Wide Receiver
Wide receiver is a position that is absolutely stacked this class. And the state of Tennessee has plenty of elite talent to go around. But if Butch Jones isn’t careful, schools like Clemson will poach every single one of them. Tennessee desperately needs to sign some elite receivers, so you can bet the Vols will be doing everything they can to keep guys like Tee Higgins in their home state. One thing that might motivate these top targets to come to Rocky Top is seeing Tennessee throw the ball a lot more.
5* Tee Higgins: Oak Ridge, TN | 6’5″ 190 lbs
Tee Higgins is, frankly, one of the most important players for Tennessee to sign in 2017. He lives 20 minutes away from the University and if they can’t convince players in their own back yard to come to Tennessee, it will be hard to convince others with the same skill-set that Higgins offers. He was committed to Tennessee for a while until Clemson caught his eye and he decommitted. That’s not to say he couldn’t still rejoin Tennessee’s 2017 class, but he is going to make the Vols work for it.
5* Donovan Peoples-Jones: Detroit, MI | 6’2″ 195 lbs
If you want to hit a home run at the receiver position, look no further than Donovan Peoples-Jones – the top high school receiver in the country. It will be extremely hard to pry him away from powerhouses like Alabama or Ohio State, but with Butch Jones being from Michigan, there is already some common ground there. And Jones has proven he can recruit that area by bringing in guys like Darrin Kirkland Jr. from Indianapolis and John Kelly from Detroit. Expect the recruiting staff to throw everything it can at Peoples-Jones the next time he visits Knoxville.
4* Jaylen Harris: Cleveland, OH | 6’5″ 210 lbs
Tennessee has Jaylen Harris very high on their wish list for 2017’s National Signing Day. So does Ohio State, however, and they seem to be his favorite at the moment. As stated before though, a big season of passing the ball will do wonders for recruiting the best receivers in the country. And while Tennessee isn’t the favorite right now, the Vols do have Harris’ attention. But the ball is in Tennessee’s court, and it has to show these elite receivers that they will put the ball in their hands.
