Belief in Pruitt and staff has four-star DT Bailey "all in with Tennessee"
Dominic Bailey has been committed to Tennessee since February 16th of this year. The four-star prospect chose Tennessee for multiple reasons, but it all boils down to wanting to be a part of something special. Bailey has heard the stories, but now he wants to make his own. The top 200 prospect is ready to get on Rocky Top, and he discusses why here.
Bailey is a premier prospect, at a premier program, so there is always going to be a lot of eyes on a player of his caliber. Bailey said of his recruitment, “I am all in with Tennessee. I get a text from a couple of coaches from time to time, but I am not going anywhere.”
Bailey went on to say, “I believe in Tennessee’s coaching staff. I believe in Coach Pruitt, Coach Rocker, and all of them.”
Despite the rough start to the season, things never changed for the Nation’s 20th overall defensive tackle. He said, “they just told me to believe, but I knew from the jump it could be a rough year this year. You cannot turn around a school in a year or two. It takes a three-year process at least.”
Bailey knew there could be bumps in the road at Tennessee during his recruitment, but he wanted to be a part of what the Vols are building. He said, “I just wanted to be a part of something like turning a program around. My dad used to tell me about how Tennessee would dominate back when he was young. So, I was like, why would I not want to be a part of something like that. Why would I want to go somewhere where they are already doing it when I can stay there and do it myself.
Bailey is one of the most versatile big men in the country, which will give him the opportunity to come in and play right away once he arrives in Knoxville. He said of where this staff sees him playing, “nose through five tech really.” That is what makes him so valuable to Tennessee in this class.
Bailey has continued to work the recruiting trail for the Vols. He said, ” I am recruiting my boy Mike Statham, he goes to St. Frances, trying to get Rakim. I am just talking to a lot of people and trying to get them to come there with me.”
Bailey already has a strong relationship with his fellow commitments in the 2020 class, and the group already talk consistently. He said, “We all are in a group chat. It is all very positive. Everybody knows that we have to come in and make an impact right off the bat. We see that they are not playing bad, they are getting better each and every week. You can see that if you watch the games.”
He went on to say of this week’s performance from the Vols, “last night when they played Alabama, they did not play bad. There were a couple of calls that did not go our way that changed the momentum of the game.”
Bailey will sign with the Vols after taking his official visit in December on the weekend when they host several commits and top targets before signing day. He said, “I am done. I do not feel like traveling anymore. So, I am all in with Tennessee now.”
Bailey plays at powerhouse St. Frances (MD), who is coming off of a 35-7 thrashing of perennial power IMG Academy (FL). He is used to the bright lights and said of handling the expectations, “you just practice the same way every day. You go in there and work hard every day. You cannot let all of the rankings and stuff get in your way. At the end of the day, it is just somebody saying something about you. That can change in a matter of seconds. We were number two when we went to Mater Dei (CA), then we lost and dropped all the way to down five. It can change in a split second. You just have to go at it every day with a sharp focus, go to practice and get better, and you will be fine.”
Bailey said, in his own words, what kind of player he is, “I am just a guy that hustles. I like to hit, and I am very aggressive. I am a leader. I like to get people fired up and ready to play. I like to give them the energy to go out there and be the best version of them. That’s just me.”
Bailey is rated as the 217th overall prospect in the nation, No. 20 DT, and No. 10 prospect from Maryland, according to 247 Sports Composite Rankings.
Bailey will sign with Tennessee in December during the early signing period, and he will enroll in January.