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 16.

Football: You may recognize a common theme emerging in recent posts: Butch Jones continues to make waves on the recruiting trail. The Vols picked up a commitment from 3-star in-state kicker Aaron Medley last week. A disciple of former UT kicker James Wilhoit, Medley is one of the top kickers and punters in the 2014 class. Jones offered him last Tuesday and the talented prospect committed less than 24 hours later. Expect him to step in and compete for a starting job the moment he sets foot on campus next year.

Friday, Tennessee added a late addition to the 2013 class in the form of 3-star defensive end Kendal Vickers. The 6-4, 240 pound defensive end from North Carolina had been committed to South Carolina, but the Gamecocks were planning on Vickers heading the JUCO route before arriving in Columbia. Vickers worked hard in the classroom and ended up qualifying academically, but South Carolina no longer had room for him. The Vol staff offered him immediately after hearing about his situation early last week, and Vickers committed during a campus visit Friday. Tennessee desperately needs depth on the defensive front, and even if Vickers doesn’t contribute this year (he may work his way into the rotation this year, but he needs to add some weight to his frame), he’ll have the opportunity to compete for a spot in the rotation on the defensive line in 2014.

It’s a slow season for football, but the vast majority of Tennessee’s 2013 class is set to enroll for the first session of summer school. As the team starts summer workouts, we’ll keep you posted on what we hear.

Jones and his staff will continue to relentlessly pound the recruiting trail in the coming months and the 2014 Vol class should grow by several members before the start of fall camp.

Tennessee’s 2014 recruiting class ranks third per Rivals (first in the SEC) and 4th per 247Sports (2nd in the SEC).

Basketball: Former Memphis point guard Antonio Barton made the decision Sunday to transfer to Tennessee for his senior season. He will be eligible immediately and should step into the starting point guard role left vacant by Trae Golden’s transfer. Though Barton doesn’t have the explosive scoring ability of Trae Golden, he should be able to run Cuonzo Martin’s motion offense, especially with the weapons the Vols will have at every other position. With incoming 5-star shooting guard Robert Hubbs expected to make an immediate impact on the perimeter, the Vols have a potential starting lineup of Barton, Hubbs, McRae, Stokes, and Maymon. That would put Richardson on the bench but give him a chance to be perhaps the best sixth man in the league. Barton’s addition also allows incoming Rivals top-150 guard Darius Thompson some time to get acclimated to the college game without being expected to start immediately.

Barton is an above average defender who should solve some of Tennessee’s issues defending guards who like to attack off the dribble. He’s also a career 42% shooter from 3-point range and will give the Vols yet another threat on the perimeter. With the development of Derek Reese and Armani Moore, UT should be expected to make a run deep into March next season. Barton chose the Vols over Maryland, Syracuse, and Texas A&M. In a report by the Associated Press, he said, “Tennessee had the best chance of me coming in and winning – not only playing right away but they have all the pieces from shooting guard to small forward to even guys coming in off the bench and the coaching staff.”

We’ll discuss the potential impact of Barton further on “Football Time on TSR” from 6-8 pm throughout the week.