The Tennessee football team continues prep for Texas A&M this Saturday in the final game of the regular season. Here’s some video, courtesy of UT Athletics and VFL Films.
WATCH: Tennessee football Texas A&M week practice
WATCH: Pruitt Early Signing Period Press Conference
Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt discussed every UT signee so far in the annual Early Signing Period press conference and also discussed Texas A&M.
3-star JUCO OLB Byron Young – Vols 15th 2021 ESP signee
Byron Young
(OLB) Hemingway, SC (Georgia Military College)
6’3, 240
Commit: 12/16/20
3-star on 247 Composite/Rivals/ESPN
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Young is a player who could add pass rush help to the Vols’ defense. Tennessee needs as much help as it can get on the edge; Young will be added to the list of options.
Eric Cain’s Analysis: Young is a win for Tennessee on Wednesday – especially with the uncertainty surrounding Dylan Brooks and his future. Out of Georgia Military College, Young is one of the top JUCO players in the country and a skilled pass rusher. He’s got length and great size (6-3, 240) and has a motor. With experience, I’d say Young competes for snaps right away.
Bio: One of the top pass rushers in the junior college ranks … Considered the No. 1 weakside defensive end and No. 11 overall junior college player by 247Sports.com … Top 20 junior college player according to the 247 Composite … Member of the ESPN.com JUCO Top 50 coming in at No. 47 … Tabbed a three-star prospect overall … Tallied 31 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss and seven sacks for a loss of 46 yards during the 2019 season … Notched three sacks in a game against College of Dupage on Sept. 22, 2019 … Prepped at Carvers Bay High School, graduating in 2017 … Committed to the Vols on National Signing Day in December and chose UT over multiple SEC programs … Coached at junior college by Rob Manchester … Twitter handle is @byron_97.
3-star RB Jaylen Wright – Vols 14th 2021 ESP signee
Jaylen Wright
(RB) Durham, NC (Southern HS)
5’11, 200
Commit: 3/30/20
3-star on 247 Composite/Rivals/ESPN
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Speed. And lots of it. That’s what Tennessee will get from Wright, who the Vols should try to use as a runner and receiver out of the backfield.
Eric Cain’s Analysis: Jaylen Wright can do a lot and has been working extremely hard this fall since North Carolina did away with HS football due to the pandemic. He runs harder than he looks, but can catch passes out of the backfield and line up in the slot. That’s what Tennessee expects out of him – to be an all-purpose back. It’s now a crowded running back room, but I’d expect Wright to contend this spring for reps. He’s hungry.
Bio: An explosive running back with elite speed … A consensus three-star prospect by 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and ESPN.com … Rated the No. 21 player in the state of North Carolina by Rivals.com … Rated the No. 30 running back in the nation by 247Sports.com … Named to the Big 8 3A All-Conference team as a junior in 2019 after rushing 89 times for 901 yards (10.1 yards per carry) and five touchdowns … Had four 100-plus yard rushing games as a junior … Helped lead Southern Durham High School to a 10-2 record and Big 8 3A conference championship as a junior in 2019 … Has not played this season after the 2020 North Carolina high school football season was postponed due to COVID-19 … Was also a star on the Southern Durham track & field team, winning an indoor state title in the 55m dash as a sophomore … Clocked a personal best time of 6.29 in the 55m dash in 2019, which was the fastest mark in the country at the time … Committed to the Vols in March 2020 … Coached by Darius Robinson … Twitter handle is @__jw12.
4-star RB Cody Brown – Vols 13th 2021 ESP signee
Cody Brown
(RB) Lilburn, GA (Parkview HS)
6’0, 217
Commit: 5/3/20
4-star on 247 Composite/Rivals/ESPN
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Brown has good size and should add a physical presence to Tennessee’s offensive backfield. Brown is the type of running back Jeremy Pruitt has tried to sign since he became Tennessee’s coach.
Eric Cain’s Analysis: I wouldn’t say it’s a surprise Cody Brown signed with Tennessee, but he’s gone cold the past several months. So, it always makes you wonder what was going on there. Regardless, Brown is a Vol and will have a chance to step in alongside Eric Gray and contend for snaps as a freshman. He’s got good speed and great tackle-breaking ability and a guy the Vols were high on for quite some time.
Bio: Decorated high school running back out of Georgia and a consensus four-star prospect by 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and ESPN.com … The No. 10 ranked running back in the nation and No. 20 ranked prospect in the state of Georgia according to the 247Sports Composite … No. 193 ranked player in the class by Rivals.com and No. 249 in the ESPN300 rankings … Named to 2020 MaxPreps Preseason Georgia All-State team as a senior … Named to 2020 AJC Super 11 … Named a 2021 Sports Illustrated All-American Candidate … Totaled over 5,000 career rushing yards and scored 65 touchdowns while averaging 116.0 yards per game during his prep career … Named to the 2019 Georgia Class 7A All-State team as a junior after rushing for 1,676 yards and 20 touchdowns while averaging 7.8 yards per carry … Named to the 2018 Georgia Class 7A All-State team as a sophomore after posting 183 carries for 1,588 yards (8.7 ypc) and 25 touchdowns … Helped lead Parkview High School to a 12-2 record and an appearance in the Georgia Class 7A state playoff semifinals as a junior in 2019 … Committed to the Vols in May 2020 … Coached by Eric Godfree … Twitter handle is @_codywbrown.
Gabby Barrett Makes History with “I Hope”
Gabby Barrett struck gold in 2020!
Her mega-smash hit “I Hope” has made history as it is now the longest running number-1 song on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. She has reigned on top for 20-weeks, and is the first solo female to accomplish this feat.
Learning of the record-breaking accomplishment, Gabby shared, “Wow, I’m blown away, this year has been absolutely crazy for all of us, so to have this kind of year career-wise feels surreal.” she added, “I’m so grateful for every step that my team, my fans and most importantly my family have taken to bring us here. Thank you to all of you, and to Country radio, for making this possible!”
“I Hope” and her current single “The Good Ones” are both from her Goldmine album, which came out earlier this year. If you are one of the few to not hear Gabby Barrett’s record-breaking song, check out the music video for it right here…
Carrie Underwood Shares One of Her Favorite Christmas Eve Memories
While Carrie Underwood is a global superstar singing to millions of fans now, she used to sing to a much more exclusive crowd.
Carrie shares a Christmas tradition that she did with her family when she was younger, “One thing that we always did growing up that was one of my favorite memories, we would on Christmas Eve we would go to my grandparents’ house. Us kids were always responsible for putting oranges and apples and bananas in little paper bags and we would go down to the nursing home and sing Christmas carols.”
Carrie is still singing Christmas music in 2020 as she released her first holiday album, My Gift, this year.
One of the most talked about tracks is her duet with John Legend on the amazing song “Hallelujah”–you can check out the music video for it right here…
Photo Credit: Randee St Nicholas
4-star WR Julian Nixon – Vols 12th 2021 ESP signee
Julian Nixon
(WR) Roswell, GA (Centennial HS)
6’4, 225
Commit: 4/28/20
4-star on 247 Composite/ESPN, 3-star on Rivals
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Nixon is a big receiver who brings a physical presence to the position. Let’s see if he adds weight at Tennessee. Could he play tight end in the future?
Eric Cain’s Analysis: Julian Nixon is a bigger guy who should excel at lining up outside against smaller cornerbacks. He displays good length and ball skills when high-pointing the football. Nixon is a bit of a work in progress, but eyes opportunity still with a mostly young group of unproven receivers.
Bio: Versatile athlete who can play on either side of the ball at the next level … A four-star prospect by 247Sports.com and ESPN.com … The No. 21 player in the state of Georgia and No. 34 at his position nationally by ESPN.com … Pegged as the No. 28 recruit in Georgia and No. 54 wide receiver in the class of 2021 by the 247Sports Composite … Considered the No. 43 recruit in the state of Georgia by Rivals.com … A 2020 SI All-American Football finalist … Totaled 1,090 receiving yards on 82 catches with nine receiving touchdowns in his career … Found the end zone a total of 16 times as a Centennial Knight … Also played basketball … Received offers from 21 different schools … Committed to the Vols in April 2020 … Twitter handle is @JulianNixon11.
3-star OL J’Marion Gooch – Vols 11th 2021 ESP signee
J’Marion Gooch
(OL) Gallatin, TN (Gallatin, HS)
6’6, 330
Commit: 8/31/20
3-star on 247 Composite/Rivals/ESPN
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Gooch is a massive offensive line prospect who originally committed to Auburn. The staff’s interest in Gooch was obvious when the Vols never let up in their pursuit of Gooch, who ultimately decided to stay closer to home at Tennessee.
Eric Cain’s Analysis: Locally, we’ve had a chance to watch Gooch play at TKA. He’s massive (6-9, 345) but can move. The former Auburn commit excels at kicking out defenders on pulls, wash downs and getting up to the second and third layers of the defense. Gooch missed the final two games of his high school career but appears now to be healthy and ready to make an impact.
Bio: Promising in-state offensive line prospect with excellent feet and balance … A three-star prospect by Rivals.com and 247Sports.com … The No. 67 offensive tackle in the nation and No. 18-ranked player in the state of Tennessee by the 247Sports Composite … According to 247Sports.com, the 15th-best player in the state of Tennessee … No. 12-ranked player in the state of Tennessee by ESPN.com … Ranked No. 24 in the state of Tennessee by Rivals.com … 2019 All-Region selection playing on the offensive and defensive lines … Played two years of high school football and has unlimited potential … Played at Gallatin High School and Gallatin’s Station Camp High School before transferring to The King’s Academy in 2019 … Committed to the Vols in August 2020 … Coached by Jonathan Sellers … Committed to Tennessee on Twitter handle is @GoochJmarion.
4-star QB Kaidon Salter – Vols 10th 2021 ESP signee
Kaidon Salter
(QB) Cedar Hill, TX (Cedar Hill HS)
6’2, 185
Commit: 5/10/20
4-star on 247 Composite/Rivals/ESPN
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Salter is a very talented dual-threat quarterback who will compete for Tennessee’s starting position in the spring. Will he be ready as a freshman? Time will tell, but there’s no question Salter has a ton of potential for the future.
Eric Cain’s Analysis: Kaidon Salter was the straw that stirred the drink in Tennessee’s 2021 Class. When things were tough on the field for the Vols, Salter never wavered in his commitment and would call and check up on fellow pledges. Salter will most likely be in the middle of a three-man quarterback competition this spring and next fall and displays mobility and the ability to stretch plays when the pocket collapses. Slater is Jim Chaney’s guy – the first quarterback the soon-to-be third-year UT offensive coordinator has recruited.
Bio: One of the elite dual threat quarterbacks in all of America … A consensus four-star recruit and leader on the field … Gave opposing defenses fits with his athleticism combined with his strong arm and quick release … Tabbed the No. 3 dual threat quarterback in the nation by 247Sports.com and also the No. 46 overall recruit and No. 6 prospect in the state of Texas by the site … Considered the No. 8 dual-threat quarterback in the nation by Rivals.com and also No. 24 overall player in the state of Texas … The top overall quarterback prospect in the talent-rich state of Texas according to 247Sports.com … An Elite 11 finalist and a 2020 National Quarterback Club High School QB of the Year candidate … The leader of a Cedar Hill team that is ranked No. 21 nationally by MaxPreps in 2020 … In a Dec. 11 Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff game win against Bryan, accounted for four touchdowns – one rushing and three passing … Ran for a game-high 93 yards on 12 carries and completed 13-of-19 passes for 180 yards in the same contest … In eight regular season games as a senior in 2020, accumulated 1,546 passing yards and 19 touchdowns to go along with only three interceptions … Also rushed for 521 yards and averaged 6.1 yards per carry during his senior regular season … As a junior, threw for 2,550 yards and 28 touchdowns with another 616 rushing yards and 10 rushing scores en route to District 7-6A MVP honors in 2019 … Guided Cedar Hill to a 9-3 record and a Texas Class 6A D-II second round playoff appearance as a junior … Played his sophomore season at Dallas Bishop Lynch, throwing for 1,266 yards and rushing for 268 yards in 2018 … Shows great athletic ability in track as well, posting a 6-2 high jump, a 21’6 long jump, and a 47’5 triple jump in the spring of 2020 … Racked up 26 offers during his recruiting process … Committed to the Vols in May 2020 … Coached by Carlos Lynn … Twitter handle is @KaidonSalter_7.
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