Tennessee Vols Recruiting Breakdown - Part 1
Greetings, my fellow Vol fanatics!
After a long hiatus, Checkerboard Chatter is back and rolling, as we are only 37 days away before it is officially Football Time in Tennessee! But if you can’t already smell it in the air, folks, then you probably have really bad allergies, a deviated septum, I don’t know, something wrong with your schnoz. That glorious smell my friends… is the smell of the recruiting trail being set ablaze all across the nation. While you can take the majority of these 18 year olds’ verbal commitments in the month of June or July with a grain of salt, it’s still great exposure and great momentum for a program. With that being said, the Vols have 15 commitments thus far for 2013. We will take a look at the first 8 commitments in part 1 of this recruiting breakdown.
Jason Carr, DE
White Station High School
Memphis, TN
Rivals: 4-star
Scout: 3-star
ESPN: 3-star
247: 3-star
Jason Carr is a good-looking prospect. Plain and simple. The senior strong-side DE has offers from Cincinnati, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, and Nebraska. Many other schools are in talks with him, such as Oregon and Alabama.
In his junior year, Carr led Shelby County in sacks with 16 and had 68 tackles. He has good size at 6’5’’, 255lbs., and with the help of a collegiate strength and conditioning program, could, in my opinion, potentially develop into a quick DT. He has a great burst of speed off the ball, but can sometimes lose discipline in his gaps. Nonetheless, with a good coaching staff I believe Carr could really develop into a very productive SEC defensive lineman.
Kameron Miles, Safety
West Mesquite High School
Mesquite, Texas
Rivals: 4-star
Scout: 4-star
ESPN: 4-star
247: 4-star
After a strong DB recruiting season in 2011, the Vols seem to be at it again. After watching film on Miles, one word comes to mind: RAW. Man, this kid is athletic. And honestly, for a coach that is a dream. Being athletic with great intangibles is something you cannot teach. All the other stuff… jams, schemes, coverage… that stuff is teachable. Unless you’re Matt Milton. So much raw talent, yet so little between the ears… but I digress. Miles committed on May 21st, and currently has offers from Arizona St., Arkansas, Ole Miss, Oklahoma St., Penn St., Stanford, TCU, Vandy and West Virginia among others. His strengths include his natural instincts, size, and most importantly to me… his tackling ability. As a safety in the SEC, and honestly, in any conference in the FBS, you must be able to make tackles in the open field. One of his weaknesses thus far, however, is his ability to burst out of his breaks. Another vital component of being a safety in the SEC is being able to come out of your breaks and make a play on the ball. This is something he will have to improve on to be an elite safety in this league. My advice: mirror former Alabama safety, Mark Barron. Easier said than done, I know. Nonetheless, this is a great pickup for the Vols.
Camion Patrick, WR
Lenoir City High School
Lenoir City, Tennessee
Rivals: 3-star
Scout: 4-star
ESPN: 4-star
247: 4-star
While the Vols’ added depth last class at WR with the addition of Patterson, Croom, Bowles and Pig, it never hurts to pickup another talented wideout. Patrick is 6’3’’ 200lbs and shows the potential, key word there, to be a solid SEC receiver. As a junior, Patrick had 41 receptions for 774 yards and five touchdowns. He added 49 rushes for 441 yards and 4 touchdowns. As a sophomore, Patrick was All District after reeling in 19 receptions for 322 yards and two touchdowns. He added 121 rushes for 923 yards and nine touchdowns. He currently has offers from Alabama, Arkansas and Ole Miss, and is garnering a lot of attention from schools such as Nebraska, LSU and Florida. While he is still currently committed to the Vols, his commitment is anything but solid, as he has expressed great interest in both the Tide and the Razorbacks. This is a kid that I can see being a coin toss come NSD.
Ben Bradley, DT
Hutchinson C.C.
Hutchinson, Kansas
Rivals: 4-star
Scout: No JUCO Rank
ESPN: No JUCO Rank
247: 3-star
Over the last year, one thing has become apparent in regards to Volunteer recruiting… they are starting a pipeline to Hutchinson Community College.
After landing Patterson on NSD, the coaches have reeled in two more Blue Dragons thus far in this year’s recruiting class. It’s common knowledge that there is stiff competition for talented DT’s in this league. However, often times there are diamonds in the rough at the JUCO level that get overlooked. This could be the case in this situation with Ben Bradley. Bradley is 6’3” 315lbs and has a pretty good motor on him for his size. He played Nose Tackle this past season (a position relevant for the Vols who are switching to the 3-4 this season), and he posted 39 tackles, 5.5 TFL and one sack. If all goes according to planned, Bradley should have at least 2 years to play following the 2012 season. While he committed to the Vols on 6/15/12, he also is holding offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Boise St., Georgia, TCU, Texas A&M and West Virginia among others. You might remember a guy from a couple of years ago that made a big splash (pun intended) in the SEC in his first year, who was a JUCO… Mr. Nick Fairley. Let’s hope Bradley can have a similar impact for the Vols.
Austin Sanders, OL
Bradley Central
Cleveland, Tennessee
Rivals: 4-star
Scout: 3-star
ESPN: 4-star
247: 3-star
This season the Volunteers have the most experience and talent on the OL that they have had in years. However, when that’s the case that generally means it’s almost time to restock the “big boy cupboards.” Sanders was the Vols’ first commitment of the 2013 class, and has remained solid from that point on. He is a 6’5’’ 300 lb OT and has a love for the Vols you wish every commit could have. Sanders strength lies in exactly that… his strength. He is an excellent run blocker, something the Vols greatly lacked in 2011. Generally, as a youngster it is easier to pass block than run block after making the transition into college ball. It’s more difficult to get off the ball and drive older, more experienced linemen backwards than it is to pass block. Sanders hand strength, size and athleticism give him the potential to be an excellent lineman in the SEC. Not to mention, he should only get stronger after McKeefery gets a hold of him in the strength & conditioning program. I am really excited to see this kid progress.
Corey Vereen, OLB
West Orange High School
Winter Garden, Florida
Rivals: 3-star
Scout: 3-star
ESPN: 4-star
247: 3-star
There’s not many positions that I like seeing on the commitment board more than LB. I’m not really sure why… maybe it’s because of guys like Al Wilson, Leonard Little, Raynoch Thompson, and countless others that not only cracked skulls but also served as phenomenal leaders at Tennessee. Every kid that comes in at that position, I find myself hoping for the second coming of one of those guys. By no means am I saying Corey Vereen is Al Wilson, but I am still excited about this kid. He has nice size at 6’2’’ 220 lbs and good speed as well. He has the body to play that LB/DE hybrid coach Sal Sunseri loves so much, and he will bulk up even more as he gets older. The X-factor that Vereen possesses that many kids do not is that he is smart… He boasts an impressive 3.25 GPA and while that’s only high school, that is a great omen for his career in Knoxville. He currently has offers from Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida St., Minnesota and USF among others.
De’Vondre Campbell, LB
Hutchinson Community College
Hutchinson, Kansas
Rivals: 3-star
Scout: 3-star
ESPN: No JUCO Rank
247: 3-star
Did I mention we are starting a pipeline to Hutchinson Community College? Here is another kid from the elite JUCO that the coaches are very high on. Campbell is 6’5’’ 215 lbs and will more than likely bulk up to a hearty 240-245 after a year in the S&C program. While he does not have the hype surrounding him that his teammate Bradley (and certainly not CP) does, he has equally as much potential. Campbell looks to fit the “Jack” position that you will see Jacques Smith and Jordan Williams holding down this season. While he does not have an impressive offer list, I think we will see his stock continue to rise.
Riley Ferguson, QB
Matthews, NC
David W. Butler High School
Rivals: 3-star
Scout: 3-star
ESPN: 4-star
247: 3-star
Now here is the guy to keep your eye on. This kid is an absolute competitor. Ferguson is a 6’2’’ 190 lb pro-style quarterback that loves to show off his arm. While his size is not ideal and his decision-making is suspect at times, there is a reason he has offers from the likes of Alabama, Clemson, LSU and Michigan among others. I don’t know what it is… he just has this confidence and swagger about him that you see out of a player that has been in the league a few years. He expects to win, and we all know that is half the battle. Ferguson possesses excellent arm strength, good mobility, and great pocket awareness. The things he will have to improve on to be successful in the SEC is both his accuracy and his consistency. He makes a lot of passes you see on Sunday, but will also make several forced throws you wish he could have back. While he is currently just a 3-star, you can expect him to definitely pick up his 4th as his senior season progresses. In 2011 he passed for 3,343 yards and 53 TDs… not too shabby if I say so myself. Also, he just returned from the Elite 11 camp that Trent Dilfer coaches each summer, and while plagued with a thumb injury early in the camp, came away with an impressive showing. I can’t wait to see this kid come in and compete in 2013.
As I mentioned in the introduction, we here at Checkerboard Chatter are so excited to be back in the swing of things. It is going to be a special year on the Hill, and we look forward to bringing you the latest and greatest news each week on Tennessee football. Be sure to check back soon for part 2 of the Tennessee Vols Recruiting Update.
