Tennessee Vols aren't forgetting about local talent
The Tennessee Vols, under the guidance of head coach Jeremy Pruitt, are searching the country far and wide for elite talent. Since arriving in Knoxville in late 2017, Pruitt has targeted numerous players from the west coast. And he's offered a plethora of recruits from Alabama. But that doesn't mean the Vols are forgetting about […]
The Tennessee Vols, under the guidance of head coach Jeremy Pruitt, are searching the country far and wide for elite talent.
Since arriving in Knoxville in late 2017, Pruitt has targeted numerous players from the west coast. And he's offered a plethora of recruits from Alabama.
But that doesn't mean the Vols are forgetting about their own backyard. Tennessee is still very focused on the talent in East Tennessee.
Tyler Baron, a 2020 four-star defensive end from Knoxville, revealed on Tuesday that Tennessee is among his top schools.
Baron, who moved from Knoxville to Nashville to play football at Knoxville Catholic, is rated by 247Sports as the No. 5 player in the state of Tennessee and the No. 6 strong side defensive end in the nation.
Tennessee is considered the school to beat for Baron, mostly because his father, Patrick Abernathy, is an off-the-field assistant at UT. Baron, however, recently told Rivals that he's trying to find the "right school" and that his dad's status as an employee at Tennessee won't affect his decision.
Baron isn't the only local product that Pruitt and his staff are trying to lock down.
2021 athlete Elijah Howard, who attends Webb School of Knoxville, is also receiving plenty of love from the Vols.
Howard told Rivals recently that Tennessee, the first school to extend an offer, is after him "hard". He added that UT is recruiting him to play their star/nickel position. Pruitt and the Vols love the speed that Howard would provide on Rocky Top.
Cooper Mays, the brother of Georgia offensive lineman Cade Mays, is another local product that Tennessee is making sure to recruit hard. The Vols have already built a quality relationship with the three-star offensive lineman from Knoxville. At this point, it would be a surprise if he signed somewhere other than UT.
Overall, I think Pruitt and his staff are doing a good job of balancing the national recruiting scene and the local recruiting scene. It's going to take a healthy mix of in-state players and out-of-state players (specifically from Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina) for the Vols to compete in the SEC East.
Tennessee has lost far too many talented players from their own backyard in recent years (Cade Mays, Amari Rodgers, Tee Higgins). That's a trend that has to stop for Tennessee to return to being a fixture in the top 25.
Fortunately for the Vols, it appears that Pruitt is doing all he can to keep elite talent from leaving East Tennessee.
Featured image via Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
