Bailey Chooses Tennessee

 

Jeremy Pruitt and the Tennessee Volunteers football program just got a big boost.  Harrison Bailey, the four-star QB prospect from Marietta, has just given a verbal commit to Tennessee.  He chose the Volunteers over Michigan.  The 6'4" QB is the fourth member of the 2020 signing class.

“About three weeks ago, I kind of had an idea before I visited Tennessee that I want to go there. But one day I was just sitting at home, talking with my Dad and that was really it,” Bailey said at his press conference today.

This kid has the potential to be something special.  I love his attitude, his desire and his competitive spirit.  “If you know anything about me, I like to build stuff. I like taking a program that is not where he needs to be and taking it to where it should be,” he said. “I like building stuff around me, I like to be the one, I want that responsibility.”

I was not surprised at all when Bailey said that Coach Pruitt was the reason that he chose to commit to Tennessee.  “I trust Coach Pruitt and his staff,” he said. “Coach Pruitt has won those national championships where he has been. He has coached a lot of great players. I know and I believe that he is going to recruit really good players there, and I am not worried about that. I trust him that he is going to bring in somebody good with the OC job."

There is something special happening on campus.  First it was OL prospect Wanya Morris saying, "I just wanted to be a part of something different.  I changed my mind to go to Tennessee the night before I committed actually because I just wanted to be different and have my name part of a dyansty that is going to rebuild to win another national championship."

Then today, at his press conference, this is what Bailey said:  "Come be great, come play with some great coaches, some great players.  We are going to get it turned around.  I am coming to win championships.  We are going to win.  I believe that much in Coach Pruitt, too."

Rome wasn't built in a day.  Neither was the Tennessee dynasty under Coach Fulmer.  I trust that Jeremy Pruitt will get it turned around.  Today was just another reason to believe that the program is headed in the right direction.

The quotes from Bailey's press conference came from 247sports.com.  The quote from Morris came from rockytopinsider.com

McBride Transfers

 

So I was going to do a blog this morning about the Yves Pons and him getting his first career start against Eastern Kentucky, but then I woke up and saw that there was another transfer from the football program.

Will McBride announced via Twitter late Wednesday night that he is transferring.  "I've decided it's best to me to transfer from the University of Tennessee.  I've learned a lot in the two years I've spent in Knoxville.  I will always appreciate the memories I made and the relationships I built.  Tennessee is a special place with special people.  With that being said, I'm looking forward to furthering my academic/football career at another school."

So if Tennessee is "a special place with special people," then why are you transferring?  Is it is well known that before you signed with Tennessee in 2016 you had been committed to Memphis for almost 6 months.  It is also known that before you signed with Tennessee, you spoke with former Vols QB (and then current Memphis QB) Riley Ferguson and asked him from the pluses and minuses of both programs.  If Tennessee is such a "special place," then why did you have to ask for the pluses and minuses from someone who transferred from the program after just one semester on campus?

With McBride transferring, Tennessee currently has two quarterbacks on the roster:  Jarrett Guarantano and soon-to-be redshirt freshman JT Shrout.  Tennessee has a verbal commitment from 2019 three-star prospect Brian Maurer.  There is potential for Tennessee to also add a commitment from 2020 four-star prospect Harrison Bailey.  The 6'4' QB from Marietta, Georgia is expected to announce his decision sometime today.

Looks like Tennessee was only a special place to McBride until he realized that he wasn't going to get to play as much as he wanted and didn't want to put in the work to try and fight for a spot.