KNOXVILLE – College football’s early signing period concluded Friday with Tennessee finally adding a perimeter player to its 2018 recruiting class.
Coffee County Central standout athlete Alontae Taylor signed his national letter of intent to play for the Volunteers and new coach Jeremy Pruitt during a ceremony at the high school. The addition of Taylor gave the Vols 13 signees from the early three-day window, but still ahead is the traditional signing period, which starts Feb. 7.
The Vols are expected to sign several more players, and presumably some of them will be receivers and cornerbacks. Before Taylor, Tennessee’s class included four defensive linemen, three offensive linemen, two tight ends, a quarterback, a running back and a kicker. Though Taylor played a lot of quarterback in high school, he is expected to play wide receiver at Tennessee.
Tennessee is losing Justin Martin, Emmanuel Moseley and Shaq Wiggins after the senior trio played the majority of the snaps at cornerback for the Vols this year during a 4-8 season, and wide receiver is also an area of need. The Vols struggled at that position after an injury to leading returning receiver Jauan Jennings in the season opener, and Jennings was dismissed from the program after posting a profanity-laced tirade to social media in November.
The Vols have offered scholarships to more than 100 receivers or cornerbacks in the 2018 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.com. Many of those players have committed to or signed with other schools, though, leaving Pruitt work to do in the month between his duties with Alabama’s defensive coordinator ending – the Crimson Tide will face Clemson in the Sugar Bowl national semifinal Jan. 1 and the title game is Jan. 8 – and the traditional signing period starting.