Volume 137, Issue 9 Thursday, February 7, 2019 utdailybeacon.com @utkdailybeacon
CAMPUS SGA Senate passed the 2019 election packet.
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CITY Knoxville was named one of the top 25 maker cities in the country.
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Tennessee head football coach Jeremy Pruitt communicates with players during the Orange and White Game on April 21. File / The Daily Beacon
Vols finish strong on National Signing Day WILL BACKUS Asst. Sports Editor
OPINIONS This year, April 24 will mark the annual commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.
A majority of Tennessee’s most prized assets in the recruiting circuit were added during the Early Signing Period a couple of months ago, leaving the pickings on National Signing Day, which began on Wednesday, somewhat slim. That doesn’t mean the Vols did not make a splash. With three new signings, they were able to add the top uncommitted offensive and defensive players in the nation in what became one of the best Signing Day finishes nationally.
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Henry To’oto’o
SPORTS No. 1 Tennessee held off former-head coach Cuonzo Martin and the Missouri Tigers with a 72-60 win on Tuesday.
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Tennessee’s biggest surprise of the day came at around 3 p.m. with the addition of Henry To’oto’o, an outside linebacker from Concord, California. The Vols made a midnight run for the talented prospect, though Alabama and Washington seemingly had all of the momentum until the announcement. To’oto’o ranks out as a top-50 player nationally, at No. 44 overall, and is the No. 4 outside linebacker, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He attends the same high
school, De La Salle, as former Vol linebacker and current off-field analyst Kevin Simon. Simon served as one of the primary recruiters for To’oto’o, adding to a level of comfortability that led the talented linebacker prospect to pick Tennessee. He joins Quavaris Crouch, a top-100 prospect, in a tandem of talented linebackers for this 2019 recruiting class. “I feel like it’s home even though it’s all the way out there,” To’oto’o said on an ESPN broadcast. “I felt comfortable down there, especially with Kevin Simon being an alumni.”
Kenney Solomon Kenney Solomon flew under the radar for most of the recruiting process, until he caught the attention of some bigger programs following the Early Signing Period in December. Tennessee was one of those programs, offering him on January 12, in the midst of his unofficial visit. In the following week, both Rutgers and Louisville offered him, as well as Appalachian State. Solomon never officially visited the Vols, meaning that he could be a candidate for a blueshirt. The South Carolina native may not be the most nationally recognized prospect, grading out as the 157th best cornerback in the nation,
but it is his athleticism that really caught the attention of Tennessee’s staff. At 6-feet tall and 170 pounds, Solomon is known as a speedster. In addition to playing corner and tailback for Socastee High School, he also ran track, where he recorded a 10.7-second 100m time. He consistently runs in the 4.4s for his 40 times, and he’s expected to make an impact on special teams as a returner early in his career.
Darnell Wright The offensive line was one of this team’s most glaring weaknesses last season, and the staff knew this needed to be rectified as soon as possible. With 5-star offensive tackle Wanya Morris already in the fold as an early enrollee, Tennessee landed one of its biggest fish left on the hook on Wednesday. Darnell Wright, the 10th ranked prospect nationally, signed with the Vols, adding another 5-star offensive tackle to the fold. He immediately became the eighth highest rated signee in the team’s history, and should step in with Morris immediately in an attempt to fix the offensive front.
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