clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Kicker Tommy Townsend Makes It Five For The Weekend

Orange Carpet Recruiting Weekend was a resounding success as the Vols picked up one, two, three, four, five new commitments for the 2015 class.

By kidbourbon

If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Things really escalated quickly this weekend on the recruiting front.
Things really escalated quickly this weekend on the recruiting front.
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Boy, That Escalated Quickly

21 June 2014 - 12:17 PM:  Alvin Kamara, the former four star running back who signed with Alabama out of high school before transferring to a Kansas junior college for 2014, tweets that he'll be a Vol in 2015.

21 June 2014 - 5:59 PM:  High three star (read: will likely get bumped up to four stars at some point, you star gazers!) defensive tackle Quay Picou out of Buford High School in Georgia -- who was considered a strong lean to THE Ohio State University -- became the class of 2015's 15th commitment, and memorialized the same with a tweet.1

22 June 2014 - 11:05 AM: Austin Smith, a linebacker who is a classmate and teammate of Quay Picou and has a scholarship offer from everybody and their cousin, decides four more years of being a classmate and teammate of Quay Picou doesn't sound like a bad idea.  He commits to the Vols and tweets the news out to the world.

22 June 2014 - 11:08 PM:  Kyle Oliver, a 6'5, 230 pound tight end -- who some project as an H-back -- from Oakland High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, listens to a 1979 rock opera by Pink Floyd and is moved to become another brick in the wall (so long as they're orange, not pink).  He tweets his commitment to the Vols. Massive retweeting ensues.

23 June 2014 - 3:28 PM: Tommy Townsend, the #5 rated kicker in the country (per rivals) who hails from Orlando's Boone High School, eschewed significant family connections with the University of Florida to become a part of the Vol family instead:

It's actually a funny story. All my family has gone to Florida. My oldest brother is up there studying pre-med. My middle brother between me and the oldest is Johnny, and he's punter there at Florida as well.  Basically, what's been going on is since Day 1, I've really wanted to go to Tennessee. From the junior day, I just loved the place. When I went back to camp, everything was great; just still in love with the place. I had the idea then that's where I wanted to be.

And so he committed to go to the place he wanted to be, and then of course he tweeted about it.

UT's Recruiting Ranking Also Escalated Quickly

Tennessee now has 18 commitments for the class of 2015.  247 Sports has their rankings updated to reflect all 18 commits, and has our class as the 7th best best overall, and 5th in the SEC (The SEC is tough, y'all!).  For the teams ranked ahead of us, Alabama has 19 commits, South Carolina has 18, Texas A&M 17, and Auburn 15.  This is all just for informational purposes as we all know these classes will look very different next February.  In the race for recruits, and the ongoing challenge of building and fostering love amongst the group comprised thereof, we've got more than just a little bit longer.  We've got a ways to go.2

1. There's no evidence that suggests Picou's change of heart had anything to do with Urban Meyer's general unlikeability or funny looking face.↩

2. You're welcome

<object width="425" height="350" class="mceItemFlash"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VGvHnDeS12o"></param> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VGvHnDeS12o" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object>.↩

More From Rocky Top Talk