EARLY ENROLLEES
After bringing in a combined 24 players in January the past two years, Tennessee had just four early enrollees in 2016:
WEDNESDAY'S SIGNEES
LB Daniel Bituli
> Town: Nashville (Nashville Christian)
> Height/Weight: 6-3/228
> 247Sports.com: 4 stars
> The Class A Mr. Football winner ran roughshod over the state's smallest division in leading Nashville Christian to a state title. On offense he had seven rushing touchdowns, and defensively he piled up 89 tackles, 20 for loss and 10.5 sacks. The No. 4 player in Tennessee per 247Sports, Bituli looks like an NFL linebacker already. Linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen called him the "ultimate athlete" and "a true student of the game."
LB Ja'Quain Blakely
> Town: Moultrie, Ga. (Colquitt County)
> Height/Weight: 6-2/210
> 247Sports.com: 3 stars
> A rangy sideline-to-sideline defender, Blakely helped his high school team to back-to-back unbeaten state-title seasons and had 47 tackles and three fumble recoveries as a senior. He picked Tennessee over Florida and offers from Michigan, UCLA and others in the summer. Said Thigpen: "He's tough, he's smart and has the ability to play in space."
TE Devante Brooks
> Town: Washington D.C. (St. John's College HS)
> Height/Weight: 6-5/225
> 247Sports.com: 3 stars
> Brooks was Wednesday's final signee, and he's perhaps the wild card of this class. He was coming off one torn ACL when he committed to Tennessee over offers from North Carolina, West Virginia, Iowa and Rutgers. Then he tore his ACL a second time. Brooks is hoping to be back to 100 percent by the end of the summer, and there's some upside there if he's able to get back to full health.
CB Baylen Buchanan
> Town: Suwanee, Ga. (Peachtree Ridge)
> Height/Weight: 5-11/187
> 247Sports.com: 3 stars
> Despite his modest ranking, Buchanan flirted with taking an official visit to Ohio State last month, but he decided to stick with Tennessee. He's got good bloodlines, too, as his father, Ray, was a two-time NFL All-Pro defensive back with the Colts and Falcons. Baylen had 32 tackles and two interceptions in 2015 and will come to Tennessee more technically sound than most freshmen at the position.
ATH Tyler Byrd
> Town: Naples, Fla. (Naples)
> Height/Weight: 6-0/195
> 247Sports.com: 4 stars
> Byrd flipped from his long-time commitment to Miami to Tennessee on Tuesday night, and the U.S. Army All-American with impressive play-making ability is a headliner in the class. He's the top-ranked athlete in the nation per ESPN, and ESPN analyst Tom Luginbill called Byrd a "play-right-away talent" Wednesday morning. New tight ends coach Larry Scott, Miami's interim coach in 2015, and Naples teammate Carlin Fils-aime played key roles in Tennessee landing Byrd.
WR Marquez Callaway
> Town: Warner Robins, Ga. (Warner Robins)
> Height/Weight: 6-2/170
> 247Sports.com: 4 stars
> The nation's No. 3 athlete according to Rivals, Callaway made Georgia's all-state team on offense and defense, but he'll play receiver for Tennessee. The U.S. Army All-American picked the Vols in January over Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Notre Dame and Georgia. "He never came off the field," receivers coach Zach Azzanni said. "His best football's ahead of him. In all my years of coaching receivers I've never seen a high school kid track a deep ball like Marquez Callaway."
RB Carlin Fils-aime
> Town: Naples, Fla. (Naples)
> Height/Weight: 5-11/175
> 247Sports.com: 3 stars
> Fils-aime picked the Vols over Auburn last summer, then had a prolific senior season in which he rushed for 1,505 yards and 23 touchdowns and caught 14 passes for 375 yards and five scores. He had nine 100-yard games and averaged 9.5 yards per touch on offense and kick returns. "His versatility and speed are the main things that show up," running backs coach Robert Gillespie said. "Carlin's film shows that he's a dynamic guy in space."
QB Jarrett Guarantano
> Town: Oradell, N.J. (Bergen Catholic)
> Height/Weight: 6-4/205
> 247Sports.com: 4 stars
> Tennessee's run of quality quarterback recruits continues with Guarantano, who picked the Vols last April and announced it with a video shot in Times Square. The No. 3 dual-threat quarterback per Rivals, Guarantano threw for 1,481 yards and 11 touchdowns and ran 83 times for 206 yards and six touchdowns. He's an ideal fit in Tennessee's offense. "When you look at his film," offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said, "he made all the throws."
WR Corey Henderson
> Town: Shreveport, La. (Evangel Christian)
> Height/Weight: 6-1/170
> 247Sports.com: 3 stars
> Henderson chose Tennessee over Arkansas, TCU, Miami and Arizona State last spring and caught 42 passes for 435 yards and five scores in 2015. He's an under-the-radar prospect who could outperform his ranking. "Sometimes those guys who don't necessarily dazzle can come into a program and be a guy that gets opens and runs great routes and creates separation and makes big plays," 247Sports analyst Barton Simmons said. "I could see Corey Henderson being that guy."
WR Brandon Johnson
> Town: Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (American Heritage)
> Height/Weight: 6-2/175
> 247Sports.com: 4 stars
> Johnson's father, Charles, was a 12-year major league catcher and a two-time All-Star with the Florida Marlins, so the bloodlines are there for Brandon, who had offers from Clemson, LSU, Georgia, Ole Miss and others when he committed to Tennessee in September. He caught 20 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns in 2015. Johnson is a possession receiver who could be an effective red-zone target with his growing frame.
OL Ryan Johnson
> Town: Brentwood, Tenn. (Brentwood Academy)
> Height/Weight: 6-6/275
> 247Sports.com: 4 stars
> The tackle committed to the home-state Vols over early scholarship offers from Alabama, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and others all the way back in July 2014. His father, Tyke, played at Hixson High School in the early 1980s. His frame and attitude are ideal for an offensive linemen, and Johnson could wind up as a guard or tackle. Johnson helped Brentwood Academy win a state title as a senior.
DE Jonathan Kongbo
> Town: Surrey, B.C., Canada (Arizona Western)
> Height/Weight: 6-6/260
> 247Sports.com: 4 stars
> Tennessee capped its class with the top junior college player in the country. "Our defense just got a lot better," head coach Butch Jones said after announcing Kongbo's signing. "He has the ability to dominate a football game. You put him on one side, you put Derek Barnett on the other - our defense just got a lot better." Tennessee edged Ole Miss, Florida State and Southern California for Konbgo, who had 55 tackles, 16 for loss and 11 sacks in 2015.
OL Nathan Niehaus
> Town: Cincinnati, Ohio (Colerain)
> Height/Weight: 6-6/255
> 247Sports.com: 3 stars
> The former West Virginia commitment is an upside pick. Niehaus will need a year or more in the weight room to add weight and strength, but the Vols are excited by his frame, athletic ability and toughness. "That's where we are in this program, finally, on the offensive line," player personnel director Bob Welton said, "that we can take some kids and say, 'Day one, you don't have to come in and play in the SEC.' We can grow you. We can salt you away for a year and really develop him."
TE Austin Pope
> Town: Knoxville (Christian Academy of Knoxville)
> Height/Weight: 6-4/218
> 247Sports.com: 3 stars
> The Vols view the lone local product in the class as an exciting prospect with upside. Pope caught 54 passes for 622 yards and 10 touchdowns in CAK's pass-happy offense, added five rushing scores as an H-back and made 34 tackles. Pope had offers from Arkansas, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Mississippi State and others when he committed to Tennessee last June. He'll need to add weight to play tight end, but he's a smooth route-runner and pass-catcher.
OL Marcus Tatum
> Town: Daytona Beach, Fla. (Mainland)
> Height/Weight: 6-6/265
> 247Sports.com: 3 stars
> Rated by Scout.com as the No. 1 offensive tackle prospect in Florida, Tatum picked Tennessee over Florida and Miami. He's another guy who will need some time in the weight room to add strength and weight to a lanky frame, but Tatum also has the versatility to play guard or tackle. "He's a guy," offensive line coach Don Mahoney said, "that has a tremendous upside."
DB Nigel Warrior
> Town: Suwanee, Ga. (Peachtree Ridge)
> Height/Weight: 6-0/186
> 247Sports.com: 4 stars
> The son of former Tennessee defensive back Dale Carter gave the Vols good news with his announcement Wednesday morning. Warrior, a safety who could be an immediate-impact player, picked Tennessee over Auburn, LSU, Alabama and Georgia. Welton said Warrior is a "rare breed" of safety, athletic enough to cover quick receivers and big and strong enough to play the run near the line of scrimmage.
WR Latrell Williams
> Town: Lake City, Fla. (Columbia)
> Height/Weight: 5-11/175
> 247sports.com: 3 stars
> The Vols' second late flip of a Miami commitment should upgrade their speed at wideout. Williams has been timed at 4.27 seconds in the 40-yard dash. In 2015 he caught 68 passes for 1,035 yards and nine touchdowns and averaged 36 yards on 11 kickoff returns with two more scores. "We needed some speed on the perimeter and needed someone to come in and be a slot receiver for us," Azzanni said. "He fits the bill, and he can do a lot of things. His skill set is limitless."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com