Assessing Which Remaining Offensive Recruiting Battle is Most Important For Tennessee

Carnell Tate officially came off the board to Ohio State on Monday afternoon which is a tough loss for the Vols, who made the recruitment with the long-time

Carnell Tate officially came off the board to Ohio State on Monday afternoon which is a tough loss for the Vols, who made the recruitment with the long-time favorite Buckeyes much closer than anyone would have expected.  However, the Vols are still engaged in multiple high-level recruiting battles on each side of the football. In this article, we weigh out which battle is the most important currently on the offensive side of the football.

Skill Players Still in Play

Tennessee still needs to add at least one running back to the class, and they are likely to take at least 2-3 more receivers. They recently hosted the nation's top junior college receiver in Malik Benson, and they are seriously in play for the standout at Hutchinson C.C. This is a big time battle, featuring Oregon, LSU, Georgia, and Alabama. Tennessee offense appeals to the talented receiver, and he is a high priority for the Tennessee staff. It can certainly be argued that Benson is the best chance for Tennessee to add an immediate impact skill player in this class, especially if Carnell Tate opts for Ohio State in the end. 

Virginia do-it-all athlete Cameron Seldon has impressive upside in this class, and he is a player that can be moved all across an offense, similar to how the San Francisco 49ers used Deebo Samuel this past season. Seldon measures in at 6'1", 220lbs, and can line up in the backfield, in the slot or flexed out wide. He is a mismatch nightmare. He has game-breaking speed, and the Vols are battling Penn State and Maryland for the all-purpose athlete. Seldon is currently on an official visit to Tennessee, so it goes without saying that he certainly has a case to be the most important battle remaining.

Florida wide receiver Aidan Mizzell also holds high value in this class, as the Vols are battling Florida and Georgia, among others for his services. Tennessee impressed on an official visit earlier this month, and he remains a realistic prep target for Tennessee. He certainly possesses a high ceiling. 

Strong Potential in the Trenches

Glen Elarbee has a strong chance to bring in one of the more impressive offensive line classes at Tennessee in a long-time, and it starts at the offensive tackle position. 

Lucas Simmons has all of the makings of being an elite offensive tackle, and the Vols have strong connections to the Clearwater Academy (Fla.) standout. Measuring in at an impressive 6'7", 310lbs, Simmons has some of the best technique in this class as well. The Vols are battling USC, Florida and Florida State in this recruitment. Elarbee has Tennessee firmly in this race, as the Vols will look to keep building momentum as Simmons could make a decision before the season starts. 

Elsewhere on the offensive line, the commitment of elite Quarterback Nico Iamaleava sparked an immediate interest between Tennessee and elite offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa. The versatile lineman can play all across the front, but he has the potential to be a mauler at tackle or guard. While Iamaleava's commitment sparked the initial interest, Elarbee has been impressive in helping ascend Mauigoa's list and making the Vols arguably the team to beat. 

Volunteer Country's Take

Tennessee has plenty of coveted targets left on the offensive side of the football, including some not mentioned, but at the end of the day, this answer is probably split between Mauigoa and Simmons. That is not to say that Tennessee needs to land both but landing one of two seems essential. Strong ties to Simmons and multiple appeals with Mauigoa sets the Vols up nicely in both recruitments. Finding true, elite tackle bodies have been hard over the last couple of classes, and both of these guys fit the mold. It is like splitting hairs when trying to decide which one is most important, so landing one or the other is the answer to this question, in our opinion