KNOXVILLE- Butch Jones and his staff officially hosted nine recruits last weekend with 4-star receiver Marquez North making a very important unofficial visit. Below, we’ll provide basic info on each recruit and assess their chances of committing to the Vols.

Marquez North—The 6-4, 215 pound receiver from Charlotte, North Carolina, is rated as a 4-star prospect by every major recruiting service in the nation. With good size, speed (he reportedly runs a 4.4 40 yard dash), and elusiveness, there’s a reason North is one of the most prized prospects in the nation. He is a speedy deep threat who can stretch the field, yet also has the ability to make people miss when given the ball in space. North has the skills and build of a true No. 1 receiver and the added versatility needed to line up in the slot or even the backfield on occasion (as Cordarrelle Patterson did for the Vols this year). Wherever he plays next year, look for him to make an immediate impact on the field.

Vol Forecast— North took his official visit to Tennessee October 20th, and canceled a planned trip to Clemson to become the Vols’ lone unofficial visitor this weekend. By all accounts, the visit went very well. North and his father Ramondo, had a chance to meet with the Tennessee staff, several official visitors, and some current players. They left impressed with the atmosphere coach Jones is fostering at Tennessee and comfortable with how the Vol staff plans on utilizing his talents. He will be visiting North Carolina this weekend and the Tar Heels appear to be Tennessee’s main competition moving forward. It’s fair to say the Vols are the leaders for landing North at this point, but a lot depends on his visit to North Carolina this weekend.

Johnathan Ford— The 5-11, 190 pound running back from New Hope, Alabama, is rated as a 4-star prospect by 247 Sports and is currently committed to Vanderbilt. Ford rushed for 2,989 yards and 47 touchdowns over the last two years. He plays in a spread style offense similar to the one the Vols will run this year and possesses explosive speed, running a 4.4-4.5 40 yard dash depending on your source. With a few months in a college weight program, Ford will have the size necessary to be an every down back in the SEC, and Butch Jones has sold Ford on the chance to play early and often for the Vols.

Vol Forecast— Butch Jones and the Vol staff made a good impression on Ford last weekend. Though the speedy prospect is still committed to Vanderbilt and plans to visit the Commodores this weekend, the Vols have a decent chance of prying him away from Nashville. Like North, we’ll have a better idea where he stands early next week.

Chongo Kondolo— A 6-4, 290 pound offensive tackle from Fresno, California, Kondolo played two years of football at Fresno City Community College and is rated as a 3-star prospect. The tackle has offers from Tennessee, Nebraska, Florida State, Maryland, Syracuse, and others, and will likely play guard or center if he ends up in Knoxville.

Vol Forecast— After his official visit to Knoxville, Kondolo placed the Vols at the top of his list and described the trip as the best visit he has taken. The facilities, tradition, and coaching staff all appealed to the recruit, and he was particularly fond of the family atmosphere the Tennessee staff is creating. Kondolo is scheduled to visit Nebraska this weekend, but the Vols are clearly in the lead to land him. Kondolo will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Riley Ferguson— The 6-3, 190 pound 4-star quarterback from Matthews, North Carolina, has an incredibly strong arm and is known as a bit of a gun-slinger. His arm strength allows him to make all the throws and to thread the ball into tight windows downfield. Though Ferguson is a pocket passer, he is very athletic and has the ability to keep plays alive with his feet. He has a good understanding of the game but will need to be more disciplined with his decision making at the college level. Ferguson has all the tools to compete for a starting job in the SEC.

Vol Forecast— Ferguson committed to the Vols way back in June. The only remaining coach on the current Vol staff from the one that initially recruited the talented quarterback is Jay Graham. With offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, LSU, and Michigan, some thought Ferguson’s commitment was in danger. His official visit last weekend left him without any doubt that he wants to be a Vol next year and it would be absolutely shocking if he signs with anyone other than Tennessee.

John Franklin— The 6-1, 175 pound dual-threat quarterback from Plantation, Florida, is considered a 3-star prospect. Franklin possesses incredible athleticism: he runs a sub 4.4 40 yard dash and has a 36 inch vertical leap. The quarterback is more than just a raw athlete and has shown solid arm strength, a knack for the game, and consistently good decision-making ability. He has the athleticism to play several positions but wants to play quarterback in college.

Vol Forecast— Franklin has been committed to Florida State since November. Vol offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian has been his primary recruiter at Tennessee and is selling Franklin on the opportunity for him to compete for playing time this year. By all accounts his visit last weekend made Franklin consider the Vols more strongly moving forward, even though he plans to visit Florida State this weekend and remains committed to the Seminoles. Florida State is clearly in the lead to land the speedy quarterback, but don’t count the Vols out yet. We’ll know more next week after his visit to FSU.

Jason Carr— The 6-6, 265 pound defensive lineman from Memphis, TN, is rated as a 4-star prospect and the No. 3 player in the state by 247 Sports. At his current size, he’s projected to play defensive end in the SEC, but could develop into a defensive tackle. Carr is a solid run-stopper, adept pass-rusher, and led his team with 16 sacks in 2011.

Vol Forecast— Carr has been committed to the Vols since last year, but with all the changes at Tennessee, he kept his options fairly open. Going into last weekend, it looked like the Vols might lose Carr, but the campus visit helped shore up his commitment. The Memphis-native may visit Alabama this weekend and plans on visiting Ole Miss the weekend of the 25th. It looks like the Vols will hang on to Carr at this point, but we’ll keep an eye on his plans as signing day approaches.

Christian Morris— A 6-6, 300 pound, 4-star prospect from Memphis, Tennessee, Morris is ranked as the No. 5 player in the state by Rivals. The Memphis-native is physical player who is a particularly adept run blocker. Morris has the size and tools to develop into a starting offensive tackle in the SEC.

Vol Forecast— Derek Dooley and his staff never really pursued Morris, and the tackle committed to UCLA in November. When Butch Jones took the reigns of the Vol program, Tennessee started zeroing in on Morris’ recruitment. The tackle isn’t expected to make any official visits between now and signing day, and the Vols have a great shot at steering Morris from California to Knoxville.

Woody Quinn— The 6-6, 250 pound tight end from Santa Ana, California, is rated as a 3-star prospect. Quinn started his career playing volleyball at Pepperdine, but eventually decided to give football a shot. He finished his lone collegiate season at Santa Ana College second on the team in receiving. He has exceptional quickness for his size, good hands, and impressive leaping ability. Quinn has all the necessary skills to be a threat in the passing game.

Vol Forecast— Quinn was wowed by nearly everything in his visit to Knoxville and committed to the Vols Monday afternoon. You can read more about the tight end here.

Jonathan Walton— A 6-1, 230 pound linebacker from Daphne, Alabama, Walton is rated as 3-star recruit by ESPN. The linebacker is exceptionally strong and excels at stopping the run. With his size and ability to defend the run game, he projects as an inside linebacker at the collegiate level and has the potential to earn early playing time.

Vol Forecast— A Penn State commit who is keeping his recruitment open, Walton was offered by the Vols Thursday and promptly visited Tennessee Friday. He was previously recruited by Vol linebacker coach Tommy Thigpen during his stint at Auburn. That relationship will be key moving forward as Walton plans on visiting both South Carolina and Auburn in the coming weeks. We can’t say the Vols are in the lead for Walton at this point, but we can’t really say they trail anyone either. We’ll keep on eye on Walton’s movements and keep you up to date on any developments as they happen.

Jermaine Grace— The 6-1, 205 pound linebacker/safety from Hollywood, Florida, is rated as a 4-star prospect by ESPN. Though he’s a little small to be a collegiate linebacker currently, he has the potential to play either safety or outside linebacker in college and is a well-rounded prospect. He is solid in pass coverage and run support, has above average speed, is a sound tackler, and simply makes plays. Whether he plays safety or linebacker, he has the ability and knowledge to compete for playing time as a freshman.

Vol Forecast— Grace’s recruitment is likely down to Tennessee, Miami, and Louisville. He plans to visit the Cardinal’s this weekend, and though Jones and his staff made a great impression on Grace, it’s likely Miami is the frontrunner to land his services. That could change, and if it does we’ll let you know.

Tennessee will likely host close to 20 visitors this weekend. We’ll have a preview up for those recruits in the coming days.

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