Don’t look now but Jeremy Pruitt is building something special at Tennessee

Tennessee football had a stellar week on the recruiting trail, getting commitments from three elite recruits. Jeremy Pruitt is building something special.

Spring is a time of hope and optimism. It’s especially true this year and any sign of good news should be celebrated because times are tough and there’s a lot of bad news overwhelming the good.

In the case of Tennessee football, that’s been true for the better part of the last decade. The bad has outweighed the good. There have been fleeting moments where it looked like the Vols were headed in the right direction only to be derailed.

But this time, it feels different.

Jeremy Pruitt is building something special in Knoxville.

Yes, I know Tennessee football fans have been told this before.

Whether it was Derek Dooley or Butch Jones, the big orange Kool-Aid was slurped down like Tennessee whiskey, but they overpromised and underdelivered.

They were able to bring in high-profile recruits, and while some would hit, many didn’t due to an inability to develop talent (Kahlil McKenzie), an inability to recognize talent (Alvin Kamara) and a general inability to, um, coach.

There will be Vols fans who are hesitant to completely buy-in until the Vols beat Florida and Georgia and are back in the SEC Championship Game. They haven’t been since 2007. They haven’t won since 1998 when they were national champions. And I understand that hesitancy. You’ve been burned before and are only protecting yourself from being hurt again.

I’m not predicting the Vols to win the SEC East this year, but it’s time to be excited again.

The Vols had the best week of any college football team when they landed their three highest-ranked recruits of the class.

Tennessee secured the verbal commitment of five-star recruit Dylan Brooks, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound weak-side defensive end that is the No. 1 player at his position and No. 1 recruit in the state of Alabama, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. Going into rival territory and getting the top recruit is the biggest win for Tennessee over Alabama this century. Brooks is the No. 18 overall recruit and began a wave of positive momentum for the Vols.

Two days after the commitment from Books, Tennessee landed a pledge from four-star receiver Julian Nixon, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound target who ranks as the No. 238 overall player in the nation.

Two days later, Tennessee got their highest-ranked recruit after five-star outside linebacker Terence Lewis gave his verbal to the Vols. He is the No. 10 overall recruit, No. 1 outside linebacker and the No. 2 recruit out of Florida.

https://twitter.com/Terrence21Lewis/status/1255938519907930113

This trio of moves vaulted the Vols to the nation’s No. 3 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. trailing Ohio State and North Carolina. The Vols join Ohio State as the only programs with more than one commitment from a five-star recruit.

There is a long way to go before the recruits sign their letter of intent and are Tennessee football players. But it’s also a long time for Pruitt and his coaching staff to assemble more blue-chip recruits to join the rebuild at Tennessee.

With these recruits already committed, this will lead to more top recruits wanting to join what’s taking shape in Knoxville. Why join someone else’s dynasty at Alabama, Ohio State or Clemson when you can be a part of starting something new from the ground floor? That’s part of the sales pitch that Pruitt and his recruiters are selling on the recruiting trail.

So far it’s working.

More work needs to be done.

After starting the season with humbling losses to Georgia State and BYU and starting at a 2-5 record in October, the Vols rebounded with five straight wins to close the regular season. They then had a comeback victory in the Gator Bowl to beat Indiana, 23-22 and enter the offseason with momentum.

And that momentum has resulted in great success on the recruiting trail. The Vols have built a big lead early in the second quarter. It’s up to them to maintain their lead, keep the opponents at bay, and add to that lead.

Unlike with Dooley and Jones, I have confidence Pruitt can execute this game plan and continue building something special at Tennessee.

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