Tennessee Volunteers’ football head coach Butch Jones currently has 22 commitments in the 2015 recruiting class. These 22 recruits comprise what is becoming yet another top 10 recruiting class for Butch Jones as the class is littered with highly-touted prospects.
Two five-star prospects and seven four-star prospects have committed to the Vols for 2015 according to 247Sports, and more could be on the way in coming months.
Some of UT’s commitments are poised for big seasons, and some could climb even further up the recruiting rankings. Here are five Tennessee commitments to watch during their senior seasons of high school.
1. Kahlil McKenzie – The nation’s No. 1 defensive tackle and consensus top 10 overall recruit is yet another legacy commitment for the Vols, and his senior year at De La Salle High School will be one to watch.
As a junior, McKenzie totaled 74 tackles, 18 tackles for a loss and 12 sacks and those numbers only figure to improve this season.
McKenzie drew praise from scouts for his performance at this summer’s Nike event “The Opening,” a summer camp full of the nation’s top prospects.
The six-foot-four, 341-pounder is one of the highest rated defensive tackles the Vols have landed in recent history, and he will be one to watch this fall.
2. Quinten Dormady – Tennessee’s lone true quarterback commitment for 2015 holds immense potential.
Dormady is already rated as a four-star prospect by many services, but an injury to his throwing shoulder required surgery in the summer prior to his junior year of high school, causing him to miss the entire season. If not for that, many analysts believe he would be one of the top QB’s in the nation.
Heading into his senior season, Dormady is back and has more confidence than ever.
ESPN’s National Recruiting Director Tom Luginbill has pegged Dormady as a potential breakout player in 2014, and he has said Dormady might be “the steal of the 2015 class” for the Vols.
3. Preston Williams – The other five-star commitment for Tennessee in 2015, Williams seems to be a perfect fit for Jones’ style of offense.
Williams possesses elite size (six-foot-four and 191 pounds), good speed and great football intelligence.
Williams is one of the top 25 overall prospects in almost every recruiting service, and he could move up even further by improving on his 59 catches for 1,388 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior.
4. Jauan Jennings – One of the most intriguing athletes in the Vols’ current 2015 class is Jauan Jennings of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Jennings played both quarterback and defensive back as a junior, and scouting services are split as to which he should play in college.
Jennings, a four-star prospect, recently announced he will not play basketball this season despite winning Class AAA Tournament MVP last season for Blackman High School. Jennings also runs track for Blackman.
Clearly, Jennings is a talented athlete, and the Vols plan to give him a shot at QB once he is on campus.
Jennings plans to improve as a quarterback, and he will spend this upcoming season primarily as a signal caller. His progression will be worth watching.
5. Cecil Cherry – The Vols will be looking to replace All-SEC middle linebacker A.J. Johnson after the 2014 season, and they may have found his successor in Cecil Cherry.
A four-star inside linebacker, Cherry is another bulky tackling machine that heads up the middle of the defense like Johnson.
In just nine games as a junior, Cherry totaled 96 tackles, five tackles for a loss, two sacks and two interceptions.
Cherry was also invited to Nike’s “The Opening,” and he has drawn praise from scouts everywhere.
247Sports Director of Scouting Barton Simmons, labeled Cherry as one of “the best of the best” at his position following his performance at “The Opening,” and his stock is only rising heading into his senior season.
