Isaac Washington
(DT) Pilot Mountain, NC (East Surry HS)
6’3, 285
Commit: 3/7/20
3-star on 247 Composite/Rivals/ESPN
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Washington is a defensive lineman who the Vols targeted early in the recruiting process. He plans to enroll early at Tennessee and should develop into a quality lineman in the future.
Eric Cain’s Analysis: Isaac Washington believes in Jeremy Pruitt and that’s why he stuck in this class amidst all the controversy of 2020. Washington was first recruited and committed to Tracy Rocker. De-committed before getting to know Jimmy Brumbaugh and has stuck around because of the head coach. He’s grown, added good weight and can play several techniques on the interior of the defensive line in the 3-4 scheme. He and Evans were always critical to the class as the two longstanding defensive line commits.
Bio: A physical defensive tackle prospect who earned three stars from Rivals.com and 247Sports.com … Rated the No. 27 overall player from North Carolina and the No. 32 defensive tackle in the nation by Rivals.com … Ranked No. 39 on the top 50 list of players coming out of North Carolina by MaxPreps.com and No. 37 by 247Sports.com … Helped East Surry to the 2019 state Division 1AA title after a 15-0 season … Combined for 191 tackles, 38.0 TFL, 18.0 sacks and 20 QBH in a two-year scholastic career (the 2020 football season has been pushed to March 2021 in North Carolina) … Also plays varsity basketball … Committed to Tennessee in March 2020 … Coached by David Johnson … Twitter handle is @isaacw_74.
As the weather changes she loves to head inside and curl up on the couch watching her favorite holiday movies, and TV specials.
So, what’s on Lauren’s holiday viewing list, “Oh gosh! I have so many favorite Christmas movies, but I usually like the funny ones like The Grinch and Elf. I don’t know. I like all of it. It’s so hard to pick. I love Christmas.”
Something fans will be loving this Christmas season and beyond is Lauren’s new surPrize Box offer. She’s always looking for a way to connect with her fans on a new level, and “Lauren Alaina’s surPRIZE Box” might just be that unique way that she can share one of a kind items with fans that sign up. Delivered directly to your home or sent as a gift to a friend, each quarter, fans receive Lauren Alaina’s hand-picked, custom products celebrating life, her passions for fitness and cooking, songwriting and, of course, her love of puns!
Lauren shares, “Normally I’d be on stage, night-after-night sharing songs and stories; however, right now we’re at home and staying connected mostly through socials, so we got creative and are bringing more experiences to the fans where they are, at home!” She added, “We’ve partnered with experts in the subscription-based business who also have roots in both Georgia and Tennessee, BLCK Label, LLC, to help us – from design and delivery – create unique ‘surPRIZE boxes’ each quarter!”
If this is something that interests you, or something you might want to get for the Lauren Alaina fan in your life, head to LaurenAlainaOfficial.com for more info!
Lauren recently top the country airplays charts with Devin Dawson on Hardy‘s number-one hit “One Beer”…
Garth Brooks has had a very busy past couple of weeks.
The country superstar released two albums late last month, FUN, and Triple Live Deluxe, and since then, he has made a couple of TV appearances, including a very memorable stop on the Kelly Clarkson show earlier this week.
Now Garth is gearing up for his last big event of the year, as he and Trisha Yearwood will be on CBS TV Sunday evening with Garth & Trisha Live! A Holiday Concert Event. This holiday special follows their Garth & Trisha Live! event earlier this year, also on CBS, that was focused on bringing people together through music in the early stages of the pandemic when so many of us were initially forced to shelter at home.
The response to that televised concert was such a ratings hit, CBS rebroadcast it a few days later.
So, bringing the two back for a holiday themed Request show seemed like a no-brainer. Just like Garth and Trisha did for that first special on CBS, along with the times they have done it on Facebook Live as well, they have been collecting song requests from fans that will generate their set list. But knowing Garth, there will be some impromptu moments as well.
Garth says, “This is gonna be a fun night no matter what happens. I think we’re going to be in the kitchen…and maybe by the fireplace. Maybe in the studio. We can go all over the place. It should be fun.”
Catch some holiday cheer with Garth & Trisha Live! A Holiday Concert Event Sunday evening on CBS TV (8:30pm ET/7:30pm CT – delayed at 8:00pm PT).
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee women’s basketball head coach Kellie Harper took questions from the media on Wednesday in a Zoom interview session that covered the Lady Vols’ two games this week.
UT (3-1) will play at No. 15 Indiana (2-1) on Thursday at 4 p.m. ET (BTN+) and host Jackson State (1-4) on Sunday at noon ET (SEC Network).
On how the game against Indiana came about:
“At the beginning of the season when we put our schedule out publicly, we knew we were still one game short of a full schedule. We knew that we could add a game during the season. This was the week we wanted to try to add it. We had a game that Stanford was not able to come and play, so we wanted a really good opponent there. We’re very fortunate that Indiana had an opening there at the same time. We were able to get with them, communicate that and make this happen.”
On how the team has bounced back from traveling to Texas and having the game canceled so close to game time:
“It was actually a pretty big blow, to be honest. Players were getting taped. The coaching staff was getting ready. I think we had less than an hour before departing to the gym when we found out. That was tough. We were sitting on go. You build up and do everything leading up to game time. You’re getting ready to peak for game time, and then it doesn’t happen. That’s a big blow. Now, on the flip side, we’re all healthy. We had a safe trip out there. We had a safe trip back. At times like these, it’s easy to really dial in and look at that one little thing, but I think it’s important that we look at the big picture and realize that we’re OK. It’s just part of what we have to do. Honestly, it was a little somber coming home. The trip was a little quiet. At the next practice that we had, we had to get them geared back up and say, ‘This is part of it. That’s in the past; we’re moving forward and have to attack what’s in front of us.’ I think it’s important that we try to remember the big picture in these moments.”
On the challenge Indiana poses:
“They are really good and an excellent basketball team. They don’t do anything tricky. There’s no gimmick to it. They line up and guard you. They line up and score against you. They have a balanced attack. They have solid play. They’re intelligent, very physical and very intense. Coach (Teri) Moren has done an excellent job at Indiana. At my prior stop at Missouri State, we were able to play Indiana, so I understand what this team is all about. They’re going to be a difficult opponent for our team, but it’s a great opportunity to go up there and play against this type of basketball team. That’s the way we’re approaching it and getting our players as prepared as possible.”
On the veteran play of the nine seniors for Jackson State:
“In terms of Jackson State, I haven’t turned my attention to them as of yet, but I know they’re going to come in here competitively and ready to win. I know that. I think that’s the game that coaches look at every year – the game right before Christmas. You want to make sure that they don’t go on Christmas break before that game. They go on Christmas break after that game. Once we get through our Indiana game and have some opportunities to practice back here, we’ll discuss that and make sure we get our players focused for that last game.”
On Tennessee’s defense and the challenge Indiana poses:
“I think, in terms of our defense, it’s hard to take one person out. It’s hard to double team somebody because they’re just so solid across the board. They have a lot of people that can do things with the basketball. They really get to the paint. I think their guards play downhill. They make good decisions going downhill. They can score off the jumper. I think that’s one of their strengths. You can’t sit in the paint because they can knock down some threes as well. You can’t help off post players. They can shoot, and they can score. Obviously, their leading scorer right now is a post player. They’ve just got great balance. I think it’s just a challenge for us because there’s not a lot of gimmicks (and) not a lot of trickiness that you can do. You just literally have to line up and guard. You just have to guard. It’s got to be important to you.”
On whether the game against Indiana could turn into a series:
“It’s something we’ll talk about. I’m probably working on a home-and-home with them now, this year, and get them back down next year. We’ll see after that. Things are just so different this year. You’ve got to get through this year and then process the years in the future.”
On Thursday’s starting lineup:
“We had talked about some things even before the Texas game, so we’ll go into practice today and kind of make that decision coming out of practice. For me, the starting lineup, I know it’s a big deal to a lot of people, but it’s not to me. I think more importantly for us we’ve got to get our team ready to play, and that’s more than just five kids. We’ve got to be able to play our bench up at Indiana to give us an opportunity.”
On Rennia Davis’ shooting:
“I, personally, don’t have a concern about her going out and knocking down shots. Whatever game we go out and play, I feel like she is going to go out and make baskets. I think that’s just how much confidence we have in her. I understand that she may not shoot great next game. I don’t know when that’s going to happen. Our concern is that she’s going to be able to play through it. That’s going to be the greater concern. I don’t concern myself with what she’s doing, because it’s going to be fine. I have great confidence there. We’ve got to continue to help her feel good about taking those shots because our team needs her to.”
Everyone could use some extra holiday tips, right?
Texas born Mickey Guyton is here to help!
Mickey, along with Tiffani Thiessen, Candance Cameron Bure, Camila McConaughey and others are partnering with Texas-based retailer H-E-B to share their tips and traditions on how to Holiday Even Brighter this year.
In her part of making the holidays even brighter, Mickey shares a recipe for slow cooker mac & cheese, talks about her family traditions, what she’s doing this year to keep in touch with friends and family in 2020, plus how this will be the last holiday with just her and husband as they will be welcoming a son in 2021.
Saving the best for last, Mickey also sings a beautiful rendition of “Silent Night”.
You can see the full slate of H-E-B Holiday Even Brighter videos HERE
All 3 of Mickey’s Holiday Even Brighter videos are below…
Mickey’s mac & cheese recipe…
Mickey talking about the holidays…
Mickey shares a beautiful rendition of “Silent Night”…
Can you think of what your favorite Christmas gift was?
For Chris Young, that answer is easy, “I actually got my first guitar as a Christmas gift. So, that’s one that’s always going to stand out in my mind.”
Chris recalls unwrapping the present, “I picked it up and was like so excited to have it.” Of course then Chris realized “it was going to take me a really long time to learn to play it.” But the end, it was totally worth it, “It’s obviously brought me a lot of joy over the years being able to sit down and pick up an instrument and just, sing and play. So, that was pretty special.”
Chris loves this time of the year, and one of his favorite things he got to do over the last several years was to put out his own holiday album, It Must Be Christmas.
From that, here’s his version of “The Christmas Song.”
You know the classic holiday movie A Christmas Story, right? Then of course you also know the famous line from it.
Brett Eldredge admits that line goes through his mind every time he uses one of his favorite Christmas gifts, “I got a paintball gun for Christmas once. And it was like the famous ‘You’ll shoot your eye out’…I kept hearing that in the back of my head the whole time.”
The paintball gun is the gift that keeps on giving…to not only Brett, but his friends too, “I still have it today and I go out there and shoot at my friends…(laugh) it’s fun, but I’d say the paintball gun was one definitely one of the most memorable gifts I ever got.”
The musical gift that keeps on giving from Brett to his fans is his Christmas album, Glow. Check out this video for “It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas”
Do you have a big family that shows up for the holidays?
Thomas Rhett says that his house is like Grand Central Station on a normal day, “I mean there’s literally so many people in our house on a daily basis, whether it’s our friends or our family, our house seems to be the central location where people want to hang out.”
But when it comes to the holidays, that traffic is kicked up a notch. Big Christmas parties are a tradition that come from his wife, that they are carrying on, “Lauren’s house that she grew up in was always the house that kids went over to. Thanksgiving they always had people over and they always had the biggest ugly sweater Christmas parties in the world. So, even since we got married, we have continued to have this party, and it grows and grows and grows and grows.”
Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins
Thomas adds, “Obviously in 2020 this party’s gonna look a little bit different, but we just love having people in our house.”
It doesn’t matter whether is a small or larger crowd though, there’s always one spot everyone gravitates to, “We always seem to hang out in the kitchen for some reason. So sometimes, you know, especially last year, we had 60-some-odd people just packed into our kitchen for a Christmas party. And so I would say our house is kind of the central location for a hangout.”
While Thomas and Lauren might not be throwing the holiday party they are use to in their own home, a few weeks ago they did host a party for everyone to attend, the CMA Country Christmas TV special.
That’s where Thomas shared this holiday track, check out “Christmas In Country…
Thomas & Lauren Photo Credit: Katie Kauss-CMA
Thomas Photo Credit: John Shearer
The sights and sounds of Christmas are really amazing.
John Osborne of the Brothers Osborne would agree, “I love the overall feel and look at that time of year.”
A lot of people started decorating earlier than usual in 2020 just because of how putting up the Christmas decorations would make them feel. John shares that depending on where you live, the season change, along with the decorations, can also help in setting the Christmas mood, “It’s starting to get really cold then and everything’s coming to a halt. It stays dark so you have a lot of Christmas lights. I just love Christmas lights – they put you in such an amazing mood. Just the sounds, like all the Christmas music.”
While 2020 is a Christmas unlike one that we’ve seen before, John says that normally, all the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping puts him in the spirit, “Even shopping, which is quite possibly one of the most hectic things to do during the holidays. Even if we have all our shopping done, we’ll still go to the mall just because it’s so alive and vibrant and the colors and the music and the lights. I just love it. It’s a bit sensory overload, but I kinda dig that.”
Since it’s gets dark out earlier, that means people can leave their lights on…”All Night”…
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Marley is a terrific athlete who could play a number of positions in college. Look for Marley to add some weight and player linebacker for the Vols. He’s talented enough to play on either side of the ball.
Eric Cain’s Analysis: Marley is one of the more intriguing prospects Tennessee is bringing in because he can play all over the field – literally. The four-star played quarterback, running back, tight end and wide receiver in high school – as well as linebacker and safety on defense. I think Tennessee will start him out at outside linebacker to put his speed and athleticism to use rushing the quarterback. Regardless, he is a student of the game and is versatile and prides himself on that.
Bio: Talented two-way player and a consensus four-star athlete by 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and ESPN.com … Could play on either side of the ball at the college level … The No. 101 player in the country and No. 2 athlete by Rivals.com … No. 172 ranked player in the ESPN 300 … Rated the No. 4 athlete and No. 9 player in the state of North Carolina by the 247Sports Composite … Named a 2021 Sports Illustrated All-America candidate … Named to the NCPreps Preseason All-State team as a junior in 2019 and a senior in 2020 … Was a North Carolina first-team all-state selection by MaxPreps in 2019 after leading Eastern Randolph to a 10-3 record and the second round of the Class 2A state playoffs … Starred on both sides of the ball for the Wildcats, finishing his junior season with 814 receiving yards, 396 rushing yards and 26 total touchdowns to go along with three interceptions while lining up at wide receiver, running back and defensive back … Has not played in 2020 after the North Carolina high school football season was postponed due to COVID-19 … Also played basketball in high school … Received offers from 16 schools … Committed to the Vols in May 2020 … Coached by Charles Arrington … Twitter handle is @Kaemen_Marley.
