Former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning, left, chats with Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt before the Vols' game at Georgia on Sept. 29.KNOXVILLE - Many wrote off Tennessee's 58-21 loss to Alabama on Saturday as a foregone conclusion.
Jeremy Pruitt took the lopsided outcome as a chance to send a message.
If the Volunteers hope to one day compete with the Alabama dynasty, the program will need to thrive in recruiting, Tennessee's first-year coach suggested Saturday.
"I think we can sign 25 guys in here and basically trade 25 for four," Pruitt said. "We've got some really good seniors that work hard, but we've really got four that are playing a lot, so it gives you a chance."
With the early signing period just two months away, Tennessee's recruiting class ranks 14th nationally and sixth in the Southeastern Conference, according to 247Sports.com. The Vols have a group of 20 commitments, many of them linemen.
All four of Tennessee's primary contributing seniors are defensive linemen, and Alabama offered yet another reminder of how much help the Vols need on their offensive line. Tennessee (3-4, 1-3) has averaged fewer yards per carry with each game against Power Five opponents this season, including just 1 yard per rush against the Crimson Tide.
Pruitt said Saturday's game against the top-ranked Tide (8-0, 5-0) seemed too big for some of his players. Others, he believed, played respectably.
"They've got to help us recruit, because we didn't have enough guys out there today who wanted to do it the right way," Pruitt said. "But I do think we have a good core group in this bunch who will be the foundation moving forward, and we've got a group of guys in here who want to compete and play like they do every day."
The core group Pruitt spoke of will start to be joined in January by several players from the Vols' 2019 signing class who will enroll early in order to go through spring practices.
Tennessee's recruiting class ranks second among the five SEC schools with first-year coaches. Some attrition is expected within the class before the early signing period begins Dec. 19. The class is expected to be finalized on the traditional national signing day, the first Wednesday in February.
By then, seniors such as defensive end Kyle Phillips, who ran an interception back for a touchdown against Alabama, will be done with college football. But even for him, the message from Pruitt after Saturday's blowout loss seemed to resonate.
Phillips lauded Alabama's prowess in all three phases of the game.
"And that's what we're trying to get towards as a program," he said. "It's up to me, in my last couple games as a senior, to lead the way for these young guys and for them to know that we can be that at the University of Tennessee. We are a top-tier program, and we will be back."
If all goes well in recruiting.
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidWCobb and on Facebook at facebook.com/volsupdate.