The 2016 recruiting season is already in full swing with many staffs beginning to move players up the priority list on dry-erase boards inside SEC football offices.

According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, the Top 10 players in the class from the state of Tennessee is defense heavy with three four-star corners in the top seven prospects. Emmit Goodwin, a strong-side defensive end, is considered the state’s best player heading into his senior prep season.

Out of eight four-stars available in the 2016 class, only one has already committed and that’s 6-foot-6, 280-pound offensive tackle Ryan Johnson from Brentwood. He has offers from Alabama and Mississippi State among several others, but has been a Vols lean since early last summer before making his pledge in July.

Last year, Butch Jones was only able to keep four of the state’s top 10 players in-state, but that includes three of the top four according to 247Sports. The Vols’ late national signing day flip of four-star tackle Drew Richmond, who was an Ole Miss commit, was a huge grab.

Losing wideout Van Jefferson to the Rebels and four-star corner Rico McGraw to Georgia weren’t fatal to one of the nation’s top classes. Tennessee has depth at both of those positions and reloaded with three out-of-state corners and five-star wideout Preston Williams from Hampton, Ga.

Player Rating Position 247 Sports Prediction
1. Emmit Gooden 4-star SDE Tennessee
2. Daniel Bituli 4-star OLB Tenn/Ole Miss split
3. Joejuan Williams 4-star CB Tennessee
4. Donte Vaughn 4-star CB Tennessee
5. Bryce Matthews 4-star OT Texas A&M
6. Ryan Johnson 4-star OT Tennessee*
7. Nygel Edmonds 4-star CB No Crystal Ball
8. Tylin Oden 4-star Pro-QB Tennessee
9. Dillon Mitchell 3-star WR Oregon*
10. Gabe Angel 3-star TE Ole Miss

*Already committed.