Case in point: Derek Dooley’s 2011 recruiting class had nearly three-fourths of the incoming players from the states of Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.

Occasionally, Tennessee has had to look outside the South and when the Vols head west panning for talented gridiron prospects in the Golden State,  more often than not, they strike gold.

In recent years, California has exported such stars as Casey Clausen, Arian Foster, Kevin Simon, Gibril Wilson and Kevin Burnett to the Volunteer State to suit up for the Big Orange.

The 2011 roster has six players hailing from the state of California and at least five could play a significant role if the Vols are to continue their resurgence to SEC prominence under Coach Dooley.

Here’s a closer look at the six Californians who now call Tennessee their home.

Tyler Bray – QB – Kingsburg, CA

If Tennessee fans have two positive words, not of the obscene variety, left for former coach Lane Kiffin, those two words have to be Tyler Bray.  Bray has turned out to be the prize recruit from the 2010 signing class and an SEC superstar in the making.

Since taking over as the starting quarterback in the third quarter of the South Carolina game, Bray has been nothing short of spectacular.

In just five starts and a handful of snaps as an early-season sub for Matt Simms, Bray threw for 1,849 yards and 18 touchdowns without the benefit of a productive running game that finished dead last in the conference.  In Bray’s five starts, the Tennessee running game averaged just 96 yards per contest, nearly 80 yards below the SEC average.  To put it bluntly, Bray and his receiving corp had it all on their shoulders and put together a four-game winning streak before stumbling in the heart-breaking loss to North Carolina in the Music City Bowl.

The Kingsburg native will once again be leaned on heavily as the Vols prepare to compete for the SEC East title this fall.  With a ground game that should be vastly improved, the burden should be lessened on Bray and his talented young receivers.

With much-needed help on the way for the offensive line, look for Bray to continue rewriting the Tennessee record book in 2011 and beyond.

J.R. Carr – DS – Lomita, CA

Carr returns for his sophomore season at Tennessee and will likely continue to back up senior Nick Guess as the long-snapper for the Vols.  Carr was a member of Derek Dooley’s first signing class in 2010 and was rated as one of the top long-snappers in the country.

Matt Darr – P – Bakersfield, CA

The road from California to Tennessee had several twists and turns along the way for Bakersfield’s Matt Darr.  The nation’s most highly-regarded punter in the 2010 recruiting class initially committed to Pete Carroll of USC but later signed a letter of intent with Fresno State.  Darr was released from his commitment to the Bulldogs after special teams coach, John Baxter’s contract was not renewed.  Baxter joined Kiffin at USC but Darr did not follow the coach who helped recruit him to Fresno State, instead opting to join the Volunteers.  After red-shirting in 2010, Darr is expected to become Tennessee’s starting punter, replacing outgoing senior, Chad Cunningham.

Malik Jackson – DT – Northridge, CA

Malik Jackson spent two seasons at Southern Cal, before transferring to Tennessee after the 2009 season.  Jackson started every game for the Vols in 2010 and proved to be one of the most physical defensive stoppers in the SEC.  Malik began the year at defensive end but started the last eight games at defensive tackle, where he really came into his own.  Jackson was named to the AP’s second-team All-SEC defensive unit after compiling 48 tackles, five quarterback sacks and 11 tackles-for-loss during the 2010 season.

Byron Moore – DB – Harbor City, CA

Moore, a 6’1 205 pound speedster was originally part of Southern Cal’s signing class of 2009 and entered Pete Carroll’s program as the nation’s sixth best defensive back prospect.  Moore left USC after Pete Carroll left for the NFL and former Vol head coach, Lane Kiffin, was named as his successor.

Moore enrolled at Harbor City Community College for the 2010 season before signing on with Derek Dooley and the Vols as part of Tennessee’s signing class of 2011.

The athletic defensive back comes to Tennessee as the nation’s number five junior college prospect for 2011 and should step into a starting roll in the secondary as either a corner-back or possibly safety if Janzen Jackson does not return to the program.  At either position, Moore should be a tremendous asset to Justin Wilcox’s defensive backfield.

Mychal Rivera – TE – Valenica, CA

Rivera was originally part of the Oregon Ducks signing class of 2008 but transferred to the College of the Canyons after red-shirting his first season in Eugene.  The Valencia native signed with Derek Dooley and the Vols on National Signing Day 2010 and hauled in eleven pass receptions, while playing in every game of the 2010 season.

The 6’4″ 240 pound tight end will be an even bigger target for fellow Californian Tyler Bray in 2011 with the loss of graduating senior, Luke Stocker.