Tennessee signed 21 players Wednesday as college football's early signing period for 2020 began. Here are capsules of those signees.
LS Will Albright
6-foot-1, 213 pounds, Greeneville, Tennessee (Greeneville)
Albright, who also played linebacker, was named the No. 1 long snapper in the country by the All-American Bowl and listed as No. 5 by ESPN.com and 247Sports.com. He also excelled at the Rubio Long Snapping 2019 Summer Tour in Holmdel, New Jersey.
DL Dominic Bailey
6-3, 293, Baltimore (St. Frances Academy)
The 2020 Under Armour All-American Bowl selection is the No. 20 defensive tackle nationally in the 247Sports.com composite rankings, which averages the rankings of 247, ESPN and Rivals. Twice an all-conference first-team selection, he anchored a defense that allowed only 4.8 points per game as the team went 11-1 and finished fourth in the nation according to MaxPreps.
QB Harrison Bailey
6-5, 211, Marietta, Georgia (Marietta)
A consensus top-five national quarterback prospect, Bailey threw for 4,271 yards and 44 touchdowns with just nine interceptions as a senior, leading Marietta to the GHSA Class AAAAAAA state championship. He completed just less than 70% of his passes and was a Nike Elite 11 Finalist, was the Rivals100 five-star challenge MVP and was selected to the All-American Bowl.
OLB Tyler Baron
6-5, 256, Knoxville (Catholic)
The four-star recruit was listed by 247Sports as the No. 5 player overall in Tennessee and the No. 5 strongside defensive end in the country. He will play in the 2020 Polynesian Bowl after racking up 22 tackles for loss and nine sacks as a senior.
WR Jimmy Calloway
6-0, 207, Morrow, Georgia (Morrow)
Calloway is the No. 9 athlete nationally in the 247Sports composite rankings and was a two-time GHSA Region 4-AAAAAA offensive player of the year. He played quarterback, receiver, safety and punt returner, helping Morrow reach the state playoffs for the first time in 21 years. He was clocked at 10.7 seconds in the 100-yard dash and 4.4 in the 40 as a member of the school's track and field team.
LB Bryson Eason
6-2, 270, Memphis (Whitehaven)
Rated the No. 14 inside linebacker in the country, Eason was a finalist for Tennessee's Class 6A Mr. Football as a senior while part of a defense that allowed just 5.4 points per game, shut out seven opponents and helped the program reach the state quarterfinals this past season.
LB Martavius French
6-2, 227, Memphis (Whitehaven)
French is the No. 15 inside linebacker in the country and was the Region 8-6A defensive player of the year in 2018 as well as a Class 6A all-state selection. French backed out of his previous (nonbinding) pledge to Arkansas for an opportunity to play with former Whitehaven teammates Eason and Tamarion McDonald as Volunteers.
RB Tee Hodge
6-1, 220, Maryville, Tennessee (Maryville)
The three-star running back and two-time state champion was a four-year starter for the Rebels. Despite injuries, he finished this past season with 1,006 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns for the Class 6A state champions.
QB Jimmy Holiday
6-0, 190, Madison, Mississippi (Madison Central)
Holiday was the second previously uncommitted player to sign with the Vols on Wednesday, backing out of a pledge to TCU. The three-star athlete passed for 1,020 yards and nine touchdowns while rushing for 1,401 yards and 21 more scores as a senior. In three seasons, he had 3,507 yards and 37 touchdowns passing and 3,568 yards and 51 touchdowns rushing.
WR Jalin Hyatt
6-0, 164, Irmo, South Carolina (Dutch Fork)
The speedy four-star receiver finished with 26 touchdowns on 66 catches for 1,361 yards as a senior, helping Dutch Fork - which was ranked No. 11 nationally by MaxPreps - to back-to-back SCHSL Class 5A state championships and undefeated seasons. The program's all-time leader in receiving yards (3,624) and touchdown catches (57), he was a finalist for the South Carolina Mr. Football and was rated the state's fifth-best recruit by 247Sports.
OLB Morven Joseph
6-2, 220, Lakeland, Florida (Lake Gibson)
The last player to sign with the Vols on Wednesday, the four-star recruit was a FHSAA Class 6A all-state honorable mention selection in 2019 and rated the No. 18 defensive end nationally in the 247Sports composite rankings. He finished with 28 tackles for loss, 13 sacks and 44 quarterback hurries as a senior, helping Lake Gibson to an 11-1 record and the Class 6A District 9 title.
DB Key Lawrence
6-2, 202, Nashville (Ensworth)
An All-American Bowl selection and the No. 66 recruit in the nation, Lawrence was the highest-rated player in the Vols' signing class as of Wednesday evening. He had 37 tackles, including 5.5 for loss, this past season as he earned Division II-AAA all-state second-team honors.
OL Cooper Mays
6-3, 283, Knoxville (Catholic)
A four-star center and a son of Kevin Mays - an All-Southeastern Conference offensive lineman during his Vols career - Mays was the No. 6 center in the 247Sports composite rankings. He helped Catholic rush for 2,360 yards this past season, when it reached the Class 5A state semifinals.
LB Tamarion McDonald
6-2, 199, Memphis (Whitehaven)
Although listed as a linebacker, Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt said McDonald will likely start out at safety. He is the No. 40 outside linebacker in the country and was once committed to Mississippi State, backing out of that pledge and choosing to play alongside high school teammates Eason and French.
DL RJ Perry
6-6, 299, Fairfield, Alabama (Fairfield Preparatory School)
Perry was one of five prospects previously not committed to Tennessee who signed Wednesday. A versatile prospect who has been an all-state pick in both basketball and football, Perry had 36 tackles (six for loss) as a senior after logging 27 tackles for loss and seven sacks as a junior.
OL James Robinson
6-4, 343, Montgomery, Alabama (Carver)
The three-star recruit was a consensus top-50 offensive line prospect who chose the Vols over offers from 30 other schools. He was rated one of the top 12 prospects in the Montgomery area going into this past season after earning Class 5A-7A All-Metro honorable mention as a junior.
DB Doneiko Slaughter
6-0, 185, Roswell, Georgia (Roswell)
Slaughter, a three-star recruit previously committed to Arizona State, backed out of that pledge prior to a weekend visit in Knoxville and then signed Wednesday. Projected to play safety in college, he was an All-Region 7A first-team defense pick in 2019 after earning second-team honors as a junior, when he led Roswell with eight sacks.
ATH Jabari Small
6-0, 195, Memphis (Briarcrest)
The versatile Small is a three-star prospect and the No. 11 all-purpose back in the country according to 247Sports. Small rushed for 1,538 yards and 25 touchdowns and caught 25 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns in 2019, earning TSSAA DII-AAA all-state honors.
OL Javontez Spraggins
6-3, 352, East St. Louis, Illinois (East St. Louis)
A three-star prospect and the No. 15 center in the country in the 247Sports composite rankings, Spraggins is considered versatile enough for several positions on the offensive line. He was a four-year varsity starter and helped lead his team to the No. 1 state ranking and a Class 6A championship while helping the team's starting quarterback account for a state-record 56 touchdowns.
DL Omari Thomas
6-4, 306, Memphis (Briarcrest)
A 2020 All-American Bowl selection, the four-star prospect and teammate of Small is the No. 4 player in the state in the 247Sports composite rankings. The DII-AAA Mr. Football Lineman of the Year, he also has played basketball, tennis and thrown the shot put for Briarcrest.
RB Len'Neth Whitehead
6-2, 230, Athens, Georgia (Athens Academy)
The first previously uncommitted prospect to sign with Tennessee on Wednesday, Whitehead rushed for 1,481 yards and 25 touchdowns as a junior and was the No. 8 recruit in the state of Georgia, but he was limited to just five games in 2019 due to injury. A three-time state champion in the shot put, he could play offense or defense, having played linebacker in high school.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.