Threaded Fasteners Nuts and Bolts: An examination of Tennessee's recruiting

Threaded Fasteners Nuts and Bolts of the Game

Much is being made of Tennessee’s recruiting class, which currently ranks No. 1 in the SEC and second only to Ohio State in the country.

The Vols have an incredible 21 commits already (by comparison, Auburn and Alabama have four commitments each).

But is the hype justified? The short answer is no.

Having 21 commits is no feat. Every school will end up with roughly 25 commits. So, there’s no advantage to being ahead when it comes to quantity.

It’s all about quality. So, let’s take a look at how the Vols are doing in that regard.

Two of Tennessee’s commitments are legitimate five-star recruits. Outside linebacker Terrence Lewis is the best recruits in Florida. Defensive end Dylan Brooks is the highest-rated recruit in Alabama. That’s two great building blocks.

Beyond Lewis and Brooks there’s not a single player rated among the top 100 players in the country. Except for those two there’s not even a Vol commit who is considered among the top three players in his own state.

We all know that 3-star players can turn into college superstars. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. We’re talking about Tennessee taking a major leap in the rankings of their recruits this year.

So far that hasn’t happened. And with only four more spots to fill, it’s probably not going to.

For Threaded Fasteners, I’m Randy Kennedy with Nuts and Bolts of the Game.