The VolQuest crew spent Friday night under the lights and rain at Wheeler High School in Marietta for the Atlanta Rivals 3Stripe Camp.
The event is always among the most star-studded of any of the regional camps, but the unusual start time and bad weather deterred some top prospects from attending. Still, lots of Tennessee targets and a couple commits participated.
Here’s a some intel and observations from the event…
Tennessee quarterback commit Harrison Bailey was one of the headliners on hand Friday, and we posted an update on the Marietta quarterback earlier today. Despite ill conditions, Bailey spun the ball well and has really reshaped his body since the last time we saw him workout live. Bailey has a number of priority targets he’s actively recruiting, including naming 5-star wideout Rakim Jarrett, former LSU wideout commit Kris Draine, who just called UT his leader, 4-star offensive tackle Tate Ratledge, 4-star defensive end Tyler Baron, 3-star center Cooper Mays and Blue Devils teammates 5-star tight end Arik Gilbert and 4-star outside linebacker BJ Ojulari. Following a strong showing Friday, Bailey earned an invite to the Rivals 5-star Challenge.
And yet, UT’s 2020 commit was not the most impressive quarterback at the camp Friday. While Bailey and LSU commit Max Johnson, a smooth southpaw, were good, 2021 quarterback Brock Vandagriff was particularly sharp and was the only sophomore to earn an invite to the 5-star Challenge. Vanagriff has a super compact motion and strong arm strength. We’ll have a full update but Tennessee is right in the mix for one of the top prospects in the 2021 class. The kid loves Oklahoma and Lincoln Riley, but distance is a real deterrent there. UGA, where he’ll visit Saturday, Florida and Auburn are all heavily in the mix, too.
Tennessee’s newest commit Jimmy Calloway participated in the camp and the Morrow (Ga.) standout was smooth as a wideout. He was solid in 1-on-1s and earned several “nice route” from position coach Santonio Holmes. Calloway likes Tee Martin quite a bit but defense could still be an option for him with the Vols.
Tailback commit Ebony Jackson was signed up to attend the camp but did not show. Overall, the running back group was a bit disappointing because so many big names didn’t make it in. Top Tennessee target Tank Bigsby, who was in town for the Orange & White Game last weekend, was nursing an injury and didn’t come, while fellow targets (albeit lower on the board) Deondre Jackson and Ja’Quavious Marks, who is likely to end up at FSU or Mississippi State, both had prom. One new tailback name to watch for the future though is 2021 tailback Amaad Foston. He visited Knoxville recently and the Vols may be on the verge of offering soon.
We caught up with Arkansas wideout commit Ze’Vian Capers, who visited UT for its second spring scrimmage. The Denmark (Ga.) playmaker is all of 6-3, 200 pounds and can really move (vertically and laterally) at that size. Right now, I’d be stunned if Capers stuck with the Razorbacks. Tennessee probably has the current edge in flipping the Peach State playmaker but South Carolina, Georgia Tech and Clemson are all involved here, too. A couple other wideouts we hoped to see tonight (Auburn commit Kobe Hudson, who visited for the O&W Game, Robert Lewis, who tripped to Tennessee twice in the spring, and Alabama commit Dazalin Worsham, who was injured, didn’t make it to the camp.
Catching up with top tight end target Arik Gilbert, Tennessee is in the mix here but the Vols do seem to trail Georgia and Alabama, with Oklahoma and Clemson factors, too. He hears from Bailey everyday about coming to Tennessee, but right now, his best relationships appear to be with other staffs. He does like Brian Niedermeyer and plans to see UT again. He will announce a college decision this summer before his senior season.
Conversely, Tennessee is currently in the best position for Marietta outside linebacker BJ Ojulari. The 4-star has tripped to Knoxville at least 4-5 times since Jeremy Pruitt took over the program. He really likes Chris Rumph and Kevin Sherrer and has started to build a relationship with Derrick Ansley, too. He no longer will make a summer decision, but UT sits in a nice spot. Ojulari, who earned DL MVP honors at the camp after dominating 1-on-1s, plans to take all five official visits in the fall and then sign with a school and enroll early.
One prospect who will likely blow up after Friday’s camp is Central (Ala.) offensive tackle Javion Cohen, who earned MVP honors. He’s a bit undersized at around 270 pounds, but the 6-4 lineman can really move. He stoned 5-star end Myles Murphy on consecutive reps to start 1-on-1 drills. Murphy got his revenge later in the setting, but Cohen showcased his potential. Auburn and Georgia Tech offered Cohen on Friday. Tennessee had already extended a scholarship, but look for the Vols to becoming bigger players here for the Alabama native and former South Carolina commit.
Another kid who impressed was linebacker Wesley Steiner. We mentioned the Houston County (Ga.) product in the War Room and he earned the linebacker MVP award and an invite to the 5-star Challenge. Steiner is a different cat, but at 6-foot, 220-pounds, he’d be a good fit in Tennessee’s 3-4 scheme. Kevin Sherrer likes him a lot. He recently visited Stanford and Auburn, LSU and Kentucky are in the mix.
I caught up with fellow inside linebacker Tyson Meiguez. The Creekside (Ga.) product visited Tennessee back in February. He said he wants to get back up to Knoxville soon, but we’ll see if that happens, as Meiguez seems likely to close in on a decision. He named the Vols among his top schools, but Georgia Tech and Duke are currently recruiting him harder. Similarly, defensive end JaQuari Wigglies, who visited in April, likes Tennessee and Auburn a lot but the the Mays pass rusher is likely to end up at Georgia Tech.
One blue-chip prospect who hopes to visit Tennessee soon is former Auburn commit Andy Boykin. The 2020 defensive tackle is still interested in the Tigers after attending their spring game, but he really wants to come checkout Tennessee. He named the Vols among his top schools, along with Alabama and AU.
Finally, a bunch of 2021s interested in Tennessee participated in the event. Vandagriff is an early top target, while Chief Borders is another name to keep an eye on. The McEachern outside linebacker visited Tennessee last month, and the 6-3, 215-pound pass rusher already holds an offer from the Vols, along with Clemson, Alabama, Auburn and South Carolina. He really likes Derrick Ansley. Borders is a super confident kid, but he’s a quick outside edge rusher with a 4.0 GPA to boot.
The event is always among the most star-studded of any of the regional camps, but the unusual start time and bad weather deterred some top prospects from attending. Still, lots of Tennessee targets and a couple commits participated.
Here’s a some intel and observations from the event…
Tennessee quarterback commit Harrison Bailey was one of the headliners on hand Friday, and we posted an update on the Marietta quarterback earlier today. Despite ill conditions, Bailey spun the ball well and has really reshaped his body since the last time we saw him workout live. Bailey has a number of priority targets he’s actively recruiting, including naming 5-star wideout Rakim Jarrett, former LSU wideout commit Kris Draine, who just called UT his leader, 4-star offensive tackle Tate Ratledge, 4-star defensive end Tyler Baron, 3-star center Cooper Mays and Blue Devils teammates 5-star tight end Arik Gilbert and 4-star outside linebacker BJ Ojulari. Following a strong showing Friday, Bailey earned an invite to the Rivals 5-star Challenge.
And yet, UT’s 2020 commit was not the most impressive quarterback at the camp Friday. While Bailey and LSU commit Max Johnson, a smooth southpaw, were good, 2021 quarterback Brock Vandagriff was particularly sharp and was the only sophomore to earn an invite to the 5-star Challenge. Vanagriff has a super compact motion and strong arm strength. We’ll have a full update but Tennessee is right in the mix for one of the top prospects in the 2021 class. The kid loves Oklahoma and Lincoln Riley, but distance is a real deterrent there. UGA, where he’ll visit Saturday, Florida and Auburn are all heavily in the mix, too.
Tennessee’s newest commit Jimmy Calloway participated in the camp and the Morrow (Ga.) standout was smooth as a wideout. He was solid in 1-on-1s and earned several “nice route” from position coach Santonio Holmes. Calloway likes Tee Martin quite a bit but defense could still be an option for him with the Vols.
Tailback commit Ebony Jackson was signed up to attend the camp but did not show. Overall, the running back group was a bit disappointing because so many big names didn’t make it in. Top Tennessee target Tank Bigsby, who was in town for the Orange & White Game last weekend, was nursing an injury and didn’t come, while fellow targets (albeit lower on the board) Deondre Jackson and Ja’Quavious Marks, who is likely to end up at FSU or Mississippi State, both had prom. One new tailback name to watch for the future though is 2021 tailback Amaad Foston. He visited Knoxville recently and the Vols may be on the verge of offering soon.
We caught up with Arkansas wideout commit Ze’Vian Capers, who visited UT for its second spring scrimmage. The Denmark (Ga.) playmaker is all of 6-3, 200 pounds and can really move (vertically and laterally) at that size. Right now, I’d be stunned if Capers stuck with the Razorbacks. Tennessee probably has the current edge in flipping the Peach State playmaker but South Carolina, Georgia Tech and Clemson are all involved here, too. A couple other wideouts we hoped to see tonight (Auburn commit Kobe Hudson, who visited for the O&W Game, Robert Lewis, who tripped to Tennessee twice in the spring, and Alabama commit Dazalin Worsham, who was injured, didn’t make it to the camp.
Catching up with top tight end target Arik Gilbert, Tennessee is in the mix here but the Vols do seem to trail Georgia and Alabama, with Oklahoma and Clemson factors, too. He hears from Bailey everyday about coming to Tennessee, but right now, his best relationships appear to be with other staffs. He does like Brian Niedermeyer and plans to see UT again. He will announce a college decision this summer before his senior season.
Conversely, Tennessee is currently in the best position for Marietta outside linebacker BJ Ojulari. The 4-star has tripped to Knoxville at least 4-5 times since Jeremy Pruitt took over the program. He really likes Chris Rumph and Kevin Sherrer and has started to build a relationship with Derrick Ansley, too. He no longer will make a summer decision, but UT sits in a nice spot. Ojulari, who earned DL MVP honors at the camp after dominating 1-on-1s, plans to take all five official visits in the fall and then sign with a school and enroll early.
One prospect who will likely blow up after Friday’s camp is Central (Ala.) offensive tackle Javion Cohen, who earned MVP honors. He’s a bit undersized at around 270 pounds, but the 6-4 lineman can really move. He stoned 5-star end Myles Murphy on consecutive reps to start 1-on-1 drills. Murphy got his revenge later in the setting, but Cohen showcased his potential. Auburn and Georgia Tech offered Cohen on Friday. Tennessee had already extended a scholarship, but look for the Vols to becoming bigger players here for the Alabama native and former South Carolina commit.
Another kid who impressed was linebacker Wesley Steiner. We mentioned the Houston County (Ga.) product in the War Room and he earned the linebacker MVP award and an invite to the 5-star Challenge. Steiner is a different cat, but at 6-foot, 220-pounds, he’d be a good fit in Tennessee’s 3-4 scheme. Kevin Sherrer likes him a lot. He recently visited Stanford and Auburn, LSU and Kentucky are in the mix.
I caught up with fellow inside linebacker Tyson Meiguez. The Creekside (Ga.) product visited Tennessee back in February. He said he wants to get back up to Knoxville soon, but we’ll see if that happens, as Meiguez seems likely to close in on a decision. He named the Vols among his top schools, but Georgia Tech and Duke are currently recruiting him harder. Similarly, defensive end JaQuari Wigglies, who visited in April, likes Tennessee and Auburn a lot but the the Mays pass rusher is likely to end up at Georgia Tech.
One blue-chip prospect who hopes to visit Tennessee soon is former Auburn commit Andy Boykin. The 2020 defensive tackle is still interested in the Tigers after attending their spring game, but he really wants to come checkout Tennessee. He named the Vols among his top schools, along with Alabama and AU.
Finally, a bunch of 2021s interested in Tennessee participated in the event. Vandagriff is an early top target, while Chief Borders is another name to keep an eye on. The McEachern outside linebacker visited Tennessee last month, and the 6-3, 215-pound pass rusher already holds an offer from the Vols, along with Clemson, Alabama, Auburn and South Carolina. He really likes Derrick Ansley. Borders is a super confident kid, but he’s a quick outside edge rusher with a 4.0 GPA to boot.
