Vols make the cut for four-star cornerback Cameron Smith

The number one need for Tennessee remains cornerback, as it has since December. It’s something Jeremy Pruitt has worked tirelessly to fix, but he has yet to reel in any big time difference makers. That’s sure to change, considering how the Vols have opened the 2019 recruiting season.

One option that has emerged is Cameron Smith, a 6-1, 175 pound prospect out of Blythewood, South Carolina. The in-state Gamecocks have been the favorite to land Smith since offering a month ago, but he has since picked up an offer from Georgia. He’s also paid Tennessee a visit, which firmly planted the Vols among his top options.

His recruitment has really taken off through the spring. Word got out after his January enrollment at Westwood High School and it didn’t take long for his new head coach to realize what kind of talent Smith had.

“Once we were able to get him on field for drills, he is what a college athlete should look like. He is long, has good build, great speed and change of direction. ... He is kind of the whole package.” — Dustin Curtis via thestate.com

Smith told Volquest.com that Jeremy Pruitt’s track record with defensive backs along with the atmosphere around Knoxville has made Tennessee a legitimate option for him.

On Sunday night, Smith narrowed his options to eight schools.

Wake Forest, West Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida State, North Carolina and Georgia Tech each joined the Vols in his top eight. Smith is rated as a four-star cornerback by 247 Sports. He is the third ranked prospect in the state of South Carolina and the 34th ranked cornerback in the country.