CFB Saturdays – What’s New in a Few – 5-11-20
At CFB Saturdays we take a look at some of the latest headlines in College Football. Our goal is to keep College Football Fans up to date on recent happenings from around the nation and some quick analysis. (Note: all recruiting rankings are based upon the 247sports composite).
Tennessee on a Recruiting Tear
With in-person contact limited due to COVID-19, prospects are somewhat surprisingly committing at a faster rate than last cycle . Since about the beginning of this month, Tennessee is leading the way.
The Vols added two more commitments from four star players on Sunday. The first came from athletic four star LB Aaron Willis of Baltimore and later that evening four star QB Kaidon Slater also announced his commitment. On Saturday four star DT KaTron Evans also announced his decision to join the Vols.
Tennessee’s class now has nine four star or better commitments, two of whom are five stars in LB Terrence Lewis and DE Dylan Brooks. The class has 21 total commitments and the limited spots left could make prospects on the fence pull the trigger to preserve their spot.
Jeremy Pruitt is doing an excellent job of improving the talent on the roster. In 2020 he signed 13 four star or better prospects and added former 5 star OT Cade Mays from Georgia through the transfer portal.
If Pruitt keeps stacking quality classes the Vols will have a roster that can compete in the SEC very quickly. The other piece of the puzzle is changing the culture. The head man has not been shy about the continued need to establish a winning culture, a task that is easier to identify than accomplish.
Still, the recruiting efforts are impressive and the Vols look to be one step closer to the relevance the fan base hungers for. With each new commitment they take another step forward.
USC Rebounding on the Recruiting Trail
USC picked up a commitment from ATH Julien Simon a four star out of the state of Washington. Simon’s commitment marks the first for the Trojans in the Pacific Northwest this cycle, a region that funnels a ton of talent to the Pac-12.
After signing an unheralded class in 2020 (only two four stars) largely due to the Administration’s botching of the Clay Helton coaching situation, this is a positive sign for the program.
The class currently has 11 total commitments and 8 four star players. With Kedon Slovis going into his sophomore year, and two talented pass catchers in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tyler Vaughn, the team could continue the momentum into the season.
As College Football fans are well aware, results on the field are essential for sustainable recruiting. USC fans maybe cautious, but there is reason for optimism with the returning Slovis and the positive recruiting trend. Maybe, just maybe, everyone has written off Clay Helton too soon.
TCU lands Zachary Evans
After what was one of the craziest recruitments in recent memory, Zachary Evans has reportedly enrolled at TCU. Evans was the #2 RB in the class of 2020 and is a major talent for the Horned Frogs.
However, concerns about maturity and off the field issues led to many suitors declining to pursue him. Evans was sent home before the state championship game by his coach for reportedly not handing over his phone. To his credit, Evans apologized on ESPN’s coverage of the Under Armour All American Game.
There were still a handful of prominent suitors. Tennessee, Ole Miss, Florida, LSU, Auburn, and Texas A&M were all involved or linked to the recruitment but Gary Patterson ultimately won out.
Assuming that the off-field incidents are behind him, Evans should be an impact player for TCU. The commitment gives the recruiting class a big boost and gives the offense a potential building block for the future.
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Tennessee Flag Image by Joel Kramer is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
