Vols commit talks Dooley rumors

There have been rumors swirling that Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley is going to be fired. Coaching changes have a tremendous effect on potential recruits and ones that have committed. The effect of the firing on Paul Harris will be far greater than most recruits. The wide receiver from Upper Marlboro (Md.) Frederick Douglass has been planning on enrolling at Tennessee in January.

"I'm pretty much committed to go to Tennessee," said the 6-foot-4, 186-pound four-star senior. "I go to college in a month and, if I de-commit, that would be such a rush to make a quick decision. I'm graduating early so once you graduate early you can't then decide you don't want to graduate because everything has been done so I think I'm going to see it through."

Does that mean Harris is still going to be a Volunteer?

"I'm all in with Tennessee," he explained. "I go to college in a month so it would be hard for me to de-commit and hurry up and pick another school because I'm graduating early so I would have less than a month to pick another school."

The rumors of Derek Dooley's firing have to affect Harris in some way.

"If he definitely gets fired then I'm going to think about de-committing," he said. "I have such a good relationship with Coach (Derek Dooley) and that's one of the big reasons I committed there. If he (Derek Dooley) gets fired and Coach (Darin) Hinshaw gets fired then I'm definitely going to think about other schools.

"It would have to be one of my top schools," said Harris. "I've heard from Michigan, Maryland, USC, Miami, Penn State and Ohio State. They've still been talking to me asking if Coach (Derek) Dooley gets fired is there a chance I'd commit to them. I talked to Coach (Tee) Martin from USC a few weeks ago."

Harris was hesitant to say those are the schools he would consider if he were to de-commit.

"I don't know," he sighed. "I would think so but I hoping that's not the case."