3 Reasons Tennessee Won't Finish With No. 1 2021 Recruiting Class Despite Recent Surge

Jeremy Pruitt's recruiting surge has been nothing short of immaculate, as the Vols now sit third in 247's team rankings for the Class of 2021. Still, despite the sheer number of commits they've raked in, finishing at the top of said classification is next to impossible, as much as Tennessee fans may blow up my mentions.

3. Number of Scholarships

Pruitt has already offered 21 players, with the likes of Ohio State, Clemson and Georgia at 17, 12 and 10 commits respectively. That means their ranking should only increase from here on out, with the Buckeyes specifically given every opportunity to increase their lead on Tennessee with four scholarships in hand.

2. Number of 3-star Commits

While Tennessee's rise up the recruiting ranks has been impressive, 12 of those commits are of the 3-star variety. Alabama, Georgia and Clemson will be able to catch up and then some by National Signing Day, with many of their top targets of the 4- and 5-star variety. In a system which weighs the level of prospects, the Vols are doomed to finish behind some bigger schools.

1. Ohio State's Top Recruiters

Brian Hartline doesn't miss. The former Ohio State receiver is paid top dollar to lead the Buckeyes in recruiting, and he's been in-house for several of the top-rated prospects remaining in the 2021 class. For the 2020 class specifically, he was rated as the top recruiter in the country. That kind of success rate give OSU the inside track to securing the top class in the land.