Breaking down Jeremy Banks' commitment to Tennessee
MORE: Tennessee's 2018 commitment list
Four-star Cordova (Tenn.) running back Jeremy Banks made his commitment to Tennessee on Wednesday morning, selecting the Vols over UCLA, Nebraska, Iowa State and several other contenders. Banks had one of the most unique recruitments in the class of 2018 as he added dozens of offers over the past few months. Tennessee didn’t even become a player for Banks until offering him earlier this month but new coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff did a nice job getting Banks on campus for an official visit over the weekend and securing his commitment.
WHY IT'S BIG FOR TENNESSEE
Banks rushed for more than 2,000 yards this season while drawing national attention from programs and it’s big from a perception standpoint to have the new staff come in and secure a commitment from one of the nation’s hottest running back prospects. Banks is a big-bodied back who can pick up tough yardage and seems like an ideal fit for the Vols new offensive scheme. His style should complement current Vols running back Ty Chandler well and the two could make a nice one-two punch next season. As mentioned above, in addition to getting a talented player, Tennessee is also getting a public relations win here as locking down the state will be vital for the new staff in Knoxville going forward.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE PROGRAMS THAT MISSED OUT?
It stings for Banks’ list of eclectic suitors, including Wyoming, UCLA, Nebraska and Iowa State. The Cowboys seemed like a very realistic option for Banks in the early going and even hosted him for an official visit but fell by the wayside as his list expanded. Either way, the staff still deserves credit for a good early evaluation. The same goes for Iowa State, who despite their excellent season, missed out on Banks. UCLA and Nebraska both worked to get Banks in the fold despite bringing in new coaches, with Bruins coach Chip Kelly even visiting Banks right before he left for his trip to Knoxville. But the late efforts from those schools wasn’t quite enough to pull Banks away from staying in-state and achieving his goal of playing in the SEC.
