Tennessee football is recruiting to win championships, not just games

Former Tennessee coach Butch Jones and current coach Jeremy Pruitt go about their work quite differently. And they come from very different coaching backgrounds.

But they have one thing in common: recruiting. Jones didn't settle. Neither has Pruitt.

Jones went after the best players in the country. So has Pruitt.

If your goal is to win championships, that's the way to do it. There's a risk, of course, especially in Pruitt's case. Recruiting begins earlier now. Even as Pruitt heads into his second season, he's still playing catch-up to the likes of Alabama and Georgia, which had made inroads into the 2020 recruiting class before Tennessee hired Pruitt at the end of 2017. 

Nonetheless, Pruitt is faring better than Tennessee's recruiting rankings suggest.

UT is ranked 26th based on its 2020 commitments, according to 247Sports Composite rankings. However, when you play the percentages, the Vols are doing much better.

Tennessee has 12 commitments, but half of those commitments are four-star recruits. With five months remaining before the early signing period, the Vols could finish in the top 15 or higher if they maintain that recruiting pace.

Only 13 other programs have a higher percentage when it comes to four- and five-star recruits. Clemson's No. 1-ranked class includes 14 four- or five-stars among its 18 commitments. Second-ranked Alabama has 18 four- or five-stars among its 22 commitments.

Both programs are selective in their recruiting. So are SEC programs LSU, Georgia, Florida and Texas A&M – all of whom have at least 50 percent of their commitments rated four or five stars. Auburn falls into the same category. Although the Tigers rank 14th, eight of their 13 commitments are four-star recruits.

Ole Miss, Mississippi State, South Carolina and Kentucky are ranked higher than Tennessee in recruiting, but that probably will change during the next five months. While they have more commitments, most of those commitments are from three-star recruits. Only three of Ole Miss' 21 commitments are four-star recruits. Four of Mississippi State's commitments are four-star recruits.

That's not to suggest those three-star recruits can't become All-SEC players. Winning in the SEC isn't just about recruiting. If it were, Jones never would have gone 4-8 and finished last in the SEC East. Player development is another component.

The combination is what produces championships. Alabama is the best example of that under coach Nick Saban. Georgia is on the same track under Kirby Smart.

Pruitt's challenge is to gain ground on them. That won't be easy.

But he's taking the right approach. He's trying to sign the best players in the country, even though he took over a losing program.

He could improve Tennessee football by signing more three-star recruits and excelling in player development. But if he wants to win championships, he will have to sign the same caliber of players as Alabama and Georgia, and then maximize the potential of his signees. 

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at twitter.com/johnadamskns.