No Eclipse in recruiting as Vols continue to purge SUNshine State
On a day where the sun disappeared, Tennessee continued to make a strong push in the Sunshine State in recruiting. The Vols, using ties both on staff and on the roster, added Ft. Myers, Fla., wide receiver Shocky Jacques-Louis on Monday night.
"When I went up there they showed me a family atmosphere that I hadn't felt before," Jacques-Louis said. "I feel that at home, but I've never experienced that at a school till I visited Tennessee. No other school had that. My homeboy Shannon (Reid) and Tyler (Byrd) is there. They are in the SEC and who wouldn't want to play in the SEC."
Jacques-Louis called Tennessee coaches on Monday afternoon and gave them the good news. It was a fun interaction that had the South Florida native pretty excited.
"They were super excited," Jacques-Louis said. "Coach (Butch) Jones was talking about how I made his day. Coach (Kevin) Beard was like stop playing for me and I was like I'm for real. They were really excited."
The relationship with Beard is what made the biggest impact on Jacques-Louis, as he thought about which school to choose. The one-time Kentucky commitment felt the bond and had a vibe that just stayed with him.
"I really like coach Beard," Jacques-Louis said. "He's from Florida and so am I. I can call him up and we have a great relationship. I'll send him film of my drills and he will break it down for me. He just seems like a coach I can spend four years with and I really well improve under him. He told me all the stuff and I can see the progress and feel myself getting better."
With limited space in the 2018 class, Tennessee is likely done at the receiver spot, as Jacques-Louis joins Alontae Taylor and Jatavious Harris in this recruiting class.
"Holding that spot is truly a blessing," Jacques-Louis said. "They could have had other guys, but they held it for me and it makes me think even higher of Tennessee. I've been thinking it was the school for me and now I'm ready."
At 6-foot-1 and 175-pounds, Jacques-Louis shows incredible burst and ability to just be a playmaker.
"I can change the momentum of a game with my leadership skills and my skills on the field," Jacques-Louis said. "I can score anytime the ball is in my hands. I have certain attributes. I really fast. I have unpredictable speed. Some people think I'm not moving that fast, but I'm just going so smooth."
Jacques-Louis plans on officially visiting Tennessee for the Georgia game and has thought about coming up to Gainesville to see the Vols play the Gators next month.