Alex Bullard to Notre Dame

If you follow recruiting, you already know the news: Brentwood Academy OG Alex Bullard has verbally committed to Notre Dame this morning. GoVolsXtra has the story here

Unlike most, I'm not going meltdown about it for various reasons. Sure, it hurts to lose one of the best linemen in the state, especially when he has grown up as a fan of our Volunteers.

However, keep in mind that signing day is still 7 months away, and Notre Dame is still rebuilding. They could be anywhere from 4-8 to 8-4 this season, and if it falls closer to the bottom than the top, Bullard could change his mind.

Also, we're standing in good spots with a lot of highly rated offensive linemen across the country, as well as currently unrated linemen who will be great talents. Therefore, freaking out is probably a bit premature. Call me in January if we don't have any offensive linemen verballing.

Bullard did say academics played a major role in his decision, which begs the question: "Did anybody at UT pimp the Thornton Center?" The Volquest article from awhile back gave a great look at the center and how it helps the athletes.

Lastly, I'll spend time this weekend updating the recruiting board due to the commitment of Bullard, and the Vols handing out more scholarship offers. It should be up by Sunday night or early Monday morning.

Good luck to you, Mr. Bullard, and don't forget that it's not February.

O&W Game Brings 2 Commitments

The Orange and White game (which we'll have some coverage later) not only brought the annual "ZOMG WE'RE GOING TO B TEH BESTEST TEAM IN AMERICAZ" feeling from me and just about everybody else, it also brought two very nice verbal commitments for the 2009 signing class.

First, Dominique Allen, HB/FB from Henry Co. High School in Paris, TN, committed after the Orange and White game. He's teammates with Marsalis Teague, an athlete with an offer from UT. Allen will probably bide his time behind Kevin Cooper and Austin Johnson at FB when he arrives in 2009, but it could also give UT the flexibility to move Johnson back to LB. Allen is rated at Rivals yet, but at 5'11", 235, Allen could provide what we all thought Cory Anderson was going to: a threat to block and to run. I love this quote he said to Austin Price at Volquest: "I just feel the love, like I'm already part of the family here."

Second, a surprise commitment from Virginia athlete Damien Thigpen. How this young man is rated 250th in the Rivals 250 is beyond me. Sure, he's a bit short at 5'8", but his 4.34 40 yard dash should boost his rating. His 4.08 shuttle time is certainly awe-inspiring, and he already benches 295 pounds while only weighing 170. Many people have pointed out to me, and I agree, that he seems to be Clawson's UT version of Brian Westbrook, in theory. Some speculate he could be a cornerback, but with his breakneck speed, I'd love to see him in a Gerald Jones-esque role in our offense come 2010 when he's a sophomore. I expect he'll have a plethora of Rocky Top Jars.

Lastly, while we didn't get commitments from anybody else, our recruiting momentum right now is insane. Logan Thomas, Cody Ledford, Marlon Brown, and a slew of many others have Tennessee on, or near, the top of their lists. Our new staff is really doing well on the trail, and from different quotes, it sounds like the new staff shares a vision on what players they want - something the old staff didn't necessarily have.

Great weekend for the Vols, no doubt.

WWP.DD? or Philip Jurick Commits to UT

Rivals has confirmed that 6'10" center Philip Jurick out of Chattanooga has committed to Tennessee for the 2008 class. According to Rivals, his rebounding is already outstanding, which is something Tennessee has drastically needed under Bruce Pearl. His shooting and post moves need work, but he has a year before he even arrives in Knoxville, so he should improve.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa

Can we hook Philip up with some Proactiv or something? Yowza! No offense to the kid, but they have products out there that can help you with that. Just ask P. Diddy.

Tyler Smith Headed to Tennessee

On Friday, the Tennessean confirmed that Hawkeye star Tyler Smith, from Giles County, Tennessee, was granted a release from Iowa. Here are some excerpts from that Tennessean article:

"Former Giles County High star Tyler Smith has been granted a release from Iowa and plans to transfer, possibly to Tennessee.

Iowa athletic department officials issued a statement today saying that Smith was transferring to be closer to his father, Billy, who’s battling cancer.

Tyler Smith, a 6-7 forward, has told several people close to him that he has a strong interest in Tennessee and hopes to win a hardship appeal from the NCAA that would allow him to play right away next season without having to sit out a year. The institution that Smith transfers to would have to file that appeal."

"Smith was a third-team, All-Big Ten selection last season for the Hawkeyes. He started 29 of 31 games, leading the team in rebounding (4.9) and steals (45) while ranking second in scoring (14.9) and assists (111). He also was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team and will have three years of eligibility remaining."

Tyler Smith was originally recruited by former Volunteer coach Buzz Peterson, but when Bruce Pearl was hired, the recruitment fell through. Coach Pearl asked Tyler and his father, Billy, for a meeting, and then he would release Tyler from his LOI. However, Billy Smith would not allow the meeting to happen, so Tyler had to sit out a year before starting his career at Iowa this past season.

Is there a risk in all of this? Absolutely, but let's look at it logically. Tyler Smith's father is seriously ill right now with cancer, and Tyler Smith has had two years of maturity under his belt. Coach Pearl has never been one to put his team in a bad place just to land a good player. From what I can tell, Coach Pearl and Tyler Smith are both dedicated to making this happen, and on the court, Tyler Smith will take Tennessee to the next level.

Before I go further, let me explain that most reports are coming out that Smith was granted a release and that Smith wants to come to Tennessee. From my sources, Coach Pearl will accept Smith into the program, and the only hurdle will be the medical hardship, which Smith will win. So, what am I saying? I'm saying Tyler Smith will be a Tennessee Volunteer in 2007.

Imagine the possibilities on the court. Of course, recruit Brian Williams, senior Jordan Howell, Josh Tabb, and J.P. Prince are going to have to work very, very hard to find quality minutes. Look at the potential depth:

1 - Ramar Smith
2 - Chris Lofton
3 - Jujuan Smith
4 - Tyler Smith
5 - Wayne Chism
Bench - Duke Crews
Bench - Ryan Childress
Bench - Cameron Tatum
Bench - Josh Tabb
Bench - J.P. Prince
Bench - Jordan Howell
Bench - Brian Williams

I know Coach Pearl wants to go 10 deep, but 11 or 12 deep? Is that even possible? I'll have to ask him how he plans on making 12 guys happy. One thing is for sure: Tyler Smith will start and he'll have a huge impact. He averaged 14.9 points per game, and if you look a little deeper, it wasn't just against the weaker opponents. Against NCAA tournament teams and SEC teams, Smith averaged 14 points. Combine that output with Tennessee's high octane offense, and Tennessee could lead the nation in scoring. A Final Four is a legitimate goal for this team. To wrap this up, here's a short video of exactly what Tyler Smith will bring to Rocky Top:

Tennessee Signee Ineligible

As of this writing, Tennessee's JUCO signee, S Nevin McKenzie from Athens Valley Trinity Community College in Texas, has been ruled ineligible due to a recruiting violation during an official visit. Here are some details from govolsxtra.com:

"The recruiting violation involved food and lodging for the recruit's sister Jan. 10-12, according to UT's report, which was obtained through an open-record's request by the News Sentinel. UT became aware of the violation when the SEC notified the school that it had received a report regarding impermissible expenses.

UT reported that it covered those travel expenses for McKenzie's sister, Keisha, because assistant coach Trooper Taylor thought she was the recruit's legal guardian.

In UT's defense, it wrote that McKenzie's sister told Taylor she had acted as Nevin's legal guardian for the past few years when his mother was in prison. She said she had listed her brother as a dependent on her federal tax returns, the report stated. However, when asked if she had been appointed as his legal guardian by a court or state agency, she said she had not, according to UT's report.

UT stated that McKenzie's sister will be required to pay the $188.17 for two nights lodging and three meals to a charity of her choice."

McKenzie is expected to battle for a starting position at safety, and a lot of diehards already have him pencilled in as a starter. He hits people like a mack truck, has perfect size (6'2", 210) and can blaze (4.4 speed).

It sounds like he will be reinstated when his sister pays the $188.17 to charity, so I'm not too terribly worried about McKenzie staying ineligible. If this does end up going the wrong route, then Jarod Parrish (who had 4 scrimmage interceptions this spring) would become the favorite to be the starter on September 1st in Berkeley.

"Yo! Please let dis boy play, son! I'm the next Deon Grant, hustla!"

To Hold You Over ...

While I continue to work on my next big entry, "The 2007 SEC East is a Five Horse Race," I will leave you with a video of Tennessee's latest verbal commitment, running back Lennon Creer out of Tatum, TX.

He looks like a player, which sounds dumb, but you can just tell ...

This kid could very well be everything you ever want in a back. He's 6'1", and anywhere from 190-202 pounds, depending on whether you trust Scout or Rivals. He is reported on Rivals to run a 4.47 40 yard dash, and a 4.5 on Scout. His running style reminds me of Marshawn Lynch out of Cal. Both run a little too upright, allowing more abuse on every run. Creer breaks tackles, has great vision, especially when he needs to cutback. His speed could be "suspect" but he seems fast enough in his highlights. I think he might push for carries in 2007, and if Montatio Hardesty doesn't mature as we all expect, Creer could be #2. Sadly, the carries for Arian Foster could end up at zero. Creer should be the thunder to LaMarcus Coker's lightning. I haven't been this excited about a stable of UT running backs since Lewis/Henry/Stephens.