This could be a huge break for new coach Jeremy Pruitt.
The Tennessee Volunteers recruited well under Butch Jones. His first class, typically the worst for a coach, ranked 25th. His final, which many looked at as being signed by a lame-duck coach, was 17th.
But in between, he signed classes ranked seventh, fourth, and 14th. That is really good.
Developing the talent, hiring coaches, managing egos, etc. were a struggle for Jones. The job was too big for him.
Enter Jeremy Pruitt.
Pruitt signed a top-20 class in his first try, struggling to assemble a class in a few short weeks, like almost all new coaches hired under the new framework of the Early Signing Period.
I have no idea if the former Alabama defensive coordinator will fare any better than Jones on the field. He’s far less proven as a head coach. But I do know that he is a dynamic recruiter. And he made a smart director of player personnel hire in Drew Hughes, from Florida. While those don’t speak to program management, they are encouraging signs that Tennessee’s recruiting will get back to a high level.
And Pruitt will have a major advantage in compiling his first full class, the class which typically goes a long way in making or breaking a coaching tenure: right now, the state of Tennessee is much more talented than it normally is.
4- and 5-star recruits in Tennessee, by class
- 2009: 6
- 2010: 5
- 2011: 3
- 2012: 7
- 2013: 9
- 2014: 7
- 2015: 10
- 2016: 8
- 2017: 9
- 2018: 11
- 2019: 18
Early recruiting rankings are inherently suspect, released prematurely for the purpose of fan interest and selling subscriptions. Luckily, they are fairly dynamic as the rating services gain more information about the players. So know that this could change. But already, there are more four- and five-star recruits in the state than there were in any of the last 10 years, according to the 247Sports Composite.
In the 10 classes from 2009 to 2018, there were a total of 75 such recruits, an average of 7.5 per class in the state. This year, it looks safe to say the state is twice as talented as it normally is. That is a huge stroke of luck for a first-year coach.
To be sure, Pruitt and Co. still have to go out and land those players.
Tennessee is an odd-shaped state, and Knoxville is six hours away from the talented city of Memphis. But only four of the 18 players ranked as elite are from Memphis, with most from closer cities like Nashville, Murfreesboro, and Chattanooga.
If Tennessee is going to get back to contending for the SEC East, it is going to need to do extremely well in its own state, since recruiting in the former fertile areas the Vols used 20 years ago is now tougher.
That’s to say nothing of how Tennessee used to be able to raid North and South Carolina when NC State, UNC, Clemson, and South Carolina were all down, but now has to fight legitimate battles for at least some players from Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greenville.
But it can’t sustain solely on Tennessee. The Vols have to own Tennessee and cherry pick some battles in the Southeast and California. Catching up to the Death Star being built in Athens is going to be really tough because Georgia is now way out in front of the division in terms of recruiting.
-Georgia has signed more four- and five-star recruits in the last two years (42) than Florida and Tennessee combined (36).
-Georgia has signed more four- and five-star recruits in the last two classes (42) than Florida (37) or Tennessee (39) on their own has in the last four years.
For Pruitt to get Tennessee back in contention, it starts in state.