OL Seymour, TN (IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL) 6’5, 294
Committed: 7/9/18
Stars: 3 by 247Sports / 3 by ESPN / 4 by ESPN
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Akporoghene has improved greatly as a prospect and should continue to grow as a lineman at the next level. He’s a really good athlete, and as he continues to add weight, Akporoghene should compete for a starting position in the future at Tennessee.
Last name pronounced by him: Ah-puh-row-guh-nay
Highlights from hudl…
Need to Know:
2017 TSWA Division II-A All-State selection at The King’s Academy.
2017 Tennessee Football Coaches Association Division II-A All-State selection.
2017 First-Team All-PrepXtra selection.
ESPN:
Natl Rank: —
Position Rank: No. 43 OT
State Rank: No. 74 in FL
247 Sports:
Natl Rank: No. 2,143
Position Rank: No. 180 OT
State Rank: No. 260 in FL
Rivals:
Natl Rank: —
Position Rank: No. 38 OT
State Rank: No. 58 in FL
High School
Starred at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., for his senior season after transferring from The King’s Academy in nearby Seymour, Tenn.
During his senior season at IMG, started all nine games on an offensive line that blocked for a running attack that averaged over 200 yards per game.
Nigerian native that moved to the United States in 2016 in hopes of playing basketball.
WR Lovejoy, GA (Lovejoy) 6’2′, 212
Committed: 12/19/18
Stars: 3 on 247Sports / 3 on ESPN / 3 on Rivals
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Means fills a need for Tennessee, which has looked for more playmaking help at receiver. Means arrives from a high school that annually produces top talent. He will attempt to compete early among a deep group of receivers.
Highlights from hudl…
ESPN:
Natl Rank: —
Position Rank: No. 141 ATH
State Rank: No. 141 in GA
247 Sports:
Natl Rank: No. 2,493
Position Rank: No. 313 WR
State Rank: No. 191 in GA
Rivals:
Natl Rank: —
Position Rank: —
State Rank: No. 118 in GA
High School
Starred at Lovejoy High School in Lovejoy, Ga.
Two-time Georgia All-Region 4-AAAAAA first-team selection (2017, 2018).
2018 Preseason All-Clayton/Henry team selection.
2017 All-Clayton County team selection.
Helped Lovejoy High advance to the 2018 Georgia AAAAAA State Playoffs.
Missed some time with an injury during his senior season but still caught 19 passes for 460 yards and six touchdowns. Had over 400 receiving yards and five touchdown catches as a jnuior in 2017.
Played wide receiver at Hampton High School in Hampton, Ga., during his freshman and sophomore seasons.
QB Ocala, FL (West Port) 6’3, 184
Committed: 6/27/18
Stars: 3 by 247Sports / 4 by ESPN / 3 by Rivals
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Maurer has a good arm and solid athleticism, which he showed off at the Elite 11 camp last summer. Tennessee landed Maurer as several other Power 5 schools pursued him. He’ll have a chance to compete for Tennessee’s backup quarterback position this spring.
Highlights from hudl…
Hear The Sports Animal’s interview with Brian Maurer…
Hear The Sports Animal’s interview with Brian Maurer’s high school coach, Matt Franklin…
Need to Know:
Elite 11 quarterback who starred at West Port High School in Ocala, Fla.
Set the Marion County single-season passing record in 2018 with 3,543 yards and 34 touchdowns.
Finished his high school career with a county-record 7,664 yards and 64 touchdowns.
Participated in Nike’s “The Opening.”
ESPN:
Natl Rank: —
Position Rank: No. 20 QB-PRO
State Rank: No. 65 in FL
247 Sports:
Natl Rank: No. 446
Position Rank: No. 12 QB-PRO
State Rank: No. 47 in FL
Rivals:
Natl Rank: —
Position Rank: No. 16 QB-PRO
State Rank: No. 64 in FL
High School
As a junior, Maurer completed 223 of 388 passes for 2,512 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Led West Port’s offense to a state-record 876 yards of total offense and 39 first downs in a 77-67 loss to Oconee in 2018, completing 34-of-53 passes for 513 yards and three touchdowns and adding 195 rushing yards and three scores on 15 carries.
The game broke the Florida high school record for total points scored, while West Port’s total yardage ranked in the national high school Top 10.
West Port coach Matt Franklin described Maurer as a strong-armed, accurate passer who also has good mobility and is “incredibly competitive.”
DB Powder Springs, GA (Hillgrove) 6’0, 194
Committed: 8/17/18
Stars: 4 by 247Sports / 4 by ESPN / 4 by Rivals
Josh Ward’s Analysis: McCollough is one of the top athletes in the country. He will have a chance to compete for playing time right away at safety. Enrolling early will give him a chance to compete immediately.
Highlights from hudl…
ESPN:
Natl Rank: No. 167
Position Rank: No. 11 S
State Rank: No. 21 in GA
247 Sports:
Natl Rank: No. 166
Position Rank: No. 15 S
State Rank: No. 18 in GA
Rivals:
Natl Rank: No. 215
Position Rank: No. 16 S
State Rank: No. 25 in GA
High School
Starred at Hillgrove High School in Powder Springs, Ga.
Selected to participate in the 2019 Under Armour All-American Game.
Named to the 2018 Georgia Class 7A Preseason All-State Team.
Named to the All-USA Georgia Second Team in 2017.
Led Hillgrove High to a program-best 12-1 record and an appearance in the state quarterfinals in 2018.
Helped the Hawks capture the Region 3-7A title for the second straight year in 2018.
Led a defense that allowed only 14.3 points per game in the 2018 regular season.
Totaled 77 tackles, four TFLs and six PBUs while also scoring five offensive touchdowns in 2017 despite missing four games due to injury.
-UT Athletics
Father, Eriles, played at Jacksonville State and was coached by current Tennessee special teams coordinator/safeties coach Charles Kelly, who at the time was Jacksonville State’s defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach.
Country Music Hall of Fame member Ronnie Milsap will commemorate his 76th birthday in 2019 with a new tour.
Kicking off on his birthday on Jan. 16 in Nashville, the new tour—dubbed the 76 for 76 Tour—will make additional stops in St. Louis, Austin, Cincinnati and more. Tickets for the first wave of the 76 for 76 Tour are on sale now. More dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
On Jan. 18, Ronnie will release a new album that features duets with an A-list cast, including Billy Gibbons, Luke Bryan, Dolly Parton, Jason Aldean, Willie Nelson, Lucy Angel, Kacey Musgraves, Little Big Town, George Strait, Jessie Key, Leon Russell, Steven Curtis Chapman and Montgomery Gentry. The 13-track collection, Ronnie Milsap: The Duets, includes one of Troy Gentry’s final recordings on the Montgomery Gentry/Ronnie duet, “Shakey Ground.” In addition, Leon Russell, who passed away in 2016, is featured on “Misery Loves Company.”
The album was recorded at Ronnie’s Place, the Nashville studio Ronnie owned from the late 1970s until 1995
76 for 76 Tour
Jan. 16 | Nashville, TN | Ryman Auditorium
Jan. 17 | Mayetta, KS | Prairie Band Casino & Resort | Great Lakes Ballroom
Jan. 18 | Stafford, TX | The Redneck Country Club
Jan. 19 | Bossier City, LA | Horseshoe Bossier City | The Riverdome
Jan. 27 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Country Music Cruise 2019
Jan. 28 | Key West, FL | Country Music Cruise 2019
Feb. 9 | Glasgow, KY | Plaza Theatre MOVE FROM PRIOR
Feb. 16 | Shelby, NC | Malcolm Brown Auditorium
Feb. 21 | Morgantown, WV | Metropolitan Brown Auditorium
Feb. 22 | Madisonville, KY | Glema Mahr Center For the Arts
Feb. 28 | Lexington, KY | Opera House
March 1 | Lorain, OH | Palace Theater
March 2 | Lancaster, PA | American Music Theater
March 8 | Hinckley, MN | Grand Casino Hinkley
March 9 | Lac De Flambeau, WI | Lake Of The Torches Casino
March 22 | St. Louis, MO | River City Casino
March 24 | Austin, TX | Travis County Expo Center
April 4 | Mobile, AL | Saenger Theatre
April 5 | Beaumont, TX | Jefferson Theatre
April 6 | Texarkana, TX | PRIVATE Pleasant Grove
April 26 | Hopewell, VA | The Beacon Theatre
April 27 | Cincinnati, OH | JACK Casino | Event Center
May 3 | Eutis, FL | Lake County Fairgrounds Expo Center
May 10 | Quapaw, OK | Downstream Casino Resort
May 11 | Hinton, OK | Sugar Creek Casino
May 17 | Riverside, IA | Riverside Casino and Golf Resport
May 23 | Charenton, LA | Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel
DB Charlotte, NC (Hough) 5’10, 190
Committed: 7/28/18
Stars: 4 by 247Sports / 4 by ESPN / 4 by Rivals
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Fields is a good athlete who will work this spring to add size to be ready to play in the SEC. He will compete for immediate playing time in the secondary and will likely be an impact player on special teams.
Highlights from hudl…
Hear The Sports Animal’s interview with Tyus Fields’ high school coach, Matthew Jenkins…
ESPN:
Natl Rank: No. 196
Position Rank: No. 18 ATH
State Rank: No. 6 in NC
247 Sports:
Natl Rank: No. 235
Position Rank: No. 25 CB
State Rank: No. 10 in NC
Rivals:
Natl Rank: —
Position Rank: No. 39 CB
State Rank: No. 14 in NC
High School
Starred at Hough High School in Cornelius, N.C.
2017 USA Today All-USA North Carolina Football Team selection.
2017 Associated Press North Carolina All-State Team selection.
Totaled 182 tackles and seven INTs during prep career.
Also a dynamic returner, recording 488 return yards during his prep career.
Helped Hough High School post an 11-3 record and advance to the state quarterfinals in 2018.
Helped lead the Huskies to an 11-4 record and a spot in the North Carolina Class 4AA state semifinals in 2017.
Had 92 tackles and two interceptions as a junior, one of which he returned 105 yards for a touchdown.
Father, Mark Fields Sr., played linebacker in the NFL for the Saints, Rams and Panthers from 1995-2004 and was a two-time Pro Bowler (2000 and 2004).
Brother, Mark Fields Jr., is a senior cornerback at Clemson.
Chose Tennessee over Florida State, Penn State and Wisconsin.
TE Rome, GA (Coosa) 6’5, 250
Committed: 5/12/18
Stars: 3 by 247Sports / 3 by ESPN / 3 by Rivals
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Brown helps add depth to Tennessee’s tight end group. He’ll arrive at Tennessee this summer and begin competing for playing time.
Highlights from hudl…
The Sports Animal’s interview with Sean Brown’s high school coach, Todd Wheeler
Need to Know:
2018 Coaches All-Region 7-AA selection.
2017 Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AA All-State Second Team selection.
2017 Rome News-Tribune All-Area First-Team selection.
ESPN:
Natl Rank: —
Position Rank: No. 17 TE
State Rank: No. 69 in GA
247 Sports:
Natl Rank: No. 793
Position Rank: No. 37 TE
State Rank: No. 78 in GA
Rivals:
Natl Rank: —
Position Rank: No. 36 TE
State Rank: No. 75 in GA
High School
Starred at Coosa High School in Rome, Ga., playing both tight end and defensive line.
Helped lead Coosa High School to the Georgia Class AA state playoffs in 2018.
In his third game back from injury and Coosa’s regular-season finale, recovered two fumbles, forced a fumble, made six tackles and rushed for 22 yards on three carries to help Coosa secure a playoff spot.
Also plays basketball for Coosa High School.
TE Cartersville, GA (Cartersville) 6’5, 242
Committed: 3/30/18
Stars: 4 by 247Sports / 4 by ESPN / 3 by Rivals
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Lowe already has good size at the tight end position, which should improve even more after he enrolls at Tennessee in the spring. The Vols rely on their tight ends both in the passing game and as blockers. Lowe will help with that greatly.
Highlights from hudl…
Hear The Sports Animal’s interview with Jackson Lowe’s high school coach, Joey King…
Need to Know:
2018 Georgia Preseason Class 4A All-State selection.
2017 All-Region 5-AAAA first-team selection.
Helped lead Cartersville to a 14-1 record and an appearance in the state championship game in 2018.
ESPN:
Natl Rank: No. 227
Position Rank: No. 6 TE
State Rank: No. 28 in GA
247 Sports:
Natl Rank: No. 493
Position Rank: No. 22 TE
State Rank: No. 50 in GA
Rivals:
Natl Rank: —
Position Rank: No. 24 TE
State Rank: No. 47 in GA
High School
Starred at Cartersville High School in Cartersville, Ga.
Tallied 340 receiving yards and six touchdowns as a junior in 2017.
As a senior, earned player of the week honors from the Daily Tribune News in Cartersville, Ga. for performance in the second round of the playoffs where he had five receptions for 74 yards and three touchdowns, including one score on fourth-and-10.
WR Marietta, GA (Marrieta) 6’3, 185
Committed: 5/16/18
Stars: 4 by 247Sports / 4 by ESPN / 4 by Rivals
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Keyton offers more size to Tennessee’s group of wide receivers and will have a chance to play immediately. Keyton’s ability to make contested catches will be welcomed in Tennessee’s offense. He could also help develop a pipeline for Tennessee at Marietta High School.
Highlights from hudl…
Hear The Sports Animal’s interview with Ramel Keyton’s high school coach, Richard Morgan…
Need to Know:
Selected to play in the 2019 All-American Bowl.
2018 Georgia Preseason Class 7A All-State selection.
2017 Georgia Class 6A All-State Honorable Mention.
Named to Atlanta Journal Constitution’s 2018 Super 11 Football Prospects List.
ESPN:
Natl Rank: No. 113
Position Rank: No. 14 WR
State Rank: No. 15 in GA
247 Sports:
Natl Rank: No. 111
Position Rank: No. 17 WR
State Rank: No. 13 in GA
Rivals:
Natl Rank: No. 159
Position Rank: No. 25 WR
State Rank: No. 14 in GA
High School
Starred at Marietta High School in Marietta, Ga.
Named to the Marietta Daily Journal Dynamite Dozen in 2018.
Tallied 44 receptions for 694 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2018 despite missing the second-half of the season with an injury.
Opened the 2018 season by catching 14 passes for 191 yards and four touchdowns in first game of the season.
Over the course of his entire high school career, totaled 184 receptions for over 3,000 yards and 34 touchdowns, averaging over 100 yards per game.
Led all players in Cobb County with 59 receptions for 1,298 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2017, helping lead Marietta to the state quarterfinals.
Marietta head coach Richard Morgan: “I think Ramel is the most dominant receiver in the state, and I think he’s proven that year after year.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Sophomore guard Evina Westbrook tallied a career-high-tying 29 points and dished out 10 assists, as No. 9/8 ranked Tennessee fell 95-85 to No. 8/9 Stanford at Thompson-Boling Arena on Tuesday night.
Sophomore forward Rennia Davis joined Westbrook in notching a double-double (14 points and 10 rebounds), carding her second of the season and 11th of her career. Senior guard/forward Meme Jackson (17) and freshman guard Zaay Green (14) were the other Tennessee players with double-digit points in the contest. Westbrook became the first Lady Vol since Candace Parker in 2007-08 to register four-straight 20-point games.
Stanford (8-1) was led by a 33-point and 13-rebound performance by DiJonai Carrington, as the Cardinal hit 58 percent of their three-point shots (14 of 24). Four other Stanford players scored in double figures, including Alanna Smith and Kiana Williams with 16 each, fueled by 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range. Lacie Hull tossed in 14, hitting four of five treys, while Maya Dodson chipped in 10.
A 3-for-5 start from deep range propelled Stanford to a 13-5 lead in the first five minutes of the game. Tennessee connected on just three of 10 shots to start, with its first 10 points coming from Davis and Cheridene Green. Despite the shaky start, a Jackson 3-pointer and a layup from Westbrook cut the Cardinal lead to 22-17 through ten minutes of play. Green led the Lady Vols with six first-quarter points and three rebounds.
Jackson kicked the second quarter off for Tennessee with a 3-pointer, cutting the Lady Vol deficit to just two points. Stanford, however, answered by hitting its first three shots of the second quarter, including two 3-pointers. Williams notched nine points from beyond the arc, as the Cardinal shot 9-for-15 from deep in the first half. Tennessee cut the Stanford lead to 47-37 prior to the break, with Westbrook leading the Lady Vols with 15 points over the first 20 minutes.
Tennessee fought back within three points of the lead after forcing four turnovers and shooting 5-for-7 from the floor in the first three minutes of the second half. The Lady Vols tallied a 19-8 start behind seven points from Westbrook and took their first lead of the game at the 5:21 mark in the third quarter. The Cardinal responded with a 9-0 run to end the quarter, as Stanford held a 67-62 lead going into the final frame.
Zaay Green scored five quick points for Tennessee to begin the final stanza, but the Cardinal answered back with a 6-0 run. The Lady Vols faced an eight-point deficit with a little over three minutes remaining in the game. A Stanford 3-pointer extended the Cardinal lead to 89-77 with two minutes remaining, and a pair of free throws from Williams iced the 95-85 victory for the Cardinal.
Up Next: The Lady Vols will host ETSU on Friday. The game is scheduled to tip at 7:02 p.m. and will be available for streaming via SECN+. The contest features a “School’s Out” promotion, with kids 12 & younger receiving complimentary admission at any arena ticket window. It’s also a Big Orange Friday. Download a “BOGO” Buy One Get One Free ticket voucher available exclusively at BigOrangeFriday.com
Consecutive 20s: Sophomore Evina Westbrook has strung together four straight 20+ point performances, becoming the first Lady Vol to do so since Candace Parker had four in a row over the first four games of the 2007-08 season.
Hitting From Long:Meme Jackson has hit three or more treys in five of nine games this season, while Evina Westbrook has contributed at least two in four contests.
Dynamic Duo: Jackson and Westbrook have combined for 281 points through nine games, and Tennessee has been led in scoring by a member of the pair on seven occasions.
Turning Them Over: Stanford entered the contest at UT averaging only 13.3 turnovers per game. The Lady Vols forced them into 20 turnovers, marking the eighth time this season Tennessee has forced 17+ turnovers. Comparatively, the Cardinal committed just 10 turnovers in its upset win over then-No. 3 Baylor on Saturday.
