Coffee County's Alontae Taylor runs the football for the East team during Friday's all-star game at Austin Peay.POSITION BREAKDOWN
» Quarterbacks: 1
» Running backs: 1
» Wide receivers/tight ends: 4
» Offensive linemen: 4
» Defensive linemen: 7
» Linebackers: 1
» Defensive backs: 3
» Kickers: 1
NAME YOU KNOW
J.J. Peterson, a linebacker from Colquitt County High School in Moultrie, Ga. is the crown jewel of this Tennessee signing class. He committed to the Volunteers a month ago and stuck with them even through a late push by national champion Alabama. Peterson is the type of player who could make an immediate impact. Jeremy Pruitt likes that Peterson can play any of the four linebacker positions.
NAME YOU WILL KNOW
Trevon Flowers had been signed to play baseball for Kentucky, and that sport could be part of his future at Tennessee. But after taking a few years off from football, he returned to it as a senior and showed his potential as a defensive back. Pruitt said one good thing about Flowers playing only one season of high school football is he hasn't developed many bad habits, adding "I think this guy is going to be a very good player for us one day."
NAME YOU WILL MISS
Quay Walker teased the Vols by putting a Tennessee hat on before throwing it aside to sign with Georgia on Wednesday. Tennessee was fortunate to be among Walker's finalists, but not being able to land him hurt. Walker would have fit in well in the new defensive scheme and added necessary depth to the middle. Instead, the Vols will face him for the next few seasons.
Wednesday signees
CB BRANDON DAVIS
» 5-11, 160, New Orleans (John Curtis)
» Davis was not among the top couple of cornerbacks on Tennessee's board, but the three-star prospect will fill a hole at a position of need for the Vols. Tennessee had not officially announced his signing as of Wednesday evening.
S TREVON FLOWERS
» 6-1, 185, Tucker, Ga. (Tucker)
» Flowers, a dual-sport athlete who also plans to play baseball for the Vols, became the second signee of the day when he chose Tennessee over Clemson, among others. He was previously signed to play baseball at Kentucky. Flowers is considered a three-star prospect by 247Sports.com.
DL KUROTT GARLAND
» 6-3, 250, Conyers, Ga. (Heritage)
» A lightly recruited defensive end, Garland entered Tennessee's radar when the Vols were perusing Georgia all-state lists from this past season.
DL EMMIT GOODEN
» 6-4, 305, Brownsville, Tenn. (Independence Community College)
» A three-star junior college defensive tackle, Gooden can add immediate depth to Tennessee's nose tackle position with the decision of Kahlil McKenzie to declare for the NFL draft.
DE JOHN MINCEY
» 6-4, 255, Homerville, Ga. (Clinch County)
» Mincey chose the Volunteers over South Carolina after previously being committed to Missouri. Mincey is a three-star prospect, according to 247Sports. He was the first player to sign with the Vols on Wednesday.
CB JOSEPH NORWOOD
» 6-1, 170, Chattanooga (Brainerd)
» The late-blooming Norwood did not play football during his junior year at Brainerd. He's a big hitter, and though he has just three recruiting stars next to his name, his upside is clear. Tennessee's staff had him on campus last week and offered him a scholarship Wednesday as it sought to replenish its cornerback depth. Tennessee had not officially announced his signing as of Wednesday evening.
LB J.J. PETERSON
» 6-2, 231, Moultrie, Ga. (Colquitt County)
» Peterson spurned a late advance from Alabama to become one of the top prospects in Jeremy Pruitt's first signing class at Tennessee. He appears capable of competing for immediate playing time in Tennessee's 3-4 defensive scheme.
WR CEDRIC TILLMAN
» 6-3, 205, Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman)
» Tillman did not have a long list of Division I offers, but he made it clear he believes he can compete at the highest level of college football when he chose the Vols over Hawaii and Weber State, among others. He is considered a three-star prospect by 247Sports.
December signees
DE/LB Jordan Allen
' 6-4, 230, Fairfield, Calif. (City College of San Francisco)
' A three-star recruit for both 247Sports and Rivals. Com, Allen was the the third player from California to sign in December. The junior college defensive end has the body type to play as a bigger linebacker in new coach Jeremy Pruitt's 3-4 defensive scheme.
OL Tanner Antonutti
' 6-5, 260, Nashville (Ensworth)
' Antonutti played some tight end in high school but is projected as an offensive tackle in college. A three-star recruit according to both 247Sports and Rivals, he is among a handful of in-state players who stayed loyal to the Volunteers through the coaching transition from Butch Jones to Pruitt.
RB Jeremy Banks
» 6-2, 215, Cordova, Tenn. (Cordova)
» Banks is a four-star Rivals recruit and three-star 247Sports recruit who was not previously committed to Tennessee but chose the Vols over offers from several other major programs. He ran for more than 1,900 yards and 32 touchdowns last season.
P/K Paxton Brooks
» 6-5, 170, West Columbia, S.C. (Airport)
» Brooks figures to compete with Joe Doyle for the right to replace record-setting punter Trevor Daniel. Brooks also kicked field goals and handled kickoffs in high school.
OL Jerome Carvin
» 6-4, 330, Cordova, Tenn. (Cordova)
» A four-star recruit according to both 247Sports and Rivals, Carvin was among the group of players not previously committed to Tennessee who signed in December.
DT Greg Emerson
» 6-3, 280, Jackson, Tenn. (North Side)
» Emerson is another in-state product who lasted through the Jones-to-Pruitt transition. He is ranked as one of the top 10 defensive tackle prospects in the class by both Rivals and 247Sports, and a four-star recruit for both. Emerson did not play as a high school senior in 2017 because of an injury.
DT Kingston Harris
» 6-4, 272, Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy)
» Harris, a three-star recruit for 247Sports and Rivals, also had offers from Maryland, Michigan State and Rutgers, among others.
OL Ollie Lane
» 6-5, 285, Corryton, Tenn. (Gibbs)
» Lane, a three-star recruit according to both 247Sports and Rivals, starred at Gibbs High School near Knoxville. He is projected to be an interior offensive lineman. Lane committed last April.
DT Brant Lawless
» 6-3, 285, Nashville (Nashville Christian)
» The four-star recruit for 247Sports and Rivals stuck with the Vols through their coaching search and transition. He had scholarship offers from several other top programs, including Auburn, Florida and Georgia.
QB JT Shrout
» 6-3, 190, Newhall, Calif. (William S. Hart)
» Shrout decommitted from California sign with the Vols in December. The three-star recruit for both 247Sports and Rivals was a nice pick-up for Tennessee, considering a pair of quarterbacks decommitted after Pruitt took over.
TE Jacob Warren
» 6-6, 211, Knoxville (Farragut)
» The three-star recruit, according to both 247Sports and Rivals, will need to bulk up to play tight end at the college level. But his highlight reel shows a skilled athlete with the potential to become a playmaker.
TE Dominick Wood-Anderson
» 6-5, 245, Spring Valley, Calif. (Arizona Western College)
» Wood-Anderson is rated as the top junior college tight end prospect in the 2018 class, according to 247Sports. That service rated him a four-star recruit, as did Rivals. He chose the Vols over Alabama.
OL Jahmir Johnson
» 6-5, 290, Philadelphia, Pa. (Arizona Western College)
» Johnson had offers from Arkanas, Arizona, Louisville, Missouri and Ole Miss, among others. He is considered the sixth-best junior college offensive tackle in the 2018 class.
WR Alontae Taylor
» 6-0, 184, Manchester, TN. (Coffee County Central)
» Taylor is one of the best in-state playmakers of the 2018 signing class. He was committed under Butch Jones before re-opening his commitment and ultimately deciding he still wanted to be in Knoxville over offers from Georgia, Notre Dame and others.
- David Cobb