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LOOK: Tennessee LB target Chris Russell spotted representing the Vols
No SEC team had a better close to the early signing period than Tennessee. While Wednesday was drama-free for Jeremy Pruitt’s program, Thursday and Friday finished with a bang to give the Vols some serious momentum on the recruiting trail.
The good news began with the signing of Eric Gray on Thursday. The state’s top running back has been historically good during his high school career, shattering the all-time touchdown record and winning Mr. Football in Tennessee for a record three times.
As big as Gray’s signing was for the Tennessee program it was just an encore for a wild Friday.
The Volunteers landed a surprising commitment from former Michigan defensive lineman Aubrey Solomon, who was rated as one of the nation’s best defensive tackles in the 2017 recruiting cycle, before landing an additional commitment and signing of elite outside linebacker Quavaris Crouch.
In many eyes, Crouch’s signing could be a program-defining shift for Pruitt and company. Crouch was rated as Rivals’ No. 1 overall prospect for the 2019 recruiting class at one point, before suffering an injury that cost him much of his senior season. The high school running back plans to play as an outside edge rusher in Knoxville.
“Quavaris is a winner,” Pruitt said in a release issued after the linebacker’s signing. “He is a leader. He is a guy that can play all four linebacker positions. He is a guy that can help change the program. We are very excited to have him.”
“Aubrey is a guy that a lot of coaches on our staff knew when he was a young man in high school, and we all recruited him,” Pruitt added on Solomon. “He can play all three downs. He’s a powerful man. He’s smart. He’s a good student. He has experience, having already played at the collegiate level. He is a great addition to our university and our football program.”
If that news wasn’t good enough, Tennessee appears to be trending in the right direction with Dyersburg native Chris Russell. The former Memphis commit has seen his recruitment blow up in recent weeks, with Tennessee, Auburn, Arkansas and Texas A&M all pursuing him leading up to the early signing period.
While the Vols’ 2019 signing class has been terrific in many regards, it still lacks any inside linebackers — which is a big position of need on the roster. Landing Russell would certainly go along way toward Tennessee checking off one of the few remaining boxes to check in this recruiting class.
So how are the Vols trending for the in-state linebacker?
Check out this tweet from Dyersburg coach, Bart Stowe. Russell, on the left, is sporting some Tennessee gear:
Trojan Pride pic.twitter.com/mMs6Hq4jdf
— Bart Stowe (@BartStowe) December 22, 2018
After deciding to hold off on his signing until the traditional National Signing Day, Russell now has until Feb. 3 to officially declare his intentions and sign with the school of his choice. While Tennessee has to be feeling good about its odds now, Pruitt and his staff will no doubt have to contend with several SEC programs in the coming weeks for Russell’s services.
To get an idea of why Russell is so coveted, check out his senior season highlight reel:
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