Vols T logoKNOXVILLE - The implosion of Vanderbilt's 2014 recruiting class in the wake of coach James Franklin's departure for Penn State benefitted Tennessee on Wednesday night.
Jashon Robertson, a defensive lineman out of Nashville's Montgomery Bell Academy and former Commodores' verbal commitment, announced he'd committed to the Volunteers via his Twitter page.
"Excited to be a Vol!!!!!" Robertson posted on Twitter.
Robertson is good friends with Jalen Hurd, the five-star tailback who enrolled at Tennessee last week.
The 6-foot-3, 295-pound Robertson, who could play on either side of the ball in college, is rated as a three-star prospect according to Rivals.com and 247sports.com. He committed to Vanderbilt in June 2012, but decided to re-open his recruitment following Franklin's move to Penn State last weekend. Robertson recorded 74 tackles, 14 for loss and four sacks this season.
Much of Vanderbilt's class has either followed Franklin to Penn State, decided to de-commit or evaluate their options or switched their commitment to another program, which has led to a precipitous drop in the Commodores' recruiting ranking.
Ensworth defensive tackle Michael Sawyers, who was offered by Tennessee last year, announced on Twitter on Wednesday he'd de-committed from Vanderbilt, and Oakland safety Emmanuel Smith is another player the Vols pursued prior to his commitment to the Commodores.
Robertson is the ninth in-state player in Tennessee's class, which now sits at 34 recruits. The Vols have 20 verbal commitments expected to sign next month, and 14 players began classes and workouts last week.
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.