Jeremy Pruitt said on National Signing Day this year that he and his staff weren’t done adding players to the Vols’ roster after officially signing 20 prospects and potentially blueshirting two more. And it appears he and his staff are doing everything they can to live up to those words.
Not only were the Vols hosting a grad transfer quarterback this weekend, but they also hosted four-star South Carolina wide receiver commit Bryce Thompson according to Jesse Simonton of Volquest.
As Tennessee looks to rebuild its roster for 2018, Stanford grad transfer quarterback Keller Chryst is on an official visit with the Vols this weekend.
They also hosted 4-star South Carolina commit Bryce Thompson unofficially.— Jesse Simonton (@JesseReSimonton) February 25, 2018
But Thompson isn’t a 2019 receiver who’s committed to the Gamecocks; he’s a 2018 prospect who never signed on National Signing Day. And the Vols are doing what they can to try and get him in their class as a late addition.
Thompson has been committed to South Carolina since December of 2017, but he didn’t sign with the Gamecocks because of academic qualification issues. He tweeted out the day before signing day that he was still committed to South Carolina, and he indicated that he fully intended to still sign with them as long as he qualified.
But now it appears he may not be so sure about signing with South Carolina.
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Thompson is the No. 301 overall player in the country and is the No. 12 athlete in the 2018 class. Thompson was bumped up to a four-star in the last big 247Sports rankings update. He played for Dutch Fork High School in Irmo, South Carolina.
The 6-foot, 180 pound prospect is an electric athlete with finesse on the football field. Thompson is quick, finds holes with ease, and can make plays when the ball is in his hands. He was used all over the field for Dutch Fork, and he was easily their best play-maker. His technique as a receiver will need work, and he’ll need to improve his route running. But overall, he has some dynamic capabilities.
As a senior, Thompson lit up the stat sheet. He caught 44 passes for 630 yards and six touchdowns while also running the ball 154 times for 1,369 yards and 29 scores according to Max Preps. He also played defense for Dutch Fork and totaled 28 tackles, an interception, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble. He was also explosive as a kickoff and punt returner.
The Vols need some play-makers on offense, and they were only able to sign two receivers in their 2018 class. Four-star Alontae Taylor signed with the Vols during the early signing period, and Tennessee added three-star Cedric Tillman on National Signing Day.
It’s unclear at this time if Thompson would qualify academically with Tennessee since he’s having issues qualifying with South Carolina. But if the Vols can somehow get him in as a late addition to their 2018 class, he could find a way to get snaps as a true freshman as long as he maintains his grades.
