Five Vols that should benefit from a fresh start under Jeremy Pruitt
The Jeremy Pruitt era is now in full swing at Tennessee and despite the Vols' struggles that led to coach Butch Jones' dismissal, it only takes one look at the Vols' roster to see that Jones left several former elite recruits behind. The failure of some of those players to live up to the hype is part of the reason Jones is now gone, but with a new coach on board many will get fresh starts. Today, we look at five former elite recruits who have a chance to turn their careers around once they’re given a second chance to make a first impression.
MORE: The most incredible moments of the Vols' coaching search
As a recruit: Richmond burst onto the scene after his sophomore season and had suitors from coast-to-coast, eventually committing to Ole Miss over Tennessee and Ohio State early in his senior year. But as the fall moved along both the Buckeyes and the Vols turned up the heat. By the time Jan. 2015 rolled around, Richmond was wavering and rumors were flying about whether he would end up in Oxford or Knoxville. He ended up staying in-state and signing with Tennessee, one of the biggest recruiting victories during the Jones era.
What he’s done: Despite his five-star status, Richmond redshirted as a freshman in 2015 while he worked to add strength to his 6-foot-5 frame. He entered 2016 as the starter at left tackle and while he showed promise at times, he struggled with confidence early in the year. But as the season moved along Richmond continued to show improvement, and by the time the Vols beat Nebraska in the Music City Bowl, he had established himself as a major piece for the team going forward. In 2017 he started each of the team’s first eight games at left tackle before being sidelined with an injury.
Why Pruitt will help: There’s no doubt that Richmond has had his ups and downs during his time in Knoxville, but he started the year looking like he was finally hitting his stride, only to have injuries derail him. There have been rumors about him potentially leaving school early to turn pro, but Pruitt will surely try to make sure he stays around. The Vols will look to play a more physical brand of football in 2018 and with already thin numbers on the roster at the position, a player of Richmond’s caliber will surely be in line for a starting job.
As a recruit: The son of former Vols legend Reggie McKenzie, Tennessee emerged as the early favorite for the younger McKenzie. After collecting his fair share of offers, McKenzie wasted no time committing to the Vols the summer prior to his senior season.
What he’s done: Despite missing his entire senior year of high school due to transfer rules, McKenzie showed no ill effects when he arrived in Knoxville, appearing in all 13 games and finishing the year with 24 tackles. But his progress was slowed in 2016, as he appeared in seven games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury and finished the year with just 12 stops. Once again healthy in 2017, McKenzie has had a productive junior season, recording 36 total tackles, four of which were for loss. However, Tennessee’s run defense was among the worst in the SEC, and while McKenzie has decent numbers he’s not had the type of breakout year that Vols fans had hoped for coming into the season.
Why Pruitt will help: If there’s one thing that Vols fans can be sure of, it’s that Tennessee will play a more physical brand of football in 2018, and that will start on defense. During his various stops, defensive linemen have been key in Pruitt’s defenses and some of the players he recruited at Alabama who are now stars were mentioned in the same breath as McKenzie coming out of high school. If he can stay healthy, McKenzie should have a big year in 2018.
As a recruit: A native of the Congo who later moved to Canada, Kongbo actually signed with Wyoming as a member of the class of 2014. After redshirting his first season with the Cowboys, Kongbo transferred to Arizona Western Community College, where he saw his recruitment take off. After initially committing to Tennessee, Kongbo later backed off that decision less than a month before signing day, while entertaining Alabama and Florida State. But by the time signing day came back around, Jones and his staffed reeled Kongbo back in and landed his signature.
What he’s done: Kongbo arrived on campus with quite a bit of hype, but he clashed with the coaching staff over whether he would be a defensive end or a defensive tackle in the Vols' scheme. Regardless, he saw more than his fair share of action, appearing in 13 games and recording 11 total tackles. A full-time starter in 2017, Kongbo had a better season, notching 29 total tackles on the season, including 2.5 for loss.
Why Pruitt will help: Much like McKenzie, Pruitt’s arrival will provide Kongbo with the opportunity to live up to the potential that had as one of the nation’s top junior college players in 2016. Coming into Knoxville he was still rather raw as a prospect and the movement between tackle and end might have hurt his development. He now has one season to live up to his ranking and earn his way to the NFL - and if reports are to be believed, he’ll have a chance to be coached by a couple of quality defensive minds that will surely help him develop in 2018.
As a recruit: Phillips had quite a lot of intrigue in his recruitment, with several high-profile programs taking the lead at different points. Eventually, he settled on Tennessee, Ole Miss and LSU and, after nearly committing to both the Rebels and the Tigers, a late visit and a strong push helped Tennessee nab his commitment.
What he’s done: Phillips has seen his share of struggles while at Tennessee, mainly because of a shoulder injury that has hampered him at various times during his career. The injury limited him to just six games his true freshman year and while he was mostly healthy in 2016, he was moved between defensive end and defensive tackle, limiting his effectiveness. He played in 11 games and failed to record a sack. Phillips moved back to defensive end for 2017 and had his best year by far, recording 35 tackles and two sacks, more than doubling his previous career totals.
Why Pruitt will help: Philips has shown tremendous flashes during his time in Knoxville, but the indecision of the previous coaching staff about how to use him only hampered his progress. In Pruitt’s scheme he should have one clear objective – get after the quarterback. Coming out of high school Phillips was an athletic freak who needed good coaching to blossom in college, and he will now have every chance to continue the progress he showed in 2017 and earn his way into the NFL Draft in 2018.
As a recruit: Chandler was never one who did a lot of interviews during the recruiting process, choosing to keep a low profile despite offers from many of the Southeast’s best programs. His decision ultimately came down to Ole Miss, Georgia and Tennessee, with the in-state Vols nabbing his commitment after laying out a plan for him to make an early impact in Knoxville.
What he’s done: Chandler arrived on campus and quickly worked his way into the rotation, recording at least one carry in all but one game and finishing the year with 305 yards rushing and 108 yards receiving. He was also a valuable part of the return game, averaging nearly 25 yards per kickoff return and returning one kick for a touchdown.
Why Pruitt will help: It took a little while for Chandler to get going while playing behind Kelly, and much to the chagrin of Vols he still didn’t receive many chances later in the year despite showing flashes of his immense talent. While Pruitt is known as a defensive-minded coach, every school he’s coached at has featured a powerful running game and there’s no doubt that will continue with his offense in Knoxville. If Kelly leaves early for the NFL, which is a very real possibility, Chandler could be in line for a monster season while being the feature back.
