KNOXVILLE – Thanks to a snug arrangement, there was room for three placards in front of Tyler Baron’s seat at Knoxville Catholic High’s signing ceremony on Wednesday afternoon.
Only one cap would fit on Baron’s head, however. He reached behind the arrangement for a tan model adorned with an orange power T and put it on in announcing that he was signing with the Vols rather than Ohio State or Kentucky.
“It felt like home to me,” he said. “It was the place I was most comfortable with.”
Baron’s decision was part of Tennessee’s strong signing-day close to the early recruiting period. Along with the 6-foot-5 256-pound 4-star outside linebacker prospect, the Vols added several other prospects Wednesday to the 21-player class that was announced.
– The Vols beat out UCLA, Georgia and other schools for 4-star linebacker/running back Len’Neth Whitehead, who played for Athens (Ga.) Academy.
– UT flipped 3-star athlete Jimmy Holiday, who had been a TCU commitment. He’s a dual-threat quarterback from Madison, Mississippi. Former Vol Charles Davis, who is an NFL game analyst for Fox, mentioned Holiday, who’s nickname is “The Jet,” in the same breath with Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Davis made the stunning connection during a post-signing video that was produced for UT.
– The Vols beat out Kentucky and Georgia Tech for 3-star defensive tackle Reginald Perry. He’s 6-6, 299 and athletic enough to also play basketball.
– Later Wednesday, 4-star defensive end Morven Joseph from Lakeland, Fla., picked the Vols over Florida and Florida State.
Baron is ranked fifth nationally among strongside defensive ends and is the fifth-ranked senior in the state according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. His father, Patrick Abernathy, works in player development on UT coach Jeremy Pruitt’s staff. Abernathy joined the Vols in 2014.
“I love the aspect of him being there,” Baron said, “but I still feel like I would’ve chosen this place even if he wasn’t here.”
Along with the environment, Baron sounded attracted to Tennessee as a work in progress.
“I could’ve went to Ohio State and joined a program that was already built,” he said. “I felt like going somewhere and being part of something special, really being part of the reason why. I want to be part of the solution, not necessarily just jumping on the bandwagon.”
Baron and Catholic teammate Cooper Mays were two of 10 instate players to sign with Tennessee. Pruitt said these players have great pride in playing for the university and took it upon themselves to recruit each other along with other players.
“We wanted them in our program; the guys on our team wanted them in our program,” Pruitt said. “I really believe these guys will continue to lay the foundation for years to come.”
Mays’ father, Kevin played at UT but his brother, Cade, went to Georgia. Pruitt said that he and his staff targeted Cooper when they first arrived. The offensive lineman prospect took it from there.
“When I committed, they put a big emphasis on instate guys and I was kind of the first big instate commitment,” Cooper Mays said. “I think it meant a lot to them and to me for me to get in the boat. I took it upon myself to kind of cultivate this class and help it grow, especially with the instate guys that they wanted the most. I tried to do my best with them.”
Baron believes that the synergy between these players “should be awesome.”
“Good chemistry coming in day one,” he said.
Signees:
Will Albright, long-snapper, 6-1, 213, Greeneville, Tenn., 2-star
Dominic Bailey, DL, 6-3, 293, Baltimore, 4-star
Harrison Bailey, QB, 6-5, 211, Marietta, Ga., 4-star
Tyler Baron, OLB, 6-5, 256, Knoxville, 4-star
Jimmy Calloway, WR, 6-0, 207, Morrow, Ga., 4-star
Bryson Eason, LB, 6-2, 270, Memphis, 4-star
Martavius French, LB, 6-2, 227, 4-star
Tee Hodge, RB, 6-1, 220, Maryville, 3-star
Jimmy Holiday, QB, 6-0, 190, Madison, Miss., 3-star
Jalin Hyatt, WR, 6-0, 164, Irmo, S.C., 4-star
Morven Joseph, DE, 6-2, 220, Lakeland, Fla., 4-star
Keshawn Lawrence, 6-2, 202, Nashville, 4-star
Cooper Mays, OL, 6-3, 283, Knoxville, 4-star
Tamarion McDonald, 6-2, 199, Memphis, 3-star
RJ Perry, DL, 6-6, 299, Fairfield, Ala., 3-star
James Robinson, OL, 6-4, 343, Montgomery, Ala., 3-star
Doneiko Slaughter, DB, 6-0, 185, Roswell, Ga., 3-star
Jabari Small, ath., 6-0, 195, Memphis, 3-star
Javontez Spraggins, OL, 6-3, 352, East St. Louis, Ill., 3-star
Omari Thomas, DL, 6-4, 306, Memphis, 4-star
Len’Neth Whitehead, LB/RB, 6-2, 230, Athens, Ga., 4-star
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Dan Fleser is a 1980 graduate of the University of Missouri who covered University of Tennessee athletics for the Knoxville News Sentinel from 1988-2019. He may be reached at danfleser3@gmail.com