GoVols247: A Tennessee Volunteers athletics podcast

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the 2020 NFL Draft that was and the 2021 NFL Draft would be as they related to the Vols.

It wasn’t supposed to be a big draft for the Vols in 2020, especially after star offensive lineman Trey Smith chose to return to school for his senior season, and it definitely wasn’t a big draft. Two Vols came off the board, though, with edge rusher Darrell Taylor going to the Seattle Seahawks in the second round and wide receiver Jauan Jennings going to the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round.

Several more Vols were quickly snatched up as free agents after the draft, though, with wide receiver Marquez Callaway going to the New Orleans Saints, safety Nigel Warrior going to the Baltimore Ravens and tight end Dominick Wood-Anderson joining Taylor in Seattle. Another former Tennessee star — inside linebacker Daniel Bituli — wasn’t selected and hasn’t signed a free-agent deal yet, but 247Sports broke the story on Bituli’s situation and explained why he’s expected to sign somewhere in the near future.

A hefty discussion on the Vols who were drafted and those who signed free-agent deals (and Bituli) is featured throughout the first segment of this episode. There was plenty to discuss there, though, so it was a lengthy segment.

The 2021 NFL Draft becomes the focal point of the show in the second segment, and that should be at least a slightly bigger deal for the Vols.

A dozen-or-so Tennessee players who could be selected in next year’s draft, so there was plenty to discuss in that segment, as well, but this episode was neatly split into two distinct segments for those who don’t have the time to squeeze everything into one listening window.

The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss four-star wide receiver Julian Nixon’s commitment to Tennessee.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Nixon has been a big-time prospect since early in his career at Centennial High School in Roswell, Ga., but he claimed to choose Tennessee over Ohio State and Georgia. Auburn was a factor for much of his recruitment, as well, and for a while the Tigers seemed to be the team to beat. Ultimately, though, the No. 238 overall player in the 2021 industry-generated 247Sports Composite chose the Vols.

Nixon became the Vols’ third high-profile commitment in three days, joining five star-edge rusher Dylan Brooks (who committed to Sunday) and four-star safety Kamar Wilcoxson (who committed to Monday) as the newest additions to a Tennessee class that has soared from No. 17 to No. 5 nationally in less than 48 hours.

What kind of player is Nixon? How does he fit into Tennessee’s system? Is he definitely a wide receiver going forward, or could be grow into a tight end or a hybrid pass catcher? How has Tennessee gotten so hot on the recruiting trail during this prolonged dead period caused by the COVID-19 pandemic? Is recruiting momentum a real thing, or is this three-day heater a coincidence? What does this commitment mean for the rest of Tennessee’s 2021 class? Those are the main topics discussed in this one-segment episode.

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss four-star defensive back Kamar Wilcoxson’s commitment to Tennessee.

Wilcoxson, the nation’s No. 14 safety prospect in the 2021 industry-generated 247Sports Composite, de-committed from Florida twice during the process before choosing Tennessee on Monday. He had more than 30 offers and chose the Vols over the likes of Alabama, Ohio State and, of course, Florida.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Wilcoxson is an Atlanta-area native who recently transferred to powerhouse IMG Academy in Florida in order to help him transition more smoothly to the college level, but the work he did back home was plenty good enough to get offers from the best programs in college football.

What kind of a prospect is Wilcoxson? Does he project as a safety, a cornerback, a nickel or perhaps all of the above? How have Jeremy Pruitt and his staff gotten so hot on the recruiting trail during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine? Is Wilcoxson really done with the recruiting process this time? What does his commitment mean for the Vols’ class? How long can Tennessee stay this hot? Those are some of the many discussion points squeezed into this one-segment episode.

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss five-star Alabama edge rusher Dylan Brooks’ commitment to Tennessee.

Brooks, the nation’s No. 18 overall prospect in the 2021 industry-generated 247Sports Composite, could have committed anywhere, but the top-ranked player in Alabama chose Tennessee over in-state powers Alabama and Auburn, reigning national champion LSU and others.

A decision like this will send shockwaves across the college football landscape, and there’s so much to discuss.

Since this was a breaking-news episode, though, there wasn’t much time in which to discuss it. So a lot of topics were including in rapid-fire succession.

How did Tennessee pull off this coup? Why didn’t Brooks choose Alabama, Auburn or LSU? What does this say about Jeremy Pruitt and his staff? Why has Tennessee had so much recruiting success in Alabama recently? What kind of prospect is Brooks? How much time will Brooks need to contribute? What does this mean for the rest of Tennessee’s 2021 class? Those are just some of the topics discussed in this one-segment episode.

The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and NBCSports’ college basketball writer Rob Dauster (from his home in the Washington D.C. area) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss where one Tennessee senior and perhaps one Tennessee junior could play at the next level, and where things stand for Rick Barnes’ program heading into the 2020-21 season.

Dauster seems to higher than most analysts on the potential NBA future of Tennessee junior Yves Pons, the newly minted SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Pons still hasn’t announced an intention to declare for the NBA Draft without hiring an agent, but there’s no reason to believe he’d do anything else. Every college player is allowed to do that one time but still return to school as long as they don’t hire an agent, and Pons is a junior, so it makes sense to at least test the waters.

While some remain on the fence of skeptical of Pons’ professional future, at least in this country, Dauster sees things differently. He has Pons ranked No. 32 overall on the most recent version of his hot board, and he offered several reasons for that belief.

Dauster also discussed the potential NBA future of former Tennessee guard Jordan Bowden, a Knoxville native who started all four seasons for the hometown Vols and played a pivotal role in the program’s rebirth in the Barnes era. Bowden was pegged by many as a potential breakout star heading into his senior season, but a prolonged shooting slump plagued much of that season. Bowden’s elite athleticism and two-way ability still have him firmly on the radar of at least a few NBA organizations, though, and probably more than that, and Dauster spoke about Bowden’s potential going forward.

While much of the discussion with Dauster focused on Pons and Bowden, the conversation concluded with a chat about the Vols heading into next season. Putting it mildly, Dauster is very high on Tennessee heading into next season, and he offered several reasons to support that claim.

The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss an offseason checklist of sorts for Tennessee’s quarterbacks and wide receivers.

The secondary at Tennessee has always been a well-coached group under head coach Jeremy Pruitt and defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley, and the Vols return plenty of experience from last season.

Segment No. 1 of this episode focuses on Tennessee’s deep cornerback spots. That group — led by junior star Bryce Thompson — has the potential to become one of the SEC’s best in 2020, if junior Alontae Taylor, sophomore Warren Burrell, senior Kenneth George Jr. and others take a step forward.

A strong finish last season from Shawn Shamburger helped Tennessee solidify the crucial nickel spot in the secondary, and Shamburger will return for his senior season to give the Vols another important piece of the puzzle. Some discussion on Shamburger and the other options at nickel are included in the first segment.

The safeties take center stage in the second segment of this episode, and there’s plenty to discuss there, as well. Nigel Warrior last season finally became the All-SEC-caliber player so many expected him to be, but he was a senior and is currently preparing for the NFL Draft. Tennessee returns plenty of talent and experience at the safety positions, though, with sophomore Jaylen McCollough, junior Trevon Flowers and senior Theo Jackson expected to be the top three competitors for the starting spots. Others, including talented sophomore Tyus Fields, also hope to get themselves into the mix.

Discussion on Tennessee’s two (and potentially three) secondary newcomers — versatile athletes Keyshawn Lawrence and Tamarion McDonald, and safety Doneiko Slaughter — hope to get themselves in the mix, as well, and discussion on all three of those freshmen is included in this episode. There’s also discussion senior Baylen Buchanan, a former starter who will be back in the mix at cornerback if he’s able to overcome a complicated health situation that forced him to redshirt last season.

The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to respond to several questions from Tennessee fans on GoVols247’s CheckerBoard and social media.

Perhaps it doesn’t seem like there’s much happening in the sports world at the moment, but there’s always plenty happening at Tennessee and always plenty of interesting things to discuss regarding the Vols’ past, present and future.

There were plenty of interesting questions from Tennessee fans to answer in this episode. Football, basketball, recruiting and much more are discussed in detail in this full-hour episode.

The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Wednesday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss big Alabama wide receiver Roc Taylor’s Friday afternoon commitment to Tennessee.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Taylor chose Tennessee over a list of several other offers, including SEC programs Florida and Arkansas. He became the Vols’ 10th commitment in the 2021 class and their third commitment during this recruiting dead period caused by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

What kind of prospect is Taylor? Is he definitely a wide receiver going forward, or could a move to tight end or somewhere else come down the line? Why have the Vols been able to continue recruiting so effectively during this dead period, and does this 10-strong foundation at such an early period help them become more selective the rest of the cycle and focus on the players toward the top of their board? What does the addition of Taylor mean for the recruiting at the wide receiver and tight end positions for the rest of this cycle? Those are the main discussion points in this quick, one-segment episode.

The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released by Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location in Knox County) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss a Tennessee front seven that lost a couple of leading men after last season but returns plenty of potential and plenty of experience.

The first segment of this episode focuses on the defensive line — an area of depth and strength for Tennessee heading into the 2020 season. Every contributor from last season’s team is back, and senior Emmit Gooden — arguably the team’s best returning player at that point heading into 2019 — will be back after missing all of last season while recovering from a torn ACL. How did the Vols turn a potentially huge deficiency into a solid unit last season? How much can that group improve going forward? Will this unit continue to be a strength-in-numbers group, or could some individual players emerge as stars? Will any newcomers or 2019 reserves force their way into the mix? Those are some of the main questions discussed in the first segment.

Linebackers take their turn on the docket in the second segment of this episode. There’s no question that Tennessee will be challenged to replace the experience, talent and productivity of inside linebacker Daniel Bituli and outside linebacker/edge rusher Darrell Taylor, who were among the SEC’s best players at their positions. The Vols do have some solid pieces, though, and they have an excellent foundation piece in sophomore inside linebacker Henry To’o To’o. They also have some intriguing options who played smaller roles on last season’s team, and they signed several intriguing talents to add to the mix. Tennessee’s linebackers are probably the team’s most difficult position group to project in 2020, because there’s a lot of interesting talent and undeniable upside in that group but also a lot of questions and a lot of experience and production to replace. That group will provide plenty of interesting discussion for the next several months, so why not start now?

The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Friday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker went into Fort Rucker Studio to briefly discuss some recent news before giving way to the main course of this episode — a lengthy discussion with Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt about how he and his program are handling this unusual quarantine period and an uncertain future that will (at some point) follow it.

Pruitt recently sat down for a half-hour to discuss where things stand for him, his program and the rest of the college football world at the moment, and he offered some candid remarks about the uncertainties facing everyone and football’s proper place in the world in a time like the present.

Tennessee’s coach also offered some interesting insights into his daily life these days, and how different things have been with him working from home in a house full of young children.

The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Wednesday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.