When David Johnson left for Florida State the day after Tennessee’s bowl win over Indiana, Jeremy Pruitt had a key decision to make.

How would he replace an assistant who was critical in helping shape the Vols’ 2020 class?

Pruitt kicked the tires on several candidates, but ultimately, the most obvious choice proved to be the most prudent one, too.

Jay Graham is coming home, and it makes all the sense in the world.

Here are several reasons why the news Tuesday is good for the Vols…

1. There’s a uniqueness in coaching and recruiting at Tennessee, but Graham already knows the landscape. That’s huge.

Being a Tennessee legacy and one of the school's all-time rushing leader is nice, but it doesn't carry the weight most believe. It’s not like Tee Martin has reeled in a bunch of 5-stars because he once starred for the Vols.

No, more importantly is having previous experience coaching and recruiting at Tennessee. Graham has worked with Pruitt and offensive coordinator Jim Chaney at previous stops, so there's some cohesiveness there, but more notably is the fact that Graham knows this state.

After his playing career was over, the former Texas A&M coach worked his way up from a grad assistant with the Vols before making stops at Chattanooga and UT-Martin. He has established relationships in Knoxville, Nashville and elsewhere — ones that he has maintained since his lone season on staff with the Vols in 2012 — and knows the inner workings of various high schools across the state.

2. Graham brings key recruiting ties back to Tennessee.

Historically, the running back assistant position is where you slot one of your better recruiters. David Johnson was that for the Vols in 2020.

While it took the Louisiana native a year to get acclimated at Tennessee, Johnson built real relationships in Memphis and Mississippi. He helped reel in tailback Eric Gray late in the cycle in 2019, and this past fall, kept the burners warm for guys like Bryson Eason and Martavius French so when Pruitt and the rest of the staff were all-in on the Whitehaven trio, the Vols were in a great position thanks to Johnson’s efforts. The now FSU-assistant also played a hand in landing Jabari Small and Omari Thomas.

Graham won’t replace Johnson’s production in Memphis, but the Tar Heel State native has long-standing relationships with coaches across the Carolinas — and that cannot be understated.

Graham was a star at Concord High, breaking multiple school records en route to an All-American high school career. He has 20-year relationships with coaches from Concord to Charlotte and Raleigh.

The 44-year-old assistant has never been viewed as an alpha recruiter, but Graham is solid and had a big hand in A&M landing blue-chippers like Derrick Hunter, Isaiah Spiller and Jashaun Corbin. He was a factor in Florida State beating out Tennessee for 5-star tailback Cam Akers, too.

But Graham’s ties to North Carolina are what are particularly attractive to Pruitt.

When Tennessee was Tennessee, the Vols had a flag planted in North Carolina.

Clemson, Georgia, and others have recently raided the state, but Tennessee is looking to make hey there again. Poaching Quavaris Crouch in 2019 was a major move, but the Vols want more than just one stud from the Carolina’s each cycle. Graham landed 4-star wideout and 2020 Tennessee target Muhsin Muhammad out of Charlotte to Texas A&M this year, and the Vols hope that pipeline will now run to Knoxville.

Tennessee recently picked up a 2021 commit from North Carolina pass rusher Isaac Washington, and Graham was already recruiting current Tennessee targets and North Carolina natives like Kaman Marley, Jahvaree Ritzie and Raneiria Dillworth to Texas A&M. Meanwhile, Graham recently offered 4-star tailback Treveyon Henderson from Hopewell (Va.) — perhaps Tennessee’s top tailback target in 2021. Both the Aggies and Vols made Henderson’s latest top schools cut.

3. Graham has legitimate chops as an assistant coach.

The former Vol has grown into a strong teacher — both of tailbacks and with special teams.

He helped develop Dalvin Cook, Devonta Freeman and Karlos Williams at Florida State. He spent a season with Marcus Lattimore at South Carolina. Trayveon Williams broke Texas A&M’s all-purpose yard record in his lone year under Graham’s tutelage.

Now at Tennessee, Graham is responsible for getting the best out of a tailback room that has talent, but mostly untapped potential.

Gray teased his raw ability late in the season, while Ty Chandler has game-changing speed that simply hasn’t translated into the Nashville native becoming a true star tailback yet. Could it happen under Graham? The Vols will add three more — possibly four — new faces to the room this fall, too.

Graham’s experience as a special teams coordinator the last five seasons was another reason that made him attractive to Pruitt.

The Vols needed to replace Kevin Sherrer, who left for the New York Giants. In 2019, Tennessee ranked 51st in special teams SP+, with Texas A&M slightly better in the rankings under Graham, coming in at 45th. The Aggies ranked 28th in special teams SP+ in 2018.

Florida State also had a couple fantastic special teams seasons under Graham, finishing No. 8 nationally in 2017 and No. 5 nationally in 2014 when he first assumed the title.

4. Graham’s addition could tip the scales for 5-star Zach Evans.

It’s a fool’s errand to predict anything that might happen with the enigmatic star tailback from North Shore, but Graham does at least have an existing relationship with Evans.

For more than a year — before Evans’ recruitment had more twists and turns than Chutes and Ladders — most folks believed Evans would stay in-state and play for the Aggies.

That’s no longer going to happen, but with Graham now at Tennessee, that could be what ultimately helps UT land one of the top unsigned prospects in the country.

Evans just took his official visit to Knoxville this past weekend, and conversations about who would be Tennessee’s next tailback coach certainly took place.

All of a sudden, the Vols are now firmly in the mix for the 5-star talent — some by a bit of a process of elimination of other programs (Texas A&M and LSU, perhaps Georgia, too) but also because of developments like the news of Graham to Tennessee.