NSD “live” thread

Since Alabama, and to some extent Tennessee, is in on so many VHT recruits announcing today, we’ll just update this post throughout the day instead of doing one for every recruit. Heck, I’d get fired trying to do individual posts for the guys that are expected to sign with Bama. Among the players that Bama is vying for: Julio Jones, Jerrell Harris, TJ Bryant, Robert Quinn, and the Brothers Dareus. Tennessee is after Antoine McClain, Deion Walker, Jeremy Lewis, EJ Abrahms Ward, Quinton Coples, Enrique Davis, Dallas Thomas, and Jerrell Harris (not a chance). So stayed tuned. We should be in for a wild one today.

[UPDATE #1] Tennessee got the first good news today, as Ghost has posted, Dallas Thomas has chosen to play for Tennessee once he completes some 000 level courses at a junior college (I keed, I keed).

[UPDATE #2] Phillip Fulmer is living up to his reputation of being a ridiculously strong closer. He added four-star athlete and the No. 1 player in the state of North Carolina, E.J. Abrams-Ward, who decided to play football and basketball for the Vols over the Tar Heels. Huge, huge pickup for the Vols. Abrams-Ward projects as a WR or LB and was offered to play both sports at UNC as well.

[UPDATE #3] It appears three-star defensive lineman Jeremy Lewis stuck with his original commitment to Miami this morning. That’s a tough deal for the Vols, but we were never in it, truth be told.

[UPDATE #4] Deion Walker stuck with Notre Dame, and Cameron Henderson stuck with Auburn. No big surprises there. National Signing Day is like cocaine.

[UPDATE #5] Robert Quinn to UNC. Sorry, Bammers. It’s official.

[UPDATE #6] YUCK, YUCK, YUCK … Not a good five minutes to be a Vol. Enrique Davis just signed with Ole Freakin’ Miss, and Quinton Coples is heading to North Carolina. Coples was an almost certainty to UNC, but I really thought we had a legit shot to get Davis. Oh well, McClain is the last hope for Vols … Bama’s day is just starting.

[UPDATE #7] Antoine McClain to Clemson … Thank you EJAB for making this day not a total wash. This hurts a whole lot. I would like to personally thank Vince Faison, Gerald Jones, Ahmad Paige, Anthony Parker and Daryl Vereen for losing this one for us. He was a UT silent for a long, long time.

[UPDATE #8]  Brothers Dareus to Alabama. One, perhaps both may be headed JUCO, though. Marcel is a very good, explosive defensive tackle. He probably would’ve been rated even higher if it hadn’t been for grades issues. His brother is more of a project, and is the definite JUCO of the two. But they were a package deal. [EDIT] It seems like Marcel’s brother, Demerius didn’t sign since he is definitely JUCO bound.

[UPDATE #9] Bama loses out on TJ Bryant.He chose USC. We’ve yet to find out the surprise that Melvin Ray was talking about.

[UPDATE #10] Me and Julio down by the schoolyard. Jones to Bama!

[UPDATE #11] Jerrell Harris picks Alabama! Roll Tide. Whew, what a day. After the smoke clears from today, we’ll try to do a more comprehensive recruiting post.

Why Wait?

Well, maybe National Signing Day won’t go terribly after all.

Louisiana offensive lineman Dallas Thomas — a nice player with an impressive frame — is coming to Tennessee, I’ve learned from a source tonight. He is a three-star player who had offers from Florida State, Alabama and Ole Miss. He is a little on the slender side right now at 6-foot-6, 266 pounds. He’s also a little on the, um, well … let’s just say he’s 95 percent a sign-and-place kid.

But he should be a good pickup for the Vols who will be on campus in a year or two. He helps things out a lot, and though he isn’t the BIG CLOSE that UT fans are hoping for, he is a good, early start to a day a lot of Vols fans — including myself — were getting ready to dub Black Wednesday.

Abrams-Ward

So, what’s gonna happen? I think the No. 1 player in North Carolina, WR/LB E.J. Abrams-Ward, may come our way. Just maybe, from what I’m hearing … Maybe Enrique Davis?? Antoine McClain?? Come on down, boys. Please? Could still get shut out today.

By the way, Thomas has told Volquest he’s coming, too. Maybe my source knows what he’s talking about after all.