As if Tennessee’s current six-game losing streak wasn’t bad enough, Jeremy Pruitt’s program continues to take hits on the recruiting trail as his team flounders on the gridiron.
Tennessee lost to Florida 31-19 on Saturday and now on Monday have to deal with another prospect leaving the program’s recruiting class.
After losing commitments from five-star linebacker Terrance Lewis and four-star defensive back Damarius McGhee in recent days, three-star defensive lineman Darrell Jackson has just announced his decision to back off his commitment to Pruitt’s Tennessee program.
Jackson had been committed to Tennessee’s class since February.
For what it’s worth, all three of the prospects that have decommitted from Tennessee’s 2021 recruiting class all hail from Florida. That suggests the inability to host or visit with recruits — due to the NCAA mandating this a dead period due to COVID — may be hurting Tennessee’s current recruiting class.
Following these decommitments, Tennessee’s 2021 recruiting class currently has 24 pledges with the Early Signing Period just over a week from starting. The class ranks as the nation’s No. 14 class and the No. 5 class in the SEC.
Tennessee’s 2021 Recruiting Class
| Player | Rank/Position | Stars | State |
| Dylan Brooks | #1 weak side DE | 4-star | Alabama |
| Aaron Willis | #10 outside linebacker | 4-star | Maryland |
| Kaemen Marley | #5 athlete | 4-star | North Carolina |
| Kaidon Salter | #7 dual-threat QB | 4-star | Texas |
| KaTron Evans | #10 defensive tackle | 4-star | Maryland |
| Hudson Wolfe | #7 tight end | 4-star | Tennessee |
| Cody Brown | #9 running back | 4-star | Georgia |
| Jordan Mosley | #44 receiver | 4-star | Alabama |
| Julian Nixon | #47 receiver | 4-star | Georgia |
| Walker Merrill | #55 receiver | 4-star | Tennessee |
| Tiyon Evans | #1 running back (JUCO) | 3-star | South Carolina |
| William Parker | #34 offensive tackle | 3-star | Tennessee |
| De’Shawn Rucker | #41 safety | 3-star | Florida |
| Miles Campbell | #18 tight end | 3-star | Georgia |
| Roc Taylor | #29 athlete | 3-star | Alabama |
| Trinity Bell | #31 athlete | 3-star | Alabama |
| Christian Charles | #45 athlete | 3-star | Georgia |
| Colby Smith | #46 offensive tackle | 3-star | North Carolina |
| Jaylen Wright | #38 running back | 3-star | North Carolina |
| Elijah Howard | #44 running back | 3-star | Tennessee |
| J’Marion Gooch | #63 offensive tackle | 3-star | Tennessee |
| Edwin White | #55 safety | 3-star | Alabama |
| Isaac Washington | #43 defensive tackle | 3-star | North Carolina |
| Jay Jones | #73 cornerback | 3-star | Alabama |
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
