Here we’ll look at several of Tennessee’s top targets as we head into the final week of recruiting. As with our other recruiting posts, we’ll provide basic info on each, an analysis of their skills, and our take on their chances to sign with the Vols. We will continually update this page through signing day as the recruiting process comes to a close, and will move the most recently updated recruits to the top of the page.

Malique Belfort: A 6-3, 175 pound receiver from New York, Belfort is given a 3-star rating by 247 Sports. He is a good possession receiver who has soft hands, good height, is a solid route runner, and isn’t afraid to work the middle of the field. Belfort wasn’t thought to be considering the Vols until a report from Chris Anderson, a beat writer for West Virginia’s 247 Sports site, stated that Belfort’s recruitment was down to West Virginia and Tennessee. He was recruited by Jones at Cincinnati, so his late emergence on Tennessee’s board makes sense on that level. You can view highlights from his senior season here.

Tyler Boyd: Rated as a 4-star receiver, the 6-2, 180 pound prospect from Pennsylvania is a tremendous talent. He played defensive back, running back, and receiver in high school, and could play a variety of positions at the collegiate level. He has good ball skills, above average speed, and simply makes plays wherever he lines up. He is committed to Pittsburgh, but seems to be cooling on his pledge. Boyd visited West Virginia last weekend, then visited Tennessee this weekend. He left extremely impressed with the Vols, and said his recruitment will come down to Tennessee and Pittsburgh. His mother wants him to play close to home, and he’ll have to convince her Tennessee is the place for him if he’s going to sign with the Vols. Pittsburgh is the favorite for now, but I’d give Boyd a 40% chance of signing with the Vols. Signed with Pittsburgh. 

E.J. Levenberry: A 6-3, 230 pound linebacker from Virginia, Levenberry is rated as a 4-star prospect. He is an excellent run stopper, sure tackler, and has the size and skills to play as a true freshman. Though Levenberry is committed to Florida State, he isn’t thrilled with the idea of playing for Sal Sunseri, who was hired as Florida State’s linebackers coach after his exit from Tennessee. The Vols have a legitimate chance of signing Levenberry and are the biggest threat to the Seminoles in his recruitment. He was scheduled to visit last weekend, but icy conditions and an illness kept him away. Levenberry visited this weekend and left extremely impressed with Tennessee’s program. Though the Vol coaches were confident they had a shot at Levenberry, he announced he was sticking with his commitment to the Seminoles Tuesday night. Signed with Florida State. 

Malik Brown: The 6-3, 250 pound defensive end from Florida is considered a 3-star prospect. He is quick for his size, and excels at rushing the quarterback off the edge. The Vols offered him last week, and UT’s staff met with him Sunday. He is committed to Syracuse, but Butch Jones convinced Brown to take an official visit to UT this weekend. He traveled to Knoxville with his father and they left considering all the advantages the Vols have over Syracuse. Tennessee is recruiting him to play a hybrid linebacker/defensive end position, something Brown said suits his skill set perfectly. The Vols have momentum with Brown, and I believe Tennessee has the lead as Signing Day approaches. Signed with Tennessee.

Joshua Dobbs: A 6-3, 190 pound quarterback from Georgia, Dobbs is rated as a 4-star prospect. While he’s considered to be a pro-style quarterback, he can make things happen with his legs and would be a good fit in Butch Jones’ uptempo spread attack. Dobbs has excellent pocket awareness for a high school quarterback, good field vision, an efficient delivery, and is accurate with the football. He is a two sport athlete who plays shortstop on his school’s baseball team. He has been committed to Arizona State since June, but left his trip to Knoxville last weekend considering all the Vols have to offer. Clemson was believed to be making a push for Dobbs but he won’t be visiting there this weekend. The Tigers appear out of the hunt and his chances of signing with Tennessee continue to increase. Signed with the Vols.

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. Butch Jones has made early playing time a selling point in Ford’s recruitment. Ford officially decommitted from Vanderbilt this week after visiting Auburn. He looks like he’s headed to play for the Tigers, but hasn’t broken off contact with Tennessee’s staff. Ford appears genuinely conflicted between Tennessee and Auburn, while the Tigers appear to have a lead, the longer he waits to commit, the better things look for the Vols. People close to Ford are believed to be pushing him toward Auburn, while he appears to prefer the Vols. Auburn picked up a commitment from another Vol target, Peyton Barber, over the weekend, and Ford would likely get more carries at Tennessee than Auburn. Ford will announce his decision at noon Wednesday, and the Vols are very much alive for his services. Signed with Auburn.

Shelton Gibson: A 6-0, 180 pound receiver from Ohio, Gibson is a consensus 4-star prospect. He runs a 4.42 40 yard dash, has great hands, makes defenders miss, and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. Gibson has the ability to step on campus and make an instant impact. He is committed to West Virginia and visited the Mountaineers over the weekend. The Vols need to get him back on campus to sign him (he visited two weeks ago), and his friend, 4-star receiver Tyler Boyd, visited this weekend. Gibson didn’t make an unofficial trip to Knoxville, and the Mountaineers remain the clear leaders in this race. Signed with West Virginia. 

Vonn Bell: The 6-0, 190 pound safety is a resident of Ooltewah, Tennessee, and grew up a Vol fan. Given a 5-star rating by most recruiting services, he is one of the most prized recruits in the nation and is ranked as the No. 2 safety in the country by 247 Sports. Bell is a speedy athlete who loves to hit, has great hands, and makes plays in the secondary. He is always near the ball and has the versatility needed to play cornerback in addition to safety. Bell will be a difference maker the moment he steps on a college campus. He’ll choose between Alabama, Ohio State, and Tennessee. Based on information from people close to Bell, Tennessee, and a few rival schools, it looks like UT is the team to beat for one of the nation’s premiere players and I would be surprised if Bell signs elsewhere. Bell shocked many and signed with the Buckeyes. 

Trey Johnson: The 6-2, 220 pound linebacker from Georgia is considered a 4-star recruit and rated as the No. 2 inside linebacker in the 2013 class by ESPN. Johnson is a prototypical inside linebacker in many ways. He has a solid frame, reads the run well, is a sound tackler, and excels at shedding blockers. He has the potential to see playing time as a true freshman. Johnson is an Ohio State commitment, but made a surprise trip to Knoxville last weekend. Though his visit went well, all indications point toward him signing with the Buckeyes. Johnson signed with the Buckeyes as expected.

Davin Bellamy: A 6-5, 240 pound defensive end from Georgia, Bellamy is rated as a 4-star prospect by ESPN. Bellamy is a remarkable athlete who placed his primary focus on basketball until his junior year, and has the potential to play defensive end or linebacker. A disruptive pass rusher, Bellamy needs to put on a few pounds to play defensive end in college, but should compete for playing time the moment he steps on campus. Bellamy had been committed to Florida State since August, but decommitted earlier in the week. He visited Georgia last weekend, and left his trip to Athens proclaiming the Bulldogs as the slight leaders to sign him. Oregon recently offered him, and he traveled to Eugene this weekend. Though the Ducks are making a late charge, he is expected to sign with either Georgia or Tennessee. The Vol staff took their final in-home visit with Bellamy Tuesday, and the Vols are right behind the Bulldogs in his recruitment. Bellamy signed with the Bulldogs. 

Jaylen Miller: The 6-3, 260 pound defensive lineman from South Carolina is rated as a 4-star recruit by ESPN. He’s a disruptive player who relentlessly pursues the ball and appears physically ready for the rigors of college football. A versatile athlete, Miller has the tools, strength, and build to play either defensive end or tackle in college. He remains uncommitted, but was in Knoxville over the weekend for an unofficial visit. He won’t announce his college plans until signing day, but he is expected to pick the Vols. Signed with Tennessee. 

Carl Lawson: The 6-3, 255 pound defensive end from Georgia is rated as the No. 4 player in the nation by Rivals. A consensus 5-star prospect, Lawson is one of the most prized recruits in the country. He explodes off the line, gets to opposing quarterbacks quickly, plays hard, makes his teammates better, has a body that is ready for college, and generally wreaks havoc on opponents. As you would expect with such a heralded recruit, Lawson lacks a major weakness and is a truly well-rounded athlete. Wherever he lands, he has the ability to start immediately. Lawson is currently committed to the Tigers and reaffirmed that commitment after his weekend visit to Auburn. Over the course of his recruitment, he visited Auburn over a dozen times and was always going to be tough to pull away from a place with which he was so familiar. Give credit to Jones and his staff for being a major player in Lawson’s recruitment after less than two months on the job. Signed with Auburn.

Peyton Barber: A 5-11, 220 pound running back from Georgia, Barber is rated as a 4-star recruit by ESPN. Barber is a strong, powerful runner, with a low center of gravity and good balance. Though he lacks exceptional top end speed, he has enough quickness to make defenders miss, and accelerates quickly. Barber also has good hands and can be productive catching the ball out of the backfield. With his versatility, it’s likely Barber will see early playing time wherever he signs. Barber has been committed to Ole Miss since July but visited Auburn and committed to the Tigers over the weekend. While the Vols obviously didn’t want to miss with Barber, his commitment to Auburn helps Tennessee’s chances with Ford. Signed with Auburn. 

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. After his official visit to Tennessee, 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 visited Nebraska following his trip to Knoxville, and the Vols and Cornhuskers compose his top 2. It surfaced Friday from Nebraska’s 247 Sports site that Kondolo is expected to sign with the Cornhuskers. Signed with Nebraska. 

Zach Cunningham: The 6-4, 200 pound linebacker from Alabama is rated as a 4-star prospect. Cunningham is an aggressive linebacker, is always near the play, has good instincts, and excels playing close to the line of scrimmage. He was supposed to visit Knoxville over the weekend but didn’t show, and has no plans to reschedule. It looks like he’ll sign with Auburn. Signed with Vanderbilt.