War Room: Wrapping up Cincinnati, a big week in hoops, recruiting and more
We begin this edition of the War Room as we always do. The War Room is a collective effort of Tennessee notes and news gathered throughout the week by the Volquest staff. And now, it’s on with the news.
With spring practice in the books, the attention for the players is on the classroom and the weight room. Of course the transfer portal window remains open through the rest of the month.
It’s a bit surprising to date that no one has entered the portal. We still expect there to be some movement there before the window closes. And that movement might not just be guys leaving. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel indicated the addition of an offensive lineman through the portal would make some sense for his program.
“I don’t know if there’s just one or two positions (we’re looking at). I think we need to continue to add maturity at the offensive line position in particular,” Heupel said.
As for spring practice, it was clearly a more competitive spring than it has been the last couple of years and there’s no question that this staff has been impressed with the maturity and the play of the newcomers. One guy who wasn’t discussed much but had a good spring and will definitely be a part of the rotation this fall on the defensive front is Arizona State transfer Omarr Norman-Lott. Another guy up front who showed more consistency this spring, which was his challenge, is Bryson Eason.
Both Lott and Eason got plenty of reps. DJ Terry missed most of spring as he’s been dealing with a family situation in Mississippi. That’s something we will keep an eye on over the summer.
Amari McNeil is another guy to watch this summer. McNeil flashed some this spring. Like Elijah Simmons, can he put something together consistently? If Rodney Garner can get consistency out of some guys that defensive front could take a nice step forward this fall.
It’s an important summer, as it is for every team each year. It will be interesting to hear about the progression of guys at receiver. Bru McCoy is out of his elbow brace and is back to work. Caleb Webb had a nice spring game. What does that do for his confidence moving forward? Chas Nimrod seemed to close spring practice with some momentum as well.
Josh Heupel confirmed at the Big Orange Caravan Thursday night that Ethan Davis has a broken collarbone and will be out several weeks.
Tennessee will spend the weekend together as the Vols, staff, staff families are scheduled to spend the day at Dollywood on Saturday.
On the NFL Draft front, Byron Young will watch things with his family at Pawleys Island in South Carolina. Jalin Hyatt and Darnell Wright will watch with their families in Knoxville. Hendon Hooker will be with his family in Greensboro, North Carolina and Cedric Tillman will be with his family in Las Vegas.
Of course one of the major stories of the week has been Tennessee’s appearance in Cincinnati for the NCAA hearing.
Tennessee is obviously hoping for minimal penalties, like some recruiting restrictions, loss of a few scholarships and a fine. Tennessee has already self-imposed some scholarship restrictions and recruiting restrictions. As we have noted for a year, Tennessee would absolutely fight a post-season ban and we haven’t felt like things were going in that direction in terms of punishment and it hasn’t felt that way in Cincinnati either.
Tennessee contested the failure to monitor charge which is a level one violation. It doesn’t feel like that charge will get dismissed but could it get reduced? Ultimately, Tennessee is trying to get the penalties for that charge minimized.
As a lobby spectator to the hearing, seeing Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman work is pretty impressive. She is clearly a relationship person and works a room well. During breaks she didn’t just go to the separate meeting room Tennessee had. She had casual conversations with NCAA people, Greg Sankey, lawyers, etc. She’s presents herself very well and like everyone else Thursday night when the hearing concluded she was elated to head home.
As we noted, there was a zoom element that was used. There were multiple TV’s set up in the meeting room so that the committee on infractions, enforcement committee, Tennessee and their lawyers, Pruitt and his lawyers could all see them face to face as the room was set up in a square with each of the four groups having a side.
From a procedure stand point, all the questions come from the committee on infractions only. So Tennessee’s lawyers weren’t asking any questions to Jeremy Pruitt and vice versa.
On Wednesday, it felt like there was very much a feeling out process in what turned out to be a long day. Thursday was again a long day but there was a more relaxed feeling. Was that confidence from what happened on day one? Was that simply from understanding how the procedure works? That’s up for debate but Tennessee, while serious, seemed to be more comfortable with things. It was very clear that everyone involved was happy that they worked through discussing all the violations on Thursday and finished a day early.
It was definitely an educational experience to see how the process works. Now the wait begins for a ruling which is expected sometime in the next 6-10 weeks.
Recruiting
Tennessee continues to add to the 2024 class little by little as Edrees Farooq committed last Sunday afternoon. So where does that put Tennessee with Ify Obidegwu? The Vols are definitely high on his list with Oregon being the main competition based on people we have spoken to.
So who might be next? Several schools are pushing Jeremias Heard to slow his process down and allow them to evaluate him this spring and summer, but it feels more and more like he wants to push toward a decision that could come at any time so that he can focus on improving his craft going into his second year of football. Tennessee continues to pace the way here as he feels a strong sense of loyalty to the staff because of their early belief in him.
Tennessee continues to be trendy with some really high end targets. It’s our belief that Tennessee has the momentum for Williams Nwaneri after his most recent trip to Knoxville. He and the staff have a lot of good vibes around them and they have pulled even and may have even moved past Oklahoma at this point.
It’s important to point out that his coach is a former Sooner player who played with Josh Heupel but we don’t believe that is influencing his decision. His coach is a good reference for one school and a great resource to back up the genuine person that Heupel showcases with recruits on a daily basis. Expect Garner to be out to see him when the coaches get out for spring evaluations next week.
Tennessee continues to be in a good spot for tight end Jaden Reddell, regardless of the recent crystal ball to Georgia. Now the Dawgs are definitely the competition for Reddell but he and his family love the feel of Knoxville and the Tennessee staff as a whole. He will visit Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee all unofficially and officially each between now and the end of June.
Staying in the “Show me state’, Tennessee is still in a good spot with Ryan Wingo. He has shaken off the crystal balls thrown his way this week. He will officially visit Georgia in June as that’s his only one set for now. He knows he will officially visit Tennessee but he wants to wait until the season to do that as he doesn’t plan on making a decision until the fall or maybe even December.
Tennessee has some solid options at running back. Peyton Lewis and the Vols continue to seem like a good match. He will officially visit South Carolina and Tennessee in June if he makes it that long. We believe the Vols have the momentum in this one.
Tennessee also really impressed Mater Dei tailback Nathaniel Frazier. Frazier has the ‘Who’s who?’ of teams chasing the top running back in the country by On3. Even though nothing is set up, we believe Tennessee has done enough to earn an official visit.
Another running back that will officially visit in June is Braylen Russell. This one feels like the Vols and Arkansas with the Hogs making a strong push because they don’t want to lose one of the best in the state. He will likely know players committed to the home state Hawgs so that will be another factor in our opinion.
Tennessee made a big push for Kamarion Franklin last weekend as he got multiple days with Rodney Garner and the staff and players. Expect Garner to be in to see him when the coaches get out for spring evaluations next week.
Tennessee continues to sit in a solid spot with mid-state offensive lineman Ronan O’Connell. While he continues to work toward a decision, he maintains that he wants to see Tennessee, Clemson and Wisconsin on official visits in June before announcing a decision, most likely in July. The Tigers have work to do in this one after offering earlier this month, but he does plan to at least give them a look.
It was important for Tennessee to get JJ Harrell back to campus this past weekend. Harrell hadn’t experienced a game day environment at Tennessee, and he enjoyed what he saw on that front even with the stadium only roughly half full. He paid close attention to Nico Iamaleava, who is a big reason Harrell has such a strong belief in Tennessee’s future success and was impressed with what he saw. Other schools haven’t quit here, but Harrell is not entertaining the potential of any other visits at this. He has set an official for Tennessee in June and plans to return for multiple unofficials in the fall.
Tennessee had two four-star offensive linemen on campus last weekend in Grant Brix and Ethan Calloway. Both are quiet kids that are working through the process at their own pace. Coming in it felt like Tennessee needed to make a solid impression with both, and the Vols did that. Now, it will be about getting them back to campus for an official visit later in the summer. Neither player has locked in an official with any school at this point, but it is safe to say Tennessee has more of their attention now.
Baseball
Tennessee needs to rattle off some wins here in the back half of the SEC schedule in order to keep from having to go on a long run in Hoover to make postseason play. A series-victory over No. 4 Vanderbilt would help be a start. The Vols need some good fortune in the worst way as Tennessee is on a current four-game losing streak for the first time since 2016 and have dropped three-straight series.
As we know, the Vols will go with the same rotation this weekend of Andrew Lindsey, Chase Dollander and Drew Beam – the question now is, will Tennessee have its middle infielders? Maui Ahuna missed the last two games in Fayetteville and did not play on Tuesday with a lingering back issue and Christian Moore missed Tuesday’s game with a foot injury. He was in shorts and in a walking boot inside the dugout.
Ahuna was extremely limited in practice on Wednesday but was a lot more involved on Thursday. Moore didn’t participate in on the field work in practice this week and might have gotten some cage work at most. Despite this, Tony Vitello seems optimistic about their chances of playing this weekend.
“I think so. I think you’re at the time of year where no one is 100 percent, but then how far depleted do you get,” the skipper said when asked if they would be ready. “It’s hard to grade out that percentage, but neither one of those guys will be sniffing that area. They’re both very competitive. I think with the rest of the team, they’ll do whatever they can to contribute this weekend and so, we’ll figure that out tomorrow, but I like the odds of them doing something for us.”
Vitello was then asked for further information on Moore’s injury.
“Some sort of foot injury where putting weight on that or pressure is kind of sensitive right now, so better to have it in a boot and relieve that so you’re not compounding the situation. Then eventually you’re going to have to play with some pain if you’re going to play.”
Tennessee needs them both in the lineup and in the middle infield. If one is out, look for Jake Kendro to get some work. Logan Chambers could be an option, but his left-handed bat in the order won’t help this weekend with the flurry of southpaws coming to town for Vanderbilt. Austen Jaslove is also an option if needed.
Vanderbilt’s announced starters for this weekend are LHP Carter Holton (4-0, 3.46 ERA), TBA and LHP Devin Futrell (6-1, 2.35 ERA). Fellow southpaw Hunter Owen (3-0, 3.33 ERA) is the regular Saturday starter but was skipped last week due to arm fatigue. If he doesn’t make it back in the rotation, RHP Bryce Cunningham (1-1, 3.86 ERA) will get the ball as he’s made spot starts each of the past two weekends.
We’ll see how Vitello decided to combat those lefties as Tennessee is a power left-handed hitting lineup. Griffin Merritt and Cal Stark will likely make appearances in the lineup at some point.
Hoops
It’s been a pretty solid week for Rick Barnes and his staff. The Vols pulled two players out of the transfer portal and biggest of all, learned that they’re getting Santiago Vescovi back for another year.
First off, getting Chris Ledlum’s commitment was obviously a big win for Tennessee on Wednesday night. The Vols had assistant coach Rod Clark to see the former Harvard big man in Boston on March 24, the day after the loss to Florida Atlantic in the Sweet 16, got him on campus for an official visit last weekend and then had the entire staff back in Boston on Wednesday to see Ledlum again.
Ledlum committed directly to Rick Barnes — we’re told Barnes has been extremely hands-on and active in the process of recruiting portal prospects during this cycle — after the staff had dinner with him in Boston Wednesday.
Indiana was widely considered the favorite to get Ledlum, but the Hoosiers hadn’t visited Ledlum in Boston since before his official visit to Indiana and, in the end, Tennessee’s persistence and full-court press paid off.
Ledlum left the official visit at Tennessee on Saturday evening talking to Tennessee coaches about the May mini-semester at Tennessee and when he would need to return to Knoxville should he pick the Vols. Those conversations left the Tennessee coaching staff encouraged, even with Ledlum leaving Knoxville and starting his official visit with St. John’s, the hometown school, on Sunday. Ultimately it was Tennessee’s staff going back to Boston on Wednesday that helped get the deal over the line.
Ledlum last season averaged 18.8 points and 8.5 rebounds in 28 games at Harvard. He averaged 16.7 points and 9.3 rebounds during a breakout sophomore season in 2021-22 and averaged 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds over three total seasons there.
Now all eyes turn to Northern Colorado’s Dalton Knecht. It’s a Tennessee-Oregon battle after Knecht shut down his recruitment following his official visit with the Vols and we believe he could announce his decision (much) sooner rather than later.
We’re told Knecht left his official visit more than impressed with the crowd of 58,000-plus at the Orange & White Game on Saturday at Neyland Stadium and definitely noticed how Tennessee’s basketball players were treated by fans while at the stadium and around campus.
The staff was encouraged coming out of a Zoom meeting with Knecht on April 11 and were even more encouraged when they were able to get him to campus for an official visit three days later. So Tennessee is definitely a major player for Knecht as his recruitment nears an end.
Beating Oregon for Knecht would be another huge portal win for the Vols. It would give Tennessee a 6-foot-6, 200-pound wing who can score at all levels — he averaged 20.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 35.3 minutes per game in 32 games, shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from the 3-point line — and would give the Vols added (and much needed) guard skills in the backcourt. Knecht was 5-foot-8 as a sophomore in high school and grew up playing point guard. He grew to 6-foot-1 by the time he graduated, was 6-foot-3 in junior college then grew to 6-foot-6 at Northern Colorado.
We’ve heard conflicting things all week long regarding Tennessee’s chances with Knecht, but on Thursday evening it seemed like people around the Vols’ program were optimistic about their chances. We’ll find out pretty soon if those sentiments were warranted.
Landing Jordan Gainey wasn’t exactly dramatic. It was pretty much assumed he would land in Knoxville with his father once he decided to enter the portal. That doesn’t mean it couldn’t be significant though.
After watching Tyreke Key struggle to produce at this level (and James Daniel before that) after putting up big numbers at Indiana St. we’re going to take a ‘wait and see’ approach with mid-major guards, but there’s no doubt that Gainey can shoot the basketball. That’s a skill that this team needs and it’s hard to do better than a guy who shot nearly 50% (74-of-150) from behind the arc as a freshman.
Gainey certainly needs to add weight and strength, but he’s well aware of the challenge in front of him in that regard.
The Vols are still waiting to hear what Josiah-Jordan James and Julian Phillips are going to do. We are not picking up many vibes that suggest to us that the staff expects either back. The coaches certainly aren’t recruiting like they expect them back.
Lastly on the team front Tennessee will take an international trip this summer to Europe. The Vols will hit France and northern Italy (Lake Coumo area) to play a series of exhibition games. This will be the first time the Vols have hit the road for a trip in the summer since 2017 when they went to Spain and France.
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