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Tennessee Football fighting for top in-state receiver

By Colton Pickard

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 14: Head coach Jeremy Pruitt of the Tennessee Volunteers shouts to his players from the sideline during the second quarter of their game against the Chattanooga Mockingbirds at Neyland Stadium on September 14, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 14: Head coach Jeremy Pruitt of the Tennessee Volunteers shouts to his players from the sideline during the second quarter of their game against the Chattanooga Mockingbirds at Neyland Stadium on September 14, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images) /
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After getting its 22nd verbal commitment, Tennessee football is in the running for a top in-state wide receiver.

Tennessee football has nearly filled out its 2021 class with 22 verbal commitments so far. Of course, some of those could de-commit, and statistically, that will happen for a few players.

But as of right now, Tennessee has 22 verbal commitments, and Jeremy Pruitt and his coaching staff aren’t slowing down on the recruiting trail.

Tennessee looks to continue its momentum with another in-state recruit. Top in-state wide receiver Quenton Barnes Jr. announced his top-five on Twitter, and the Vols are right there in the middle of the battle with four other SEC teams.

Barnes has listed Tennessee along with Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M. Those are four teams that could swipe him under Pruitt’s nose if they go all-in on him.

https://twitter.com/QBarnesJr2/status/1262435570766286849

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound wideout from Antioch is a four-star receiver that could be another threat on Tennessee’s future offense. Pruitt is getting solid playmakers in the 2021 class on top of the guys that are already in Knoxville.

If Pruitt wants to be a successful recruiter long-term, then he has to win over the top recruits in Tennessee, and then move outside of the state. If you can’t win your state in recruiting, then it’s going to be hard to win recruits in any other state.

But Pruitt knows that, and he knows that he has to get the easy commits in his state and in surrounding areas before he can get the top recruits in the country. Luckily, he’s getting both at the same time.

When it comes to Barnes, he’s a headache for opposing defenses. Over the last two seasons, Barnes has totaled 68 receptions for 1,261 yards and 11 touchdowns with 38 of those passes for 679 yards and seven touchdowns coming this past season as a junior.

He’s a threat deep with his quickness, and he can get off the ball and get downfield in a few seconds to make a play.

You can never have too many athletes, and if Pruitt can get Barnes, who is one of the best players in Tennessee (seventh-ranked player according to 247Sports), then the Vols could be on their way to building one of the best offenses in the country come 2022 or 2023.

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