Vols hold strong early lead for 2018 quarterback

When Michael Penix Jr. picked up a recent offer from Tennessee, he skipped over the normal clichés about learning more about the school and studying the offense. Instead, the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Tech High School quarterback sprinted to the part where he named the Volunteers as his leader.

To him, the reaction seemed like a no brainier.

“Yeah, they’re still the leader,” Penix said. “They were right away. When I went up there, I liked everything. The facilities were great. Everything was, just, nice. The mountains and everything … everything was great.”

A class-of-2018 prospect, Penix will likely collect other offers during his upcoming junior season. And while new suitors could effect his recruitment, he’s proceeding with a clear-cut leader for the time being.

“I’ll probably go back to Tennessee for a game or two this season,” Penix said.

IN HIS WORDS: “Florida and Florida State are both talking to me. They haven’t offered, but I think they might. We’ll see.”

RIVALS REACTION: Penix has a few power five offers, and Tennessee holds a strong lead over the other programs that have made things official. An offer from one of the in-state schools could throw the Vols’ stranglehold into question. That said, the gap is likely to widen with each visit the quarterback takes to Knoxville this fall.