State's best awaiting Dooley's offer for 2011

By Dave Hooker
Published Saturday, February 6, 2010

Tennessee coach Derek Dooley said once he completed his coaching staff, he would finally be able to catch his breath.

Mission accomplished. Breathe. Now back to recruiting.

Dooley isn't done playing catch-up. As with any coaching change, there's a scramble to evaluate the next class soon after the first one is signed.

While Dooley was coaching at Louisiana Tech, higher-level programs were already trying to poach Tennessee for talent while the Vols went through their second coaching change in little more than a year.

There was reason to think they'd have success within Tennessee's borders. The former regime under Lane Kiffin never made in-state recruiting a priority. That staff was as comfortable in Atlanta, South Florida, Texas or California as Memphis or Maryville.

Dooley has said that will change under his watch. He has said in-state recruiting will be a priority during his tenure.

Here are some of the prospects Dooley will be evaluating in the coming weeks for the signing Class of 2011:

n Jabriel Washington: Likely the top prospect in the state, the 5-foot-11, 165-pound athlete from Trinity Christian Academy in Jackson already has dozens of scholarship offers.

In December, Washington said he was down to UT, LSU and Georgia. Much has changed since then. It will be interesting to see how Washington's recruitment unfolds when more schools - and Dooley - come calling.

n Lonnie Ballentine: A 6-3, 195-pound safety from Southwind High School in Memphis, Ballentine had a UT offer before the coaching change. There's no reason to think that the current UT staff won't follow up on that.

LSU again is in the mix. The Tigers clearly have made recruiting in Tennessee a priority, often led by former UT defensive coordinator John Chavis. Chavis helped secure highly rated defensive end Justin Maclin this year. Even before Chavis' hiring, LSU was having success facing off against the Vols on their home turf.

The Tigers secured running back Dominique Allen from Paris and offensive lineman Alex Hurst from Arlington in 2009 and 2008, respectively.

n Antonio Richardson: With offers from UT, Alabama, Kentucky and others, the 6-6, 310-pound offensive lineman from Ensworth High in Nashville should only see his stock continue to grow.

n Jeremiah Bryson: A 5-8, 175-pound running back from Smyrna High, Bryson reportedly has offers from Maryland and North Carolina. He is another example of how the state's 2011 class is stocked with skill-position prospects.

n Devrin Young: He has wowed the Knoxville area with his quickness and speed. Size might be an issue for some as they evaluate the 5-8, 170-pound running back from Bearden.

However, Stanford didn't have a problem with Young's stature; the Cardinal have offered Young a scholarship. More will follow.

n Terry Redden: Dooley knows he needs defensive tackles at UT. Redden is certainly worth a look. The 6-1, 280-pounder from Memphis Whitehaven has a scholarship offer from Clemson.

n Tino Thomas: Former UT offensive coordinator coach David Cutcliffe has offered Thomas a scholarship, hoping he can get Duke in front of other schools. That's a good move. Interest should only grow in the 6-foot, 190-pound athlete from Memphis Melrose High.

On The Level: Want another reason to appreciate UT's 2010 class? Then compare it to classes from schools that faced the same challenge the Vols did: a coaching change.

Only Southern Cal (fifth) and Florida State (10th) ranked higher than the Vols among programs that had coaching changes since last season, according to Scout.com. And remember, UT's transition came later than all others, except for Louisiana Tech.

Here is where other coaching-change schools finished in the class rankings: Notre Dame (19), Texas Tech (37), Louisville (46), Kentucky (47), South Florida (50), Cincinnati (60), Kansas (66), Virginia (67), Memphis (78), Marshall (83), UNLV (93), Louisiana Tech (94) and East Carolina (106).

More Than Words: Based on his resume, it would be fair to question how well UT's newest coach, Chuck Smith, will recruit.

After all, Smith hasn't recruited before. All of his coaching background is at the professional level.

UT fans shouldn't fret. Smith's passion should make him a fantastic recruiter. Smith's resume gives him instant credibility.

Smith has a long history of getting defensive linemen paid, thanks to his time tutoring NFL defensive linemen. That will certainly help him land top-flight prospects.

For proof that such a sales pitch works, look at former UT assistant coach Ed Orgeron. He has built much of his recruiting career on preparing defensive linemen for the NFL.

Dave Hooker covers recruiting. He may be reached at hookerd@knoxnews.com.