Recruiting Roundup: Tennessee recruiting rolling

Lane Kiffin attracting elite talent to Knoxville; Skyline-Oaks Christian showcases stars at quarterback, wide receiver.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Stephen Spiewak
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Sep 15, 2009, 12:00am
With the latest additions of Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) defensive ends Brandon Willis and Corey Miller, Tennessee recruiting continues to make waves under head coach Lane Kiffin.

Willis made his commitment to Tennessee last night, according to Michael Srock, a member of the Rebels’ coaching staff. Miller also committed according to numerous reports. He previously committed to Florida State during the summer.

Tennessee’s recruiting efforts also paid dividends on Sunday when Central (Tulsa, Okla.) star Demarco Cobbs chose Tennessee during an appearance on KOTV in Oklahoma.

The weekend’s trio of commitments comes on the heels of Tennessee receiving pledges from Kingsburg (Calif.) quarterback Tyler Bray and North Miami (Fla.) receiver Ted Meline.

In Bray, the Vols hope to have found a quarterback that can distribute the ball to a the plethora of skill players they’ve been bringing in. The position had been a concern for Lane Kiffin’s staff after they had whiffed on a number of their previous targets.

Meline will likely be a target for him, along with Cobbs. Cobbs continues the nice pipeline that Tennessee has maintained with the state of Oklahoma. Currently on Tennessee has three Sooner State natives on its roster: Chase Nelson (Tulsa Union), Gerald Jones (Oklahoma City-Millwood), and David Oku (Midwest City-Carl Albert).

The significance of the commitment of Willis and Miller stretches beyond the impact they’ll have on the playing field. In the case of Willis, Tennessee landed a highly coveted recruit on the heels of a tough home loss to UCLA.
With Miller, Kiffin managed to convince him to switch his commitment after appearing solidly committed to the Seminoles.

This comes with Bryce Brown’s commitment and Nu’Keese Richardson’s surprise signing still in recent memory. It appears that Tennessee is recruiting at a level above almost everyone else right now, and no verbal commitment is safe.

One area of need for the Vols is offensive line, so watch for Tennessee to put a full-court press on some of its top targets now that they are teeming with talent on the defensive front. Jawuan James, who seems to have backed off his verbal to Alabama, could be the next domino to fall.

The Vols are certainly not limiting their efforts to the class of 2010, however. 2011 tight end Eric MacLain and 2011 defensive tackle Anthony Johnson have already given a verbal commitment to Tennessee.

In the case of Johnson, Tennessee went into Louisiana and stole a top recruit from LSU’s back yard, something Kiffin hopes to repeat with junior offensive lineman La’El Collins, who attends Redemptorist in Baton Rouge along with fellow Tennessee target Jeremy Hill.
Brandon Willis committed to Tennessee on Sunday.
Brandon Willis committed to Tennessee on Sunday.
Cecil Copeland


Kiffin is hoping to keep Trinity Christian (Jackson, Tenn.) standout Jabriel Washington from leaving state borders. Washington is a multi-talented athlete who will probably play defensive back at the next level. Ironically, Tennessee’s biggest competition here may come from Georgia, who undoubtedly would love to steal a defensive back from Tennessee after losing former Creekside (Fairburn, Ga.) star Eric Berry to the Vols in 2007.

Five games college scouts will be watching

Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) vs. Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.): While most fans will be watching the duel between Skyline quarterback Jake Heaps and Oaks Christian quarterback Nick Montana, college coaches will be paying close attention to the duo who will be on the receiving end of a majority of those passes: Skyline’s Kasen Williams and Oaks Christians’s Jordan Payton.

Williams is one of the top junior receivers in the country and has no clear favorite at this point. Payton, only a sophomore, has been one of the most impressive 2012 recruits early on, and cracked the MaxPreps Fresh Faces 2012 Top 100.

Memphis University (Memphis, Tenn.) vs. Olive Branch (Miss.): Not only is this a major interstate battle between two of the top teams in the Memphis area, but it’s a showcase of some of the country’s top recruits.

Memphis University quarterback Barry Brunetti, a West Virginia commit, has already led the Owls to a win against South Panola (Miss.) He hopes to keep Memphis University undefeated against an Olive Branch team that also has not lost year.

The Conquistadors are coming off a win against Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn.) and boast one of the biggest offensive lines in the country. The star on that line, tackle Damien Robinson, has yet to make a decision on his recruitment. He’s one of the top offensive lineman still on the board.

Mullen (Denver, Colo.) vs. Rockhurst (Kansas City, Mo.): Rockhurst bounced back from a loss against Hutchinson (Kan.) by defeating rival Blue Springs 17-3. The Hawklets host a Mullen squad that has a number of sought-after recruits, including linebackers Nduka Onyeali and Leilon Willingham, running back Adonis Ameen-Moore, and quarterback Jonny Miller.

So far, only Miller has made a decision, committing to Syracuse. Ameen-Moore and Willingham are both juniors, while Onyeali is weighing multiple offers.

Rockhurst features defensive back Dexter McDonald, who will follow former teammate Nathan Scheelhaase to Illinois. Teammate Dan Tapko, only a junior, has a very bright future at defensive end. Meanwhile, sophomore linebacker Michael Rose, who started last year as a freshman, could have the highest ceiling of them all. He’s already receiving interest from Illinois, Nebraska, and Oklahoma among others.

Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) vs. Pahokee (Fla.): Few teams in Southern Florida have the type of talent that Dwyer and Pahokee boast.

Dwyer features defensive back Matt Elam and tight end Gerald Christian, two of the top players at their respective positions. Nick O’Leary and Jacoby Brissett are two of Florida’s most impressive underclassmen.

Chris Dunkley and De’Joshua Johnson, two of Florida’s top wide outs, lead the way for Pahokee. Defensive tackle Richard Ash has drawn a great deal of interest and is currently sitting on a number of offers.

Dwyer is a contender in the 4A title race while Pahokee remains one of Florida’s top small-school programs.

Skyline (Dallas, Texas) vs. Plano East (Plano, Texas): The Skyline Raiders get noticed wherever they go, as their roster has as much talent as any team in the country.

After a stellar junior campaign, linebacker Corey Nelson is on the MaxPreps National Player of the Year Watch List. Receiver Michael Davis, already committed to LSU, caught 16 touchdowns and had nearly 1,200 receiving yards a year ago.

Junior linebacker Anthony Wallace is an emerging recruit to watch.

Plano East also has some gifted underclassmen. Jacob Brendel, a converted defensive end, is doing well on the offensive line. Colleges like his agile, 6-foot-5 frame. Cornerback Corey Bassett and 6-4 safety Dakota Smith are two sophomores who may develop into defensive back recruits.

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