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It could have been a side trip to Calhoun's, a meeting with ESPN commentator Jon Gruden, or a tour of the breathtaking facilities in Knoxville, but whatever the case, it was enough for pro-style quarterback Quinten Dormady to shut down the recruiting process and commit to Tennessee just as his star was finally beginning to rise.
I have committed to the University of Tennessee! This is a blessing and a dream come true! #RockyTop #VOLS #VFL
— Quinten Dormady (@qdormady) June 9, 2014
Following a stellar sophomore season at Boerne High School that marked him as a prospect to watch, Dormady tore the labrum in his shoulder and missed his entire junior season. Without any film from his junior year, he found himself falling off the recruiting radar as most scouting services began 2015 evaluations. Now fully healthy, Dormady's offer list has grown rapidly as teams have had a chance to see him in action at summer camps, with Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, and TCU all extending scholarships in the last month. Alabama offered Dormady on the spot last week after head coach Nick Saban and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin watched him throw in Tuscaloosa.
At 6'4" and 210 pounds, Dormady has prototypical size and arm strength for the position, and is a three-star rated player according to the 247 Composite. However, unlike most prospects, Dormady's evaluations from the individual recruiting services are all over the map, with 247 Sports and Scout rating him as a high four-star recruit, ESPN rating him as a three-star recruit, and Rivals rating him as a two-star recruit. Given that two-star quarterbacks don't usually (or ever) receive offers from Alabama, expect Dormady's rating to rise as scouts and coaches have a chance to evaluate him at full strength.
"IT. IS. HAPPENING." - Tennessee message board posters, upon seeing Gruden in Vol gear. (via @UTCoachZA) pic.twitter.com/eoWzpAbnpo
— Travis Haney (@TravHaneyESPN) June 7, 2014
In other #Vols recruiting news, The Arsenal Elite QB camp took place in Knoxville this past weekend and Butch Jones took advantage of Jon Gruden's presence by scheduling a number of unofficial visits.
"@quick_tg6: In K-Town with all my dudes @D_Snelson4 @dillonbates @COrdway7 #UT pic.twitter.com/eLKXRlawkW" SQUAD
— Dillon Bates (@dillonbates) June 8, 2014
On campus were top Tennessee targets including five-star quarterback Torrance Gibson (#6 in the picture above), four-star in-state cornerback Cameron Ordway (#7 above), class of 2016 four-star wide receiver Dredrick Snelson (dark-shirted #1 above), and four-star in-state cornerback (and current Georgia commit) Rico McGraw (orange #1 above), all pictured posing with freshman four-star linebacker and Vol legacy Dillon Bates. Many other huge recruits, including five-star defensive tackles Tim Settle and Shy Tuttle, four-star linebacker Ricky DeBerry (EDIT: DeBerry attended a Virginia Tech recruiting event instead), and four-star wide receiver Christian Owens were on campus enjoying the atmosphere as well.
