KNOXVILLE - The first day of college football's first-ever early signing period is expected to pass Wednesday with at least a handful of Tennessee's 11 remaining commitments signing early to play for new coach Jeremy Pruitt.
Consensus four-star prospects Brant Lawless and Greg Emerson, both in-state players, highlight the group of Tennessee pledges who have indicated their intent to sign Wednesday.
College football's focus will be on Tennessee for another reason during the afternoon.
Five-star offensive tackle Cade Mays of Knoxville Catholic High School is scheduled to sign his national letter of intent at 2:30 p.m. in a ceremony televised live on ESPN. Mays indicated on Nov. 30 that his top three schools are Georgia, Clemson and Ohio State.
The former Tennessee commitment and son of former Tennessee standout Kevin Mays had been committed to the Volunteers for two years under Butch Jones but opened his recruitment as Jones' tenure faded. Pruitt visited Knoxville Catholic last week with athletic director Phillip Fulmer, but Cade Mays has given no public indication that the visit persuaded him to consider the Vols again.
He could end up being among several former Tennessee commitments who sign with other schools by Friday. The three-day signing period will be the last chance for high school seniors to sign a national letter of intent until the regular signing period begins Feb. 7.
Attrition within Tennessee's class was expected during the transition from Jones, and Pruitt pleaded with Vols fans during his introductory news conference not to panic if the early signing period leaves Tennessee with fewer signed players than its rivals.
"Don't you worry, we'll figure it out," he said. "And again, worry about the ones we get, not the ones we don't."
Lawless and Emerson, both defensive linemen, committed under Jones and stuck with the Vols during the tumultuous coaching search that led to Pruitt. A third in-state prospect with a four-star billing, wide receiver Alontae Taylor, is scheduled to sign Friday at Coffee County Central High School.
Tennessee's other eight commitments are defensive lineman D'Andre Litaker, running back Anthony Grant, offensive lineman Ollie Lane, tight end Jacob Warren, offensive lineman Tanner Antonutti, linebacker Matthew Flint, kicker Paxton Brooks and defensive lineman Kingston Harris, who just committed on Monday.
Pruitt already has met with or brought to campus dozens of prospects since he took the Tennessee job earlier this month and will have roughly a month between the conclusion of his duties as Alabama's defensive coordinator and the regular signing date to finalize his first recruiting class at Tennessee.
Staff addition?
Pruitt reportedly has talked with his former boss at Hoover (Ala.) High School, Rush Propst, about the possibility of joining the Tennessee staff. Propst, now the coach at Georgia's Colquitt County High School, told the Moultrie Journal that "I'm on their radar" in reference to job opportunities at Alabama and Tennessee.
Pruitt was an assistant under Propst at Hoover from 2004 to 2007 before joining Nick Saban's support staff at Alabama.
Propst is 105-34 in 10 seasons at Colquitt County with two state championships, according to the Moultrie Journal.
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com.