Wednesday, February 01, 2006
UT National Signing Day - Post 2
So, what recruits are pivotal to UT's success today?
First and foremost, UT must hang on to Michael Goggans, the #9 TE in the nation. I visited with Goggans at one of the UT games this year, and he definitely passes the eyeball test. Goggans has been a soft UT commitment since early September, but he flirted heavily with his two in-state schools - Alabama and Auburn - over the past few months. On Monday, it appeared that Fulmer and Recruiting Coordinator Greg Adkins had beat back the Alabama schools, as reports surfaced that Goggans had called Alabama and Auburn to let them know that he was going to sign with UT today. However, something happened on Tuesday and now the momentum is in the favor of Auburn. Goggans signs early in the day, so we should know this morning how things are going for the Vols.
Michael Goggans
Second, UT needs to steal two highly-prized LBs from Stone Mountain, Georgia. I say "steal" because it had appeared for the longest time that Perry Riley and Kelvin Sheppard were headed to LSU. Both committed to LSU in October, but that commitment has looked shakier by the day. Trooper Taylor has made major in-roads with Riley and Sheppard, and it would surprise no one if the "Storm Trooper" hits paydirt again today.
Third, UT needs to get the commitment of Aleric Mullins, a DT out of Wendell, North Carolina. Tennessee was thought to be the leader for Mullins after his January 13th visit to Knoxville, but North Carolina talked Mullins into a visit this past weekend. Mullins has been incommunicado ever since, so Tennessee fans are rightfully worried that Mullins might be a Tar Heel when all is said and done.
Fourth, safety Greg "Hollywood" Davis needs to pick UT over West Virginia. Davis has been one of the most quiet recruits, partly because he hails from Blue Ridge, Virginia. Coach Fulmer has a history of having "silent commitments," where the recruit basically goes "dark" for several days before Signing Day as to reduce pressure to sign elsewhere. Tennessee was the last school to secure a visit from Davis. Could Davis be a "silent commitment" to Tennessee? We'll know later today.
Finally, Tennessee needs to hold on to its current commitments, especially OL Cody Pope. Pope received an offer from Southern Cal just a few days ago, and it would show considerable restraint on his part not to commit to a school in his native California. Pope sounded all Vol just a few days ago, but it is important for Fulmer not to lose any of the recruits who had verbally committed to Tennessee.
Tennessee has the room in this class to take all of these players. The size of this class is completely dependent now on how many of these young men want to wear the orange and white.
More to come...
First and foremost, UT must hang on to Michael Goggans, the #9 TE in the nation. I visited with Goggans at one of the UT games this year, and he definitely passes the eyeball test. Goggans has been a soft UT commitment since early September, but he flirted heavily with his two in-state schools - Alabama and Auburn - over the past few months. On Monday, it appeared that Fulmer and Recruiting Coordinator Greg Adkins had beat back the Alabama schools, as reports surfaced that Goggans had called Alabama and Auburn to let them know that he was going to sign with UT today. However, something happened on Tuesday and now the momentum is in the favor of Auburn. Goggans signs early in the day, so we should know this morning how things are going for the Vols.
Michael Goggans
Second, UT needs to steal two highly-prized LBs from Stone Mountain, Georgia. I say "steal" because it had appeared for the longest time that Perry Riley and Kelvin Sheppard were headed to LSU. Both committed to LSU in October, but that commitment has looked shakier by the day. Trooper Taylor has made major in-roads with Riley and Sheppard, and it would surprise no one if the "Storm Trooper" hits paydirt again today.
Third, UT needs to get the commitment of Aleric Mullins, a DT out of Wendell, North Carolina. Tennessee was thought to be the leader for Mullins after his January 13th visit to Knoxville, but North Carolina talked Mullins into a visit this past weekend. Mullins has been incommunicado ever since, so Tennessee fans are rightfully worried that Mullins might be a Tar Heel when all is said and done.
Fourth, safety Greg "Hollywood" Davis needs to pick UT over West Virginia. Davis has been one of the most quiet recruits, partly because he hails from Blue Ridge, Virginia. Coach Fulmer has a history of having "silent commitments," where the recruit basically goes "dark" for several days before Signing Day as to reduce pressure to sign elsewhere. Tennessee was the last school to secure a visit from Davis. Could Davis be a "silent commitment" to Tennessee? We'll know later today.
Finally, Tennessee needs to hold on to its current commitments, especially OL Cody Pope. Pope received an offer from Southern Cal just a few days ago, and it would show considerable restraint on his part not to commit to a school in his native California. Pope sounded all Vol just a few days ago, but it is important for Fulmer not to lose any of the recruits who had verbally committed to Tennessee.
Tennessee has the room in this class to take all of these players. The size of this class is completely dependent now on how many of these young men want to wear the orange and white.
More to come...
Permalink posted by Rob Huddleston @ 5:26 AM 
