Tennessee Tussle: Storylines involving top talent in the Volunteer State

The week-long July live period has definitely generated a lot of recruiting buzz nationwide and that also applies to the top talent in the Volunteer State.

Big-name programs have entered the mix for a couple of committed prospects in the state of Tennessee and Rivals.com takes a look at some other intriguing recruitments to follow as well.

Lausanne Collegiate (Tenn.) quarterback Brock Glenn saw his recruiting process skyrocket during the spring and in the process saw his ranking dramatically increase after impressive performances at the Rivals Camp Series in New Orleans and the Elite 11 Finals in California.

The No. 204 prospect in the country and third-best talent in the state of Tennessee gave his much-anticipated commitment to Ohio State on Saturday over the likes of Florida State, Auburn, and TCU.

The four-star definitely proved his worth throughout the spring and summer on the camp circuit and is now Big Ten bound with one of the best programs in the country.

Independence (Tenn.) tight end Ty Lockwood has been committed to Ohio State for nearly a year. He's visited Columbus numerous times throughout the year and also camped with the Buckeyes last month.

Things appeared solid between the 6-foot-5, 220-pound prospect and Ohio State, however, when Alabama increases their interest level, naturally you listen.

Lockwood took a two-day trip to Tuscaloosa on Thursday and Friday. Working out for the staff on Thursday, then taking a campus tour on Friday where head coach Nick Saban extended an offer to the four-star prospect.

With Alabama now firmly in the picture, the No. 112 prospect in the nation will have some thinking to do.

Since decommitting from Florida State back on July 12th, many have felt Mississippi State would be the next destination for Ravenwood (Tenn.) signal-caller Chris Parson.

The three-star prospect visited Starkville back in June and returned on Saturday to spend more time with head coach Mike Leach and his staff.

Parson also spend all day Friday at Vanderbilt, taking in their fall practice and picking up an offer from the Commodores in the process.

While staying in-state may be a tempting option for Parson, Mississippi State has clearly established themselves as the clear-cut favorites and a commitment could be imminent.

Notre Dame continues their quest to find a signal-caller in their 2023 class. This week the Fighting Irish reached into Tennessee and extended an offer to longtime Pitt commit Kenny Minchey.

The three-star quarterback committed to the Panthers back on April 30th following an unofficial visit with Pat Narduzzi and his staff. At the time he was also considering Houston and Vanderbilt.

Minchey camped at Notre Dame in June of last year and their staff had been in contact with him throughout the spring. However, Notre Dame offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees and head coach Marcus Freeman have ramped up communication with the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder within the past month.

Pitt identified Minchey as their top guy early on, so it will be very difficult for other teams to try and pry him away from his pledge to the Panthers.

However, I do expect other teams to start taking notice of Minchey's talents as well. After an impressive performance at the Elite 11 finals in California, he's proved to be one of the best quarterbacks in the nation.

Back on June 13th, Blackman (Tenn.) wide receiver Justin Brown released a Top 5 that included the likes of Purdue, West Virginia, Mississippi State, Pitt, and Penn State.

This past Friday, the three-star was back at College Station to take part in Penn State's Lasch Bash and also camp with the Nittany Lions.

His camp performance with Penn State this weekend will ultimately determine where he stands on their wide receiver target board.

Brown also visited Penn State back in the spring. If the Nittany Lions want him, they will probably be the favorite to land his commitment.

Vanderbilt has been making a strong push for Briarcrest Christian (Tenn.) athlete Max Carroll since the new year and the Commodores were able to get him on campus for an official visit in June.

While Vandy has been the perceived favorites for a while, TCU is now a team to watch for the three-star talent.

Carroll received an offer from the Horned Frogs back on June 14th after impressing at their camp and was back in Forth Worth over the weekend.

Expect a commitment to come within the next couple of weeks for Carroll, who Vandy and TCU both like at linebacker.