For the last two days, AP and I have been on the road in Nashville and Memphis, seeing top Tennessee targets, potential new names to watch and getting an on-the-ground feel for where a couple other in-state guys currently stand with their recruitments.
We’ll have a slew of stories and videos to coming over the next week but here’s a rapid rundown of notes from our stops…
For months, Vols lagged a bit in the recruitment of in-state offensive tackle Chris Morris, but Tennessee has surged a bit of late and are right back in the mix now. We spent a long time with the Memphis offensive lineman. His three favorite coaches are Jeremy Pruitt, Jimbo Fisher and Chad Morris. Morris is still trying to build a better bond with Will Friend. Importantly, the 4-star lineman will be back in Knoxville on next weekend (May 4) for the first time since January. While FSU and Arkansas are factors, this is currently a three-team race between Texas A&M (where he really likes the OL coach but isn’t crazy about the facilities or S&C coordinator), Alabama (was his dream school when he first started playing football four years ago but doesn’t have the same relationship with Nick Saban as other HCs) and Tennessee. Morris wants to make a summer decision with UT definitely getting an official visit. Also, he wants to (and will) camp at Tennessee over the summer. Notably, he will not be at Freedom Prep Academy for senior season. We’ll see Morris a lot over the next month, at both the Regional Opening and 5-Star Challenge.
Despite the rankings, Dickson defensive lineman Trevonn Rybka is one of Tennessee’s top targets, especially as an in-state guy. Rybka is all of 275 pounds. He doesn’t play on a good team but he’s an excitable, confident kid. He ran track — the 100-meters — this year and held his own in many of the races. Rybka lives with his grandparents, both big UT fans. Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss and Kentucky are all involved here, too, but Tennessee seems like the team to beat right now.
While in Nashville, we stopped by Ensworth to see 2020 safety Keshawn Lawrence. After not visiting Tennessee for a while, Lawrence made a pair of visits in three weeks to Rocky Top, including attending the Orange & White Game. Lawrence has quickly built a bond with new DC Derrick Ansley. He likes the idea of playing close to home, too, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s tight with other UT priorities like Tyler Baron and Cooper Mays. South Carolina, with T-Rob, is coming on hard of late and LSU and Miami are pushing as well. Lawrence hopes to come to a decision sometime in the next month or so.
Big Omari Thomas hasn’t been to Tennessee since last October but the 4-star lineman plans on returning to Knoxville in June. The Briarcrest Christian product knows he’s a wanted man by Pruitt. Ansley, who hit Memphis hard last week, stopped by to see him and reiterated that message. He’s looking for a place with a “family feel” and hears from Jeremy Banks and Eric Gray about UT. It’s not a secret that Thomas wants to play d-tackle in college, but his coach believes he could be a Day 1 NFL Draft pick as an offensive tackle. Thomas will visit Texas A&M this coming weekend, along with his teammate and best friend Jabari Small. We’ve had several updates on Small in the last few months. He’s a big fan of David Johnson and plans to camp with Tennessee this summer. The 5-11, 195-pound tailback is starting to pickup serious interest from Michigan, where he visited two weeks ago. Ole Miss, where his dad played, and Arkansas and others are also factors with both Small and Thomas. Of note, the duo REALLY wants to play together in college, and that’s something fairly new, per their coach. We’ll see what that means for Tennessee, since Thomas is a BIG priority and Small is one of several RBs on the board.
Memphis Central wideout Darrin Turner decommitted from LSU a month ago and has yet to visit Tennessee. That will change this summer, as the 6-3, 215-pound wideout will take an OV with the Vols at an undecided date. Turner played mostly quarterback the last two seasons at Central, so he’s excited to showcase his skills as a true receiver during his senior season. It will be interesting to see what that does to his stock as a prospect after a so-so junior year. Turner has the frame to add more weight and admits tight end could be a landing spot in the future. He wants to OV at several big schools (including a couple he doesn’t have offers from in UGA and Oregon). Memphis is currently the school on him the hardest.
We stopped by White Haven to see the two inside linebackers as well as 2019 signee Melvin McBride and 2020 hoops shooting guard Matthew Murrell.
Bryson Eason is up to 250 pounds but is totally healthy after playing much of his junior year with an ankle issue. Martavius French is now 6-3, 240 pounds. They pair are adamant they’re a packing deal (have played together since 6th grade, which rules out Tennessee, which wasn’t pushing much now anyways. They have maintained steady contact with David Johnson and Eason, the one UT has a bit more eyes on, did mention the idea of coming to camp with the Vols. Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Arkansas the likeliest destinations as of now.
McBride is in good health and weighs 315 currently. He graduates in three weeks and will then enroll at UT. The future OG says he’s been diligent using Craig Fitzgerald’s weight regimen and has focused on maintaining a better diet of late, too.
As for Murrell, he’s clearly blowing up. Already a Top 100 prospect, Murrell, a smooth stroking 2-guard who compared his game to Bradley Beal, has hosted Bruce Pearl, Kermit Davis, Penny Hardaway and Mike White (and UF’s entire staff today). Rick Barnes will see him Tuesday.
Finally, 2020 Cain Ridge defensive lineman Michael Reese picked up a UT offer recently. His dad is the former coach at Tennessee State. He’s a thick defensive end (6-3, 260) with offers from Vandy, Wake Forest, Arkansas and Duke. He’s a camp kid who will visit in June.
Tomorrow, we’ll have some notes and insight on some prospects in the 2021 and 2022 classes.
We’ll have a slew of stories and videos to coming over the next week but here’s a rapid rundown of notes from our stops…
For months, Vols lagged a bit in the recruitment of in-state offensive tackle Chris Morris, but Tennessee has surged a bit of late and are right back in the mix now. We spent a long time with the Memphis offensive lineman. His three favorite coaches are Jeremy Pruitt, Jimbo Fisher and Chad Morris. Morris is still trying to build a better bond with Will Friend. Importantly, the 4-star lineman will be back in Knoxville on next weekend (May 4) for the first time since January. While FSU and Arkansas are factors, this is currently a three-team race between Texas A&M (where he really likes the OL coach but isn’t crazy about the facilities or S&C coordinator), Alabama (was his dream school when he first started playing football four years ago but doesn’t have the same relationship with Nick Saban as other HCs) and Tennessee. Morris wants to make a summer decision with UT definitely getting an official visit. Also, he wants to (and will) camp at Tennessee over the summer. Notably, he will not be at Freedom Prep Academy for senior season. We’ll see Morris a lot over the next month, at both the Regional Opening and 5-Star Challenge.
Despite the rankings, Dickson defensive lineman Trevonn Rybka is one of Tennessee’s top targets, especially as an in-state guy. Rybka is all of 275 pounds. He doesn’t play on a good team but he’s an excitable, confident kid. He ran track — the 100-meters — this year and held his own in many of the races. Rybka lives with his grandparents, both big UT fans. Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss and Kentucky are all involved here, too, but Tennessee seems like the team to beat right now.
While in Nashville, we stopped by Ensworth to see 2020 safety Keshawn Lawrence. After not visiting Tennessee for a while, Lawrence made a pair of visits in three weeks to Rocky Top, including attending the Orange & White Game. Lawrence has quickly built a bond with new DC Derrick Ansley. He likes the idea of playing close to home, too, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s tight with other UT priorities like Tyler Baron and Cooper Mays. South Carolina, with T-Rob, is coming on hard of late and LSU and Miami are pushing as well. Lawrence hopes to come to a decision sometime in the next month or so.
Big Omari Thomas hasn’t been to Tennessee since last October but the 4-star lineman plans on returning to Knoxville in June. The Briarcrest Christian product knows he’s a wanted man by Pruitt. Ansley, who hit Memphis hard last week, stopped by to see him and reiterated that message. He’s looking for a place with a “family feel” and hears from Jeremy Banks and Eric Gray about UT. It’s not a secret that Thomas wants to play d-tackle in college, but his coach believes he could be a Day 1 NFL Draft pick as an offensive tackle. Thomas will visit Texas A&M this coming weekend, along with his teammate and best friend Jabari Small. We’ve had several updates on Small in the last few months. He’s a big fan of David Johnson and plans to camp with Tennessee this summer. The 5-11, 195-pound tailback is starting to pickup serious interest from Michigan, where he visited two weeks ago. Ole Miss, where his dad played, and Arkansas and others are also factors with both Small and Thomas. Of note, the duo REALLY wants to play together in college, and that’s something fairly new, per their coach. We’ll see what that means for Tennessee, since Thomas is a BIG priority and Small is one of several RBs on the board.
Memphis Central wideout Darrin Turner decommitted from LSU a month ago and has yet to visit Tennessee. That will change this summer, as the 6-3, 215-pound wideout will take an OV with the Vols at an undecided date. Turner played mostly quarterback the last two seasons at Central, so he’s excited to showcase his skills as a true receiver during his senior season. It will be interesting to see what that does to his stock as a prospect after a so-so junior year. Turner has the frame to add more weight and admits tight end could be a landing spot in the future. He wants to OV at several big schools (including a couple he doesn’t have offers from in UGA and Oregon). Memphis is currently the school on him the hardest.
We stopped by White Haven to see the two inside linebackers as well as 2019 signee Melvin McBride and 2020 hoops shooting guard Matthew Murrell.
Bryson Eason is up to 250 pounds but is totally healthy after playing much of his junior year with an ankle issue. Martavius French is now 6-3, 240 pounds. They pair are adamant they’re a packing deal (have played together since 6th grade, which rules out Tennessee, which wasn’t pushing much now anyways. They have maintained steady contact with David Johnson and Eason, the one UT has a bit more eyes on, did mention the idea of coming to camp with the Vols. Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Arkansas the likeliest destinations as of now.
McBride is in good health and weighs 315 currently. He graduates in three weeks and will then enroll at UT. The future OG says he’s been diligent using Craig Fitzgerald’s weight regimen and has focused on maintaining a better diet of late, too.
As for Murrell, he’s clearly blowing up. Already a Top 100 prospect, Murrell, a smooth stroking 2-guard who compared his game to Bradley Beal, has hosted Bruce Pearl, Kermit Davis, Penny Hardaway and Mike White (and UF’s entire staff today). Rick Barnes will see him Tuesday.
Finally, 2020 Cain Ridge defensive lineman Michael Reese picked up a UT offer recently. His dad is the former coach at Tennessee State. He’s a thick defensive end (6-3, 260) with offers from Vandy, Wake Forest, Arkansas and Duke. He’s a camp kid who will visit in June.
Tomorrow, we’ll have some notes and insight on some prospects in the 2021 and 2022 classes.
Last edited:
