To paraphrase the late, great John Wayne, and when it comes to Tennessee on the football recruiting trail of late, this is gettin’ to be re-goshdarn-diculous.
To recap:
Last Sunday, five-star defensive end Dylan Brooks, the No. 1 player in the state of Alabama, committed to the Tennessee football program. A day later, four-star defensive back Kamar Wilcoxson did the same. The day after that, four-star wide receiver Julian Nixon did the same. Thursday, the nation’s top junior college running back, Tiyon Evans, followed suit. That same day, Tennessee landed its biggest football recruiting fish in five-star linebacker Terrence Lewis. Then, a week after Brooks’ commitment, they landed two more -- three-star defensive back De’Shawn Rucker and four-star running back Cody Brown.
On Twitter Monday afternoon, Colby Smith announced that he too is joining the burgeoning Tennessee football brigade.
And just like that we are done!! 100% #Committed #ONaMIS21ON #GBO pic.twitter.com/sFs1ftgcCK
— Colby Smith (@BiGShoW1212) May 4, 2020
The North Carolina prospect is a three-star prospect on the 247Sports.com composite.
Tennessee now has 18 commitments in its 2021 recruiting class. That’s one more than Ohio State’s 17 this cycle.
With the flurry of commitments, the Vols now have the No. 2 2021 class, behind only the top-ranked Buckeyes. They leapfrogged North Carolina to move into that No. 2 hole. They are roughly 67 points behind OSU, though, as the Buckeyes are putting together a historic class. Obviously, it’s also the top class in the SEC. Next up? Florida at No. 4, followed by Georgia at No. 16.
If you’re curious, Alabama is in the midst of pacing itself. With just three commits thus far this cycle, the Crimson Tide sits at No. 54. Right behind Rice. And right ahead of UTSA.