Byron Moore Announcement: What JUCO Recruit Means for Tennessee Football

By Ryan Wooden

Derek Dooley's first season in Knoxville was a trying one. The Vols had to scratch and claw just to muster up a 6-7 season that was capped off by a controversial loss in a second-tier bowl game to a North Carolina squad that was battered by injury and suspension.

If you were to look back through the history of the Tennessee football program, a season like the Vols had in 2010 isn't likely to stand out as anything but average.

Yet most Vol fans would be quick to point out that even making a bowl game with the deficiencies that the university had to deal with last season was actually beyond expectations.

It's hard to believe that a fanbase that can proudly claim six national championships would be happy with a six-win season, but with just 72 players on scholarship, reasonable Volunteer fans were exactly that...happy.

The clear lack of depth in 2010 made this recruiting class beyond pivotal and, in my opinion, this may wind up being the most important recruiting class the Vols have had in the last 10 years or more.

Tennessee Volunteers Football: 4-Star JUCO DB Izauea Lanier Commits to the Vols

By

Ryan Wooden

Late Monday night, Derek Dooley and the Tennessee coaching staff got some fantastic news in the form of a commitment from 4 star, JUCO defensive back Izauea Lanier.

A sophomore from East Mississippi Community College, Lanier was originally an Auburn commitment coming out of high school in Gordo, Alabama. Lanier failed to qualify and went the junior college route with hopes of returning to play for the Tigers, but earlier this year the Auburn coaching staff cut ties with Lanier and informed him he would have to play his college ball elsewhere.

Tennessee Volunteers Football: Who Should Be The Defensive MVP?

By Ryan Wooden (Contributor) on January 12, 2011



Nick Reveiz



This season has been a trying one, in the middle of a slew of trying seasons, for the Tennessee Volunteers football program.

A lot has been made of the Vols current situation, having gone through three coaching staffs in the past three years, but as they say on Broadway, "The show must go on."

One of the constant questions bantered about during Derek Dooley's very first spring and fall camps as Tennessee's head man was how would the Vols defense stand up to a severe lack of overall depth?

Dooley started addressing this problem by going out and poaching a rising young star in the coaching profession, former Boise State d-coordinator Justin Wilcox. Wilcox brought a multiple look defensive scheme with him to Knoxville, with hopes of masking some of the Vols deficiencies.

Marcus Jackson Commits to UT !



By Ryan Wooden (Contributor) on January 5, 2011



 

 

Marcus Jackson

Ask any coach across the country what the single most important factor towards being a successful head coach, and they will likely tell you that it is recruiting. It's not the only part, because after you recruit the talent you have to develop the players and of course game-plan towards the opponents' talents, but it all starts with recruiting.

Derek Dooley and the Vols would likely agree with that statement as they are now in year two of what looks to be a multi-year rebuilding period for the once proud Tennessee program.

Tonight Dooley and the Vols got one step closer to their goal of upgrading the level of talent for the University of Tennessee football program when they received a commitment from Under Armour All-American Marcus Jackson. Jackson committed live, on national television, while participating in the contest about an hour ago.

Tennessee Volunteers Football: 2011 Recruiting Big Board

By Ryan Wooden (Contributor) on December 25, 2010

                            

There isn't a reason to believe Tennessee has much of a shot with any of these guys, but stranger things have happened.

Ray Drew 4* GA DE:

This top-30 prospect nationally from Georgia has stated that Tennessee is in his top five, but there isn't much reason to believe that Tennessee has much of a shot here. He has been tough to get a read on and he says he loves UT defensive line coach Chuck Smith, but I would be surprised if he wound up in orange.

Lateek Townsend 4* SC LB:

Current UT commitment Pat Martin has been very actively recruiting Townsend on Tennessee's behalf but it doesn't look like Townsend is all that interested. It appears unlikely that he will leave the state of South Carolina and this one is shaping up to be a SC/Clemson battle, with SC holding the edge.

Timmy Jernigan 4* FL DT:

The Vols are doing everything they can to get Jernigan on campus next month, but that appears to be a chore in and of itself. His top three includes FSU, 'Bama and LSU and he hasn't made much mention of UT.