MIKE STRANGE

Mike Strange: Everybody has a big upside on signing day

Mike Strange, USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

Nigel Warrior chose Tennessee on national signing day 2016.

Picking a college is one of life's big decisions. Wednesday is the day for football players to make it official.

It's a tough call. All those offers. All that pressure.

The deciding factor? Well, sometimes it can be the unexpected.

"It was like he hypnotized me with his eyes. I couldn't come out of it.''

That was Rae Sykes, a defensive lineman from Alcoa. He was talking about Phillip Fulmer back in 2007.

Sykes picked Tennessee over Florida State. We always knew Fulmer was an exemplary recruiter. But mind control? Did he hypnotize young Peyton Manning in 1994? Is that an NCAA violation?

I spent part of Tuesday reading back over signing day reporting from years past. It was entertaining to say the least.

In 2009, Darren Myles Jr. explained why he was a last-minute convert to Lane Kiffin's only Tennessee class.

"I had a dream I was in orange,'' the Atlanta defensive back said. "God sent that to me so I went with it.''

Better that than a dream about Kiffin's Orange Pride traveling hostesses. It wasn't God that sent them to that South Carolina high school.

Kiffin's '09 class might have ranked No. 1 nationally when it comes to good stories.

Kiffin thanked Bruce Pearl and UT's fans for an electric atmosphere at a basketball win over Florida on a crucial recruiting weekend. It helped flip signees like Nu'Keese Richardson from Florida.

"And whoever painted The Rock, 'Nu'Keese for Heisman,' that helps, too,'' said Kiffin.

Nu'Keese made headlines at UT but not for the Heisman.

Janzen Jackson was another Kiffin steal, picking the Vols over home-state LSU. "But Louisiana will always be my home,'' Jackson said.

Sure enough, Jackson was back home at McNeese State in Lake Charles, La., after two eventful seasons at Tennessee.

The 2005 class was ranked No. 1 by Scout.com. The last-minute additions were Montario Hardesty and a pair of South Florida defensive linemen, Vladimir Richard and Gerald Williams.

"By signing us,'' Williams said, "we can help them win a national championship.''

On signing day 2005, Williams had no idea how long he would have to wait to help Tennessee compete for a championship. Nobody ever was more persistent. Academic hurdles never deterred him. He finally made it to campus for good in 2008 and lettered three seasons.

When a school announces a signee, the outlook is always optimistic. Everybody has a big upside.

"We have a lot of good receivers but we don't have a big receiver, a Robert Meachem-type guy,'' position coach Latrell Scott said in 2008 of his three new receivers. "Those guys give us size and athleticism at that position.''

Those guys were E.J. Abrams-Ward, Steven Fowlkes and Rod Wilks. The trio combined for one career catch, by Wilks. All three moved to defense.

That same class had a running back whom ESPN.com touted as the next Carnell "Cadillac" Williams: "He has the same build and style and is every bit as difficult to bring down.''

"I'm not Cadillac,'' Tauren Poole said prophetically on signing day. "I'm me. I'm Tauren.'' Poole was no Cadillac, but he had a productive career, rushing for 1,898 yards. (Cadillac had gone for 3,831 and 45 touchdowns at Auburn.)

Kenny Bynum, a 2012 signee, was hypnotized not by a coach but by the Thornton Student Life Center on his official visit. He picked UT over Cincinnati. By career's end in 2016 Bynum had completed both a bachelor's and master's degree and studied abroad in England.

Of the 2012 class, coach Derek Dooley said: "I wasn't going to take a marginal player to fill out everything because I'm not sure we can get to 25 (signees) next year.''

There was, of course, no next year.

Mike Strange may be reached at mike.strange@knoxnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at Strangemike44.

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