s a position breakdown of Tennessee’s current commitments for its 2017 recruiting class:QB: None.RB (2): Ty Chandler, Nashville;Trey Coleman, West Monroe, La.WR (3): Jordan Murphy, Hattiesburg, Miss.; Princeton Fant, LaVergne, Tenn.; Jacquez Jones, Clearwater, Fla.TE (1): James Brown, Orlando, Fla.OL (2): K’Rojhn Calbert, McMinnville, Tenn.; Riley Locklear, Huntington, W.Va.DL (5): Eric Crosby, Virginia Beach, Va.; LaTrell Bumphus, Savannah, Tenn.; Kivon Bennett, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Marquez Bembry, Atlanta; Tre Lawson, North Augusta, S.C.LB (4): Will Ignont, New Market, Ala.; Jaquan Henderson, Covington, Ga.; Solon Page III, Marietta, Ga.; Mo Burnam, Conyers, Ga.DB (5): Maleik Gray, LaVergne, Tenn.; Cheyenne Labruzza, Albany, La.; Terrell Bailey, Marrero, La.; Theo Jackson, Nashville; Shawn Shamburger, Moultrie, Ga.K (1): Brent Cimaglia, Franklin, Tenn.
KNOXVILLE - Tennessee's football team will learn its bowl destination Sunday, but the coaching staff isn't simply waiting around to find out.
Butch Jones and his assistants have spent this week on the road visiting recruits, and the Volunteers hope to use this week and next to set the table for another strong closing in January.
"Right now our players have final examinations," Jones said Sunday on his weekly television show. "Our coaches have hit the road, and we have two solid weeks of recruiting. Then recruiting goes into a dead period, and we'll be really able to focus on our football team."
After fumbling away the Southeastern Conference's East division title and a potential Sugar Bowl bid with four losses in its past seven games, Tennessee may not have to travel far for its postseason game. The Vols are trending toward the Music City Bowl in Nashville against a Big Ten opponent, perhaps Nebraska or Minnesota.
For now, though, the focus is on the future. The Vols hoped they would be playing in the SEC championship game Saturday in Atlanta, but instead they'll use the weekend to make a final impression on five-star offensive tackle Trey Smith, their primary must-have target.
Smith, who helped the University School of Jackson finish 9-4 this season, took home a Mr. Football award Monday in Murfreesboro, where running back commitment Ty Chandler (Montgomery Bell Academy) and 2018 offensive lineman pledge Cade Mays (Knoxville Catholic) also received the state's top high school football award. Tennessee's coaches also watched as three Clemson commitments (running back Cordarrian Richardson and wide receivers Tee Higgins and Amari Rodgers) plus LSU safety commitment JaCoby Stevens and Oklahoma linebacker commitment Jacob Phillips won Mr. Football awards.
Jones and multiple assistants were in west Tennessee on Wednesday night to visit Smith, who plans to announce his college decision Tuesday and enroll at that school - likely Tennessee, Ohio State or Alabama - in January.
The Vols have 23 public commitments for their 2017 recruiting class after a trio of prospects who were pledged to Tennessee reopened their recruitments within minutes of each other Tuesday.
Defensive linemen Breyon and Brandon Gaddy, brothers from Virginia Beach, Va., committed in July. There were academic concerns with both, but Florida, Louisville, Kentucky and others reportedly remain in the mix. With each around 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, the Gaddys showed impressive athleticism for their size.
C.J. Cotman, a four-star athlete from Florida, also committed to the Vols in July before he'd even visited Knoxville, and the 5-foot-11, 180-pounder was projected to play running back or wide receiver. In his Twitter announcement, he thanked Tennessee's coaches and fans "for the opportunity and the amount of love but after discussing things with my family we feel it's safe that I decommit from UT and reopen my recruitment."
According to 247sports, Tennessee's recruiting class ranks 14th nationally and seventh among SEC programs, though the majority of the teams ranked in the top 20 had fewer than 20 public commitments as of Thursday afternoon.
Tennessee is in the market for a quarterback after parting ways with C.J. Lewis, and the Vols are looking to add another running back and more linemen on offense and defense with the remaining spots in the class, which could undergo more changes between now and signing day on Feb. 1.
"We're out and we're in living rooms," Jones said. "(There's) a lot of things to build on, but everything is about correcting some deficiencies that we have in our program and (adding) competitive depth across the board at nine position groups. This is a big two weeks for us in the recruiting process."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.