Home › Football Recruiting
Bailey always planned to pick UT
STORY TOOLS
RELATED STORIES
More Football Recruiting
- Fordham picks South Carolina over UT
- Memphis area busy with football recruiting
- UT prospect Boyd commits to Mississippi State
Share and Enjoy [?]
Get Reprints
Some prospects make their college decisions based off a official visit to a college game.
Not Preston Bailey.
The 6-foot-5, 310-pound offensive lineman from Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville made his decision based off an unofficial visit to a Tennessee scrimmage in August of last year.
“Ever since that visit, in the back of my mind I knew that’s where I wanted to be,” Bailey said after committing to the Vols on Wednesday.
Bailey can now concentrate on more pressing matters.
“Now I get to focus on my academics, my senior year, and, more specifically, focus on bringing a state championship back to my school,” Bailey said.
Bailey, who is the News Sentinel’s fifth best prospect in Tennessee, said he is completely recovered from the slightly sprained knee he suffered in preseason camp.
As frustrating as the early setback was, the injury helped cement his college future.
“A week after the injury, I got a letter from Coach (Phillip) Fulmer,” Bailey said of UT’s quick show of support.
The injury certainly didn’t affect UT’s interest in Bailey — but it will limit what he plays this season. MBA had toyed with the idea of playing Bailey on defense. Now, that idea is scrapped after the knee scare.
Many prospects point to UT’s family atmosphere as a primary reason they decide to be a Vol. Falling right in line, Bailey has already found two surrogate fathers.
“I already see Coach Cut (offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe) and Coach Fulmer as father figures,” Bailey said. “That’s the one big thing that really got me to commit there.
“It’s more than just football.”
Bailey is UT’s second commitment this year from MBA, joining fullback Ben Bartholomew. Bailey is UT’s ninth commitment of the 2008 signing class.
© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
- Fulmer gets raise to $2.4 million; Pearl to $1.6 million
- Georgia DE Lemon charged with felony
- UT assistants' pay pool greener
- Pigram's big game plays big in Rocky Top title game
- 236 athletes on Thornton Center academic honor roll
- Sparks give Bobbitt first career start
- UT's 'Solution' is a-Maze-ing ... but for real
- Mattingly: Auburn proved up to task of hosting Vols
- Berry, McCoy, Foster, Crompton on watch lists
- Garciaparra not regretting minor move over Vols
Posted by jawbreaker on August 28, 2007 at 5:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sounds like a big, strong, smart O-lineman for the future. He and Bartholomew are both winners.
Posted by awhill00 on August 28, 2007 at 10:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is super. If we can get Alex Hurst and Barrett Jones as solid commits, we've got our offensive line shored up. GO VOLS!!
Posted by GreerVol22 on August 29, 2007 at 1:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
nice choice hot shot! go to UT, get drafted, retire a wealthy NFL veteran. If I was 6-5 315, that would be my plan...
Posted by Volchaz on August 29, 2007 at 1:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I love to see UT picking up these Middle Tennessee Blue Chippers. Great job Vols.
Posted by marc_ash on August 29, 2007 at 1:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is where it begins, talent on our home state. Got Coleman last year and some good folks this year.
If we can start doing that in basketball too UT is going to be in great shape for years to come.
Posted by andy112382 on August 29, 2007 at 3:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Awesome, second year in a row an offensive lineman picked us over Michigan, last year was Sawtelle who was from that area. Always can use more linemen on both sides of the ball! GO VOLS!!!
Posted by vol4jesus on August 29, 2007 at 3:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You think he's too big to play football? What if he fell on somebody...or kept blocking a dt 15 yds down the field on a run play. Is that unsportsmanlike? Good problems to have huh?
Posted by Plasticman on August 29, 2007 at 7:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Great news. We need to keep the in-state talent and this kid is a player.
Posted by bricker865 on August 29, 2007 at 10:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewprosp...
Posted by jlange on August 30, 2007 at 10:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
where's cr and all those "sky is falling" folks? surely there must be a cloud here somewhere.
(Requires free registration.)
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.