Sting Factor: Alontae Taylor's decommitment from Vols

Every time a major program loses a key recruit, Rivals.com takes a look at how big of a blow it is to the respective school, analyzing it from a local, regional and national level. To quantify the “sting” of each decommitment, we assign a score from 1-10, with one being no big deal and 10 being a catastrophic hit.

MORE STING FACTORS: Jarrett Bell (Alabama) | Jarren Williams (Kentucky) | Marquez Ezzard (FSU) | Cade Mays (Tennessee) | Brendan Radley-Hiles (Nebraska)

The inevitable finally happened when Tennessee cut ties with head coach Butch Jones on Sunday and most Volunteer fans were celebrating the program going in a different direction. But several of the Vols' recruits were still surprised by the news and a quartet of players officially decommitted, highlighted by Rivals250 wide receiver Alontae Taylor.

The move wasn’t exactly a shock considering that Taylor had already taken an official visit, but losing one of the most high-profile recruits in the class and one from in the state is still a blow.

But how much does the loss of Taylor truly hurt the class? We ask our experts to weigh in on just how much losing him stings and also take a look at which schools might benefit going forward.

“Just days after losing five-star and VFL legacy Cade Mays, Tennessee lost its other longtime pillar of the 2018 class. Taylor likes to flirt, so it’s no surprise he has opened things back up. It would also be foolish to discount his worth to the class. Tennessee is short of playmakers at wide receiver and while he is still green to the position, he’s a clear game-changer with the ball in his hands. The question for Taylor is going to be where he wants to play on college? Most like him at receiver, but a team like Louisville seems willing to give him a shot at quarterback while Alabama offered him for the secondary. He doesn’t have Tennessee in his top five currently but has told Volquest that the right hire can put the Vols right back in the mix.” – Price

Sting Factor: 8

“I think if all things were equal, Taylor would still be a commit, but it’s hard to fault him considering the uncertainty at the moment. Taylor is a guy who likes the spotlight and with some of the nation’s top programs wooing him, it’s not a surprise to see him get out and see if the grass is indeed greener on the other side. But I still think if Tennessee makes the right hire and Taylor feels like a priority, he will end up back in the fold, with the Vols so that softens the sting for me on this one.” – Wommack

Sting Factor: 6

“This is another in-state recruiting loss, a Rivals250 skill player which the Vols can’t afford to lose and a prospect who could influence others in-state. Cade Mays was a 10; this is not far behind and hurts badly.” – Farrell

Sting Factor: 8

Average Sting Factor: 7.3

Taylor has a busy visit schedule already set up with trips to Georgia, Alabama, Louisville and Wake Forest and a decision coming Dec. 22 with a plan to enroll early. Taylor has already switched his schedule a few times, so it’s not out of the question that it could change again to include Tennessee again. It will be interesting to track Taylor’s visits and see if Georgia, his current public leader, can distance itself from the pack when he visits this weekend.