Tennessee Vols are in a good position to land in-state UT legacy
When the Tennessee Vols missed on UT legacy Cade Mays in 2018, it was a major blow to Jeremy Pruitt's first recruiting class on Rocky Top. Of course, Mays' decision to sign with the Georgia Bulldogs over the Vols wasn't a huge surprise. Tennessee was in the middle of a huge transition and the program […]
When the Tennessee Vols missed on UT legacy Cade Mays in 2018, it was a major blow to Jeremy Pruitt's first recruiting class on Rocky Top.
Of course, Mays' decision to sign with the Georgia Bulldogs over the Vols wasn't a huge surprise. Tennessee was in the middle of a huge transition and the program was at its lowest point in school history. Georgia, on the other hand, was on its way to the College Football Playoff in Kirby Smart's second season at the helm.
But while it certainly hurt to lose the five-star offensive lineman to the Bulldogs, Tennessee has a good chance to land Cade's younger brother.
Cooper Mays, 6-foot-3/265 lbs, is a 2020 three-star offensive guard/center who attends Knoxville Catholic. He's rated by 247Sports as the No. 15 player in the state of Tennessee and the No. 5 center in the nation.
Mays, who has offers from Auburn, Georgia and Florida (among others) recently told VolQuest that Tennessee "definitely stands near the top" for him. He also mentioned that playing with his brother won't be a huge factor in his decision. The younger Mays wants to do what's best for him, which might mean playing for the Vols.
While Cooper isn't as highly rated as his older brother, I still think it's extremely important for the Vols to land him.
Tennessee absolutely has to land talented Vol legacies and in-state players. The Vols have let too many of these players slip away in recent years. Now that Pruitt is in charge, I think he'll make signing players like Cooper something that happens more often it doesn't. After all, had Pruitt been the coach at UT for a full year during Cade's recruitment, I fully believe he'd be wearing orange right now.
That's why when the early signing period rolls around next December, I think Cooper will be signing with Tennessee.
Featured image via 247Sports
