Rivals.com college football recruiting editor Jeremy Crabtree lists the Tennessee Vols and Memphis Tigers as two teams that are among the most surprising in the race to land the nation’s best high school football players.
With National Signing Day less than 24 hours away, there are a number of the nation’s most highly recruited prep prospects that have yet to announce their college decision.
Crabtree noted that the Volunteers were thought to be left for dead when former coach Lane Kiffin bolted Knoxville to take over at Southern California.
In the eyes of Crabtree, the Vols have done quite well in their recruiting efforts under new coach Derek Dooley. He believes the Volunteers have reeled in an elite class and that “the job they’ve done is nothing short of amazing.”
Rivals currently lists Tennessee as the 7th best recruiting class in the nation, and the Vols are hoping Wednesday will bring even more good news when several prospects announce their decisions.
Crabtree had high praise for Memphis as well, saying the job new coach Larry Porter was doing helped make the Tigers relevant on the national recruiting stage.
Porter was able to draw the attention of Lache Seastrunk, one the nation’s top running backs, and quarterback Barry Brunetti, a Memphis native that has long been a West Virginia commitment.
Crabtree lauded Porter and his coaching staff for their ability to evaluate talented prospects, citing the Tigers scholarship offer to defensive tackle Brandon Ivory, the first FBS program to do so.
Ivory rescinded his verbal commitment to Memphis after he received an offer from BCS national champion Alabama, but the fact Porter was able to identify a diamond in the rough was impressive.
Rivals has twice honored Porter as the National Recruiter of the Year while he served as an assistant on Les Miles’ LSU staff.
Crabtree also listed five schools that were among the most disappointing during the 2010 recruiting season. To see the most surprising and the most disappointing, visit Rivals.com.
