September 22nd is a very important day for Tennessee’s football team as they’ll be taking on Florida for the first time under new head coach Jeremy Pruitt. The weekend, however, is equally important for recruiting, as Tennessee will be hosting a handful of priority recruits and commits during the game. We already know who one of those players will be, and that player is four-star wide receiver Trey Knox.
Per 247Sports, Knox, who plays for Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, will be using one of his official visits to come see Knoxville when the Vols host the Gators. Tennessee is among the favorites to land the talented in-state receiver alongside both Arkansas and Florida. He will be visiting both of those schools as well as Penn State this fall as well. Tennessee is the last visit he will take.
Knox is a composite four-star and the 193rd-ranked player in the nation per the 247Sports Composite rankings. Additionally, he is a top five player in the state and the 30th-best receiver in the 2019 class according to those rankings.
It has been a long and complicated relationship between Knox and the Vols. The previous coaching staff under Butch Jones was high on Knox, and he showed some interest in Tennessee. When Pruitt came in, they failed to show as much interest in Knox, but he was still high on UT. This summer, Knox visited UT’s campus and attended a camp held by Tennessee’s coaches. Pruitt reaffirmed Knox’s scholarship offer, and the two of them greatly improved their relationship.
Knox’s willingness to come back to campus and prove his worth to Pruitt speaks volumes about his competitiveness and attitude. But have the Vols fallen behind other schools in his recruitment now?
The in-state receiver fits the mold of the type of wideout the Tennessee coaching staff prefers. He is a strong and physical player, and checks in at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds. He is a talented route runner and has above average hands. He has the kind of speed to create separation and is elusive in the open field. When he has the ball in his hands, he is a threat to house it every time. He won’t burn speedy SEC corners, but he’s fast enough to create room and big enough to make a difference down the field.
In 26 games for Blackman High School, Knox has caught 107 passes for 1,377 yards and 15 touchdowns according to MaxPreps.
Right now, it looks like it’s a three team race for Knox with Tennessee, Arkansas, and Florida, and his recruitment is still very much undecided. Tennessee could very well land him, but it just depends on how much interest they show him. An official visit against Florida, a game where they are honoring the 1998 National Champions, should be a packed house with plenty of energy. A positive experience could go a long way in his decision.
Knox announced earlier this summer he plans to make his college decision on October 1st. The Vols will be his last visit, and that might help them with the momentum of his recruitment.
