Jan 1, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers fans before the game against the Northwestern Wildcats in the 2016 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
2016 may truly be Tennessee's year, as the Vols secured their second commitment of Jan. 1 immediately after the Outback Bowl romp of No. 13 Northwestern. This time it was Georgia native Baylen Buchanan's turn to commit to the Volunteers.
A 5-foot-11, 188-pound defensive back prospect, Buchanan is the son of former NFL defensive back Ray Buchanan, veteran of 11 NFL seasons for three different teams. Buchanan is rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports and currently holds over 20 scholarship offers from several of the nation's elite football schools.
Another interesting note on the commitment of Buchanan, he is the teammate of fellow Peachtree Ridge defensive back and five-star prospect Nigel Warrior. Warrior, the son of former Volunteer All-American Dale Carter, is a top Tennessee target in the 2016 recruiting class.
Heading into the New Year, Tennessee's recruiting efforts had hit a bump in the road. With only one commitment over the final three months of 2015 and suffered several decommitments during that same time, some had wondered if the Vols recruiting efforts under Butch Jones had begun to cool.
Wonder no more.
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