KNOXVILLE—Welcome to our weekly column, “The State of the Vols.” Here we summarize and analyze the previous week’s action while looking forward to the coming week for the Vols. Check back next week for volume 15.

The 26th edition of “Football Time in Tennessee” is available across the state! Live outside Tennessee? You can now order online here.

Tonight, we kick off “Football Time on Tennessee Sports Radio” on 1180 AM Knoxville and tnsportsradio.com! We’ll be coming to you weeknights from 6-8 pm and talking all things Vol. We want to hear from you, so give us a call at 865-243-2877 or 888-859-1180.

Football: Butch Jones is continuing to “win the offseason” in ways most didn’t think possible. The 2014 Vol recruiting class is ranked 4th nationally per Rivals and 5th according to 247Sports. Dominique Booth, a 4-star receiver from Indiana, plans to announce his college plans Friday. Tennessee is the leader to sign him, but Alabama, Vanderbilt, and Florida State aren’t far behind. We’ll have more info on Booth later this week, but he’s a recruit the staff feels like they’ll land.

Tennessee currently has three commits in the 2015 class, athlete Jaylond Woods (Lenoir City, TN), offensive tackle Zach Stewart (Coalfield, TN), and offensive tackle Jack Jones (Murfreesboro, TN). Butch Jones added the first commitment of the 2016 class today when 6-6, 232 pound athlete Darel Middleton decided to commit to Tennessee. Middleton played receiver and defensive end for Powell as a freshman last season. He caught 14 passes for 210 yards and recorded 12 tackles (four for a loss) and three sacks. He’ll play receiver this season in addition to defensive end and outside linebacker. He’s likely to grow into a defensive end or tackle at the next level, but could also play tight end. Here are highlights from his freshman year.

Keep an eye out for several recruiting profiles this week. We’ll also begin releasing interviews of several former Vols as the summer progresses.

Basketball: The Vols are without an experienced point guard after the forced transfer of Trae Golden. Initially, sources close to Golden said Martin told Golden to transfer because he was facing a drastic reduction in minutes, while sources within the athletic department said Golden had to leave due to “repeated plagiarism.” Everything became more clear after the firing of Jenny Wright, the Director of Student Judicial Affairs. She is under investigation for alleged involvement in inappropriate relationships with several student athletes, including Golden, Kenny Hall, and several unnamed football players. Kenny Hall recently cleared the air in an interview with Knoxville’s local ABC news affiliate, you can view that interview here. Trae Golden has not commented on the matter.

Martin simply had to send Golden elsewhere. In a vital season, the staff couldn’t risk dealing with a potentially ineligible point guard. Maymon’s questionable status last season, though due to an injured knee, clearly affected the team. The Vols played much better once they knew Maymon wasn’t returning and seemed to find their identity as the season progressed. Martin and the Vols simply can’t afford another slow start and Golden’s eligibility issues certainly would have been a massive distraction for the team headed into the season. With his transfer, Martin’s Vols have a chance to start fresh at the position and develop both their identity and their starting five during preseason camp.

Incoming Rivals Top 150 point guard Darius Thompson is the immediate favorite to take over at point guard, with Brandon Lopez also expected to see considerable playing time. Tennessee can also let McRae, Hubbs, Richardson, and Moore bring the ball up the floor if needed. The Vols are one scholarship under the limit and are believed to be in heavy pursuit of former Memphis point guard Antonio Barton. The 6-2, 178 pound junior guard graduated this summer and will be immediately eligible wherever he signs. Maryland looks like the leader to land Barton at this time, but the Vols are closing fast. He visited campus last week and if he wears Vol orange next season would give Martin the experienced point guard he needs. Barton scored a combined 40 points against the Vols in the 2011-2012 season on 13-18 shooting (8-10 from 3).

We’ll keep you posted on Barton’s decision and the Wright/Golden situation.