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Tennessee Football: Jeremy Pruitt ranked a top 25 coach

By Colton Pickard

GAINESVILLE, FL- SEPTEMBER 21: Head coach Jeremy Pruitt of the Tennessee Volunteers looks on during the first half of the game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FL- SEPTEMBER 21: Head coach Jeremy Pruitt of the Tennessee Volunteers looks on during the first half of the game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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Tennessee football looks to be back on the rise as Jeremy Pruitt enters his third season as head coach, and he’s been ranked as a top 25 coach.

Jeremy Pruitt was thrown into a rough situation in Knoxville but he’s turned it into the best situation he could since he became Tennessee football’s head coach.

After going 5-7 in his first season, Pruitt led the Vols to a solid 7-5 season in year two with a bowl win over Indiana and finished the 2019 season one of the hottest teams in college football.

He’s taken that momentum onto the recruiting trail as Tennessee has surged to the No. 2 recruiting class in the country for the 2021 class.

Now, he’s getting recognized for his recent success and is being named a top 25 coach in college football.

247Sports’ Barton Simmons ranked the top 25 coaches in college football, and Pruitt was ranked as the 21st-best coach in Simmons’ rankings, even though he hasn’t necessarily had top 25 success on the football field yet.

After Tennessee’s recent success on the recruiting trail, I think people throughout the country are recognizing that Tennessee is back on the rise and that Tennessee’s top 25 success could be coming quickly.

"“We’re currently in the midst of a Tennessee recruiting flurry but I’m not letting that cloud my judgment on the guy with 13 career wins as a head coach,” Simmons explained. “What has me more optimistic is the way he’s come to those wins.“It looks like Pruitt is building Tennessee to last. He’s recruiting at a high level, in the right places. He seems to be building a team with the foundation to win at the highest level with consistency. When success comes, it won’t just be a flash in the pan given the disciplined approach to roster building and the on-field product.”"

I think all of this is spot on about Pruitt. Yeah, he only has 13 wins, but to get 13 wins in the situation he was thrown into isn’t too bad. He could definitely have a few more losses, but Pruitt coached at a near-elite level in 2019, and I don’t expect that to change in 2020.

Next. The Titans land three primetime spots after AFC Championship run. dark

I think No. 21 is a solid spot for Pruitt coming into his third season. He’s shown that he can coach with the best in the country with a decent roster. He’s proven that he can recruit at a high level too. It’s only a matter of time before he gets into the top 20 and eventually the top ten.

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