University of Tennessee Athletics
2000 Incoming Tennessee Freshmen
February 03, 2000 | Football
- Coach Fulmer's Signing Day Press Conference (audio)
Name Position Ht Wt Hometown (Last School) Rashad Baker Wide Receiver 6-0 185 Camden, N.J.(Woodrow Wilson) Tony Brown Wide Receiver 6-3 190 Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. (St. ThomasAquinas) Kevin Burnett Back 6-2 216 Compton, Calif. (Dominguez) Tony Campbell Back 6-3 191 Athens, Ga. (Fork Union Military) Guillaume Dumont Lineman 6-4 275 St. Hubert, Quebec (Centennial Regional) Jabari Greer Wide Receiver 5-11 170 Jackson (Southside) Brad Hilsher Lineman 6-4 265 Maryville (Maryville) Trey Jernigan Lineman 6-6 310 Chester, Va. (Thomas Dale) Mark Jones Wide Receiver 5-10 170 Wallingford, Pa. (Strath Haven) Corey Larkins Back 5-9 180 Opelika, Ala. (Opelika) Victor McClure Lineman 6-5 280 Hixson (Soddy-Daisy) Lynn McGruder Lineman 6-3 285 North Las Vegas, Nev. (Cheyenne) Hayden Moore End 6-4 245 Marietta Ga.(Lassiter) Michael Munoz Lineman 6-7 285 Cincinnati, Ohio (Archbishop Moeller) Karlton Neal Linebacker 6-4 235 Chicago, Ill. (Morgan Park) O.J. Owens Back 6-1 195 New London, N.C. (North Stanly) Jason Respert Lineman 6-4 295 Warner Robins, Ga. (Northside) Courtney Rogers End 6-4 240 Memphis (Fairley) Chavis Smith Lineman 6-3 250 Forest City, N.C. (Fork Union Military) Andre Taylor Lineman 6-3 265 Toronto, Ontario (Central Technical) Lee Wheeler Back 5-10 170 Coolidge, Ariz. (Coolidge) Jason Witten End 6-6 262 Elizabethton (Elizabethton) Sean Young Lineman 6-8 298 Cohutta, Ga. (Northwest Whitfield)
2000 Tennessee Football Freshmen Bios
Rashad Baker
Wide Receiver, 6-0, 185
Camden, N.J. (Woodrow Wilson)
Named the No. 16 wide receiver prospect in the country and the No. 9 overall player in New Jersey by SuperPrep ... PrepStar lists Baker as the No. 2 wide receiver prospect in the East region ... Rated as the the No. 15 wideout in the country by the National Recruiting Advisor ... Listed as one of the top 17 wideout prospects in the nation by USA Today ... Selected as a member of the Rivals.com Top 100 list ... Named to the All-State, All-Region and all-group teams during his senior season ... As a senior, he caught 37 passes for 730 yards ... Best game was 12 catches for 144 yards against Deptford High ... Set school career receiving yards record with more than 1800 yards ... Outstanding track athlete who competed in the 100 HH (13.8) and 100 meters (10.7) ... Was a member of national ranking shuttle hurdle relay team with a mark of 56.8, which was .3 off of the national high school record ... Woodrow Wilson HS coach: Steve Murray ... Full Name: Rashad Baker ... Born: Feb. 22, 1982.
Tony Brown
Wide Receiver, 6-3, 190
Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Named to the PrepStar All-America squad ... All-State, All-Region and All-County performer in 1998 and 1999 ... Ranked as the No. 12 receiver prospect by SuperPrep and Florida's No. 15 overall prospect ... Named to the All-County team in 1997 as a sophomore after appearing in only four games due to injury ... Broke two school records held by Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin ... Set records for most catches in a season with 57 and 12 touchdowns (Irvin had 55 catches and 11 TDs) ... Four-year starter at wide receiver ... Helped guide his team to the class 4A state championship with seven catches for 120 yards and one touchdown in the championship game ... Also helped guide his team to the state title in 1997 ... Also had a six-catch, 115-yard game against Fort Myers earlier in the season ... .Returned punts during high school career ... During his four years, the team's overall record was 52-6 ... Selected to play in the Florida-Georgia All-Star game ... Also participated in basketball in high school ... Full Name: Tony Lenard Brown ... St. Thomas HS coach: George Smith ... Born: May 29, 1981.
Kevin Burnett
Back, 6-2, 216
Compton, Calif. (Dominguez)
Ranked the No. 16 defensive back prospect in the country by SuperPrep ... Also named the No. 25 overall prospect in the Far West region by SuperPrep ... Member of the 1999 PrepStar All-America team ... Second-team All-State selection in California ... Selected to the "Best of the West" team by the Long Beach Press-Telegraph ... Had seven career interceptions from his free safety position ... Named first-team All-League as a running back ... Played linebacker and strong safety in high school ... At running back he had 48 carries for 650 yards and 16 touchdowns during his senior season ... Led team to state playoffs in 1998 and 1999 ... Dominguez HS coach: Keith Donerson ... Born: Dec. 24, 1982.
Tony Campbell
Back, 6-3, 191
Athens, Ga. (Fork Union Military)
During his only season at Fork Union, he recorded more than 100 tackles with seven interceptions and caused two fumbles from his safety position ... Also saw time at wide receiver during the season ... Also participated in track in the 4x100 relay ... At Cedar Shoals HS, he garnered All-State, All-Area and All-Northeast Georgia honors during his senior season ... Was an all-area selection in 1997 and 1998 ... Recorded 99 tackles with four interceptions in 1998 ... Had 17 tackles in one game against Clarke Central ... Holds the school record for the triple jump (47-6) ... First player to sign a Division I scholarship from his high school in nine years ... Was a three-year starter on defense at safety ... Helped lead Cedar to the state playoffs in 1997 and 1998 ... Fork Union coach: John Schuman ... Cedar Shoals HS coach: Scott Wilkins ... Full Name: Carl Tony Campbell ... Born: Aug. 10, 1981.
Guillaume Dumont
Lineman, 6-4, 275
St. Hubert, Quebec (Centennial Regional)
Named All-Canada...was a two-time All-league selection and to All-Academic team...captained 1998 Provincial Championship team that posted 9-1 record...was named team MVP after 1997 season after his team won a division title...honors graduate with a 3.7 GPA and 1280 SAT score. Centennial Regional HS Coach: Ray Gagnon...Full Name: Guillaume David Dumont...Born: June 5, 1981.
Jabari Greer
Back, 5-11, 170
Jackson (Southside)
Ranked as the No. 9 overall prospect in Tennessee by SuperPrep ... Listed as the No. 9 athlete prospect in the Southeast region by PrepStar ... Ranked as the No. 3 prospect in Tennessee by the Knoxville News-Sentinel ... Ranked No. 4 in the state on the Chattanooga Times & Free Press' Top 20 ... An All-State selection in Class 3A in 1999 ... A versatile athlete who can play on both sides of the ball ... He rushed 52 times for 508 yards and 11 touchdowns with 28 receptions for 454 yards and seven scores as a senior ... Averaged 11.8 yards per offensive touch ... On defense, Greer picked off 10 passes and returned four for scores ... Also had three fumble returns for touchdowns ... Scored five touchdowns against Bolivar with two rushing, one receiving and two by fumble return ... Had four touchdowns and three interceptions against Jackson Northside ... Returned 12 kicks for 268 yards and two scores ... Three-year starter at wide receiver and cornerback and also played tailback ... Team went to state playoffs twice in his three years ... Holds school record for defensive points with 36 ... Won the state track title for the intermediate and high hurdles as a junior..Also plans to run track at UT ... Full Name: Jabari Amin Greer ... South Side HS coach: Jerry Hays ... Born: Feb. 11, 1982.
Brad Hilsher
Lineman, 6-4, 265
Maryville (Maryville)
A Class 4A all-state selection during his junior and senior seasons ... Named to the Knoxville News-Sentinel's Top 25 ... Listed as the No. 13 prospect in the state by the Chattanooga Times & Free-Press ... Rated as the No. 11 overall prospect in Tennessee by SuperPrep ... An All-East Tennessee selection in 1998 and 1999 ... A finalist for the state's "Mr. Football" award in 1998 ... Named to the Gridiron Elite team for the Southeast ... During his senior campaign, he racked up 55 tackles with 12 tackles for loss and eight sacks from his defensive end position ... Played offensive tackle throughout his high school career ... Helped guide Maryville to the 4A state championship as junior and to the state finals as a sophomore ... A three-year starter at defensive end ... Also played basketball all four years ... Maryville HS coach George Quarles ... Full Name: Russell Bradley Hilsher ... Born: Feb. 19, 1982.
Trey Jernigan
Lineman, 6-6, 310
Chester, Va. (Thomas Dale)
Selected as a preseason PrepStar All-America ... Listed as the No. 22 overall prospect in Virginia by SuperPrep ... Hampered by illness during his senior season and missed his last three games ... Appeared in six of his team's nine games last season ... Also a Street & Smith honorable mention All-America selection ... He was a three-year starter at offensive and defensive tackle ... Named to the All-District team as a junior ... At defensive tackles he registered three sacks during senior season ... Also participated in track and threw the shot put and the discus ... Thomas Dale HS coach: Vic Williams ... Full Name: William Russell Jernigan III ... Born: Feb. 16, 1982
Mark Jones
Back, 5-10, 175
Wallingford, Pa. (Strath Haven)
Listed as the No. 1 athlete prospect in the East region by PrepStar ... Rated as the No. 9 wide receiver prospect in the country by ESPN ... SuperPrep lists Jones as the No. 3 prospect in Pennsylvania and the No. 5 athlete prospect in the country ... Was the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Player of the Year for all classes in 1999 ... Named Mr. Versatility by his high school team..Named Class 3A All-State as a senior ... Was a four-year starter at wide receiver and defensive back ... Led team to Class 3A state title during his senior season by rushing for 114 yards and catching three passes for 53 yards in championship game ... Team also had a 15-0 record for the season ... Rushed for 935 yards on 114 carries and caught 31 balls for 632 yards during his final season ... Had 23 total touchdowns in 1999, which set the county record for total scores ... Ran back two kickoffs for scores, both were 93 yards ... Also participated in track with marks in the 100 meters (10.68), the 200 meters (21.2) and the 400 meters (49.9) ... Strath Haven HS coach: Kevin Clancy ... Full Name: Mark Christopher Jones ... Born: Nov. 3, 1980.
Corey Larkins
Back, 5-9, 180
Opelika, Ala. (Opelika)
A PrepStar All-Southeast regional performer in 1999 ... Rated the No. 20 prospect in Alabama by SuperPrep ... Missed most of his senior season due to a knee injury in the third game of the year ... Until his injury, he rushed 23 times for 300 yards and five touchdowns ... Also caught three touchdown passes and returned a fumble for a score ... Also had a punting average of 42 yards per game ... Was an All-State and All-Area selection as a junior ... Helped lead his team to back-to-back 11-1 records in 1998 and 1999 ... Also participated in basketball as a sophomore and averaged 18 points per game ... A three-year starter at running back and free safety ... Excelled in track, winning the Alabama state championship in the 100 meters as a junior ... Opelika HS coach: Vince McCracken ... Full Name: Corey LeVance Larkins ... Born: Oct. 23, 1981.
Victor McClure
Lineman, 6-5, 280
Hixson (Soddy-Daisy)
Ranked as the No. 10 prospect in Tennessee by SuperPrep ... Listed as the No. 8 prospect in the state by Knoxville News-Sentinel Top 25 ... Ranked No. 9 by the Chattanooga Times & Free Press An All-Southeast regional performer according to PrepStar ... Class 5A All-State selection, along with All-Tri-State and All-Region honors ... As a senior, McClure recorded 65 tackles including 12 tackles for loss and five sacks from his defensive end postition ... Also had two fumble recoveries and eight quarterback pressures ... Played tight end as junior and offensive tackle as a sophomore and senior ... Also played basketball during his sophomore year ... Soddy-Daisy HS coach: Glen Rien ... Full Name: Victor Michael McClure ... Born: May 28, 1981.
Lynn McGruder
Lineman, 6-3, 285
North Las Vegas, Nev. (Cheyenne)
Named a PrepStar All-America and the No. 2 defensive line prospect in the West region ... Listed as the No. 6 defensive lineman in the country by the National Recruiting Advisior ... Named to PrepStar's "Dream Team" ... Listed in SuperPrep's top 25 defensive line prospects ... Named Gatorade Player of the Year in Nevada during his senior season ... Named to the Las Vegas Sun's "Super 11" ... First-team All-State selection in 1999 ... Totaled 65 tackles and 12 sacks during his senior campaign ... Cheyenne HS coach: George Perry ... Full Name: Lynn McGruder ... Born: Feb. 13, 1982.
Hayden Moore
Lineman, 6-4, 245
Marietta, Ga. (Lassiter)
Selected as an All-South regional performer in 1999 by PrepStar ... SuperPrep All-America selection as one of the nation's top 50 defensive linemen ... Honorable mention All-State ... Named to the Gridiron Greats "Super Squad" ... Named the Touchdown Club of Atlanta's Defensive Lineman of the Year ... Named to USA Today's Georgia Super 25 and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution area Super Eleven ... A top 150 prospect according to Athlon and Street & Smith ... An All-County and All-Regional performer in 1999 and 1998 ... Also a member of the Southeast Recruiting All-Southeast Team as a linebacker ... Named the captain of his team in 1999 ... Played linebacker and defensive line while in high school ... Helped guide his team to regional championship as a senior ... During the season, he registered 62 total hits with 6.5 sacks and 59 quarterback hurries ... Tallied 180 total hits for his career ... His father, Allen Moore, played football for Auburn (1968-71) ... Named to Class 4A All-Academic Team with a 3.65 grade-point average ... Full Name: Hayden Allen Todd Moore ... Lassiter HS coach: Rodney Floyd ... Born: Nov. 9, 1981.
Michael Munoz
Lineman, 6-7, 285
Cincinnati, Ohio (Archbishop Moeller)
Received the Bobby Dodd award for the most outstanding lineman in the country from the Atlanta Touchdown Club ... A Rivals.com All-America selection ... The No. 2 offensive line prospect and No. 12 overall prospect by the National Recruiting Advisor ... A Parade, SuperPrep and PrepStar first team All-America selection ... Gatorade Player of the Year in Ohio in 1999 ... A three-time All-State, All-Region and All-District selection ... Named first-team All-America by the Dick Butkus Football Network ... Recorded 109 pancake blocks during his senior season ... Graded out at 91 percent on the offensive line ... Paved the way for his prep team to reach state championship game in 1997 and playoffs in 1999 ... Did not allow a sack in his three years as a starter on the offensive line ... Also a snapper on special teams ... Set varsity records in the shot put and discus throw at Moeller ... Son of NFL Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz ... Full Name: Michael Anthony Munoz, Jr ... Moeller HS coach: Steve Klonne ... Born: July 31, 1981.
Karlton Neal
Linebacker, 6-4, 235
Chicago, Ill. (Morgan Park)
Named to the Rivals.com top 100 prospects list ... Also listed by the National Recruiting Advisor as one of the top 100 prospects in the country ... Listed as one of the top linebacker prospects in the country by USA Today ... Was an All-State performer in 1999 ... Ranked the No. 13 overall prospect in the Midwest region by SuperPrep ... Named to the PrepStar All-America squad and listed as the No. 4 linebacker prospect in the Midwest region ... Was a four-year starter at tight end and three-year starter at linebacker ... Made 11 stops with a sack and caused a fumble against St. Rita's in 1999 ... Also had 10 tackles against Bogan High with two sacks with a fumble recovery ... Missed three games during his senior season, but still tallied 65 total hits with eight sacks and caused four fumbles ... In 1998, he racked up 110 tackles with five sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions returned for scores ... Also was a member of the track team ... Set the school record for the shot put (48-0), and ran the 200 meters, 100 meters, 4x200 relay and the 55-meter indoor dash ... Morgan Park HS coach: Lexie Spurlock ... Full Name: Karlton Daryle Neal ... Born: Nov. 5, 1982.
O.J. Owens
Back, 6-1, 195
New London, N.C. (North Stanly)
Named first-team All-America at safety by Rivals.com ... Listed as the No. 2 overall prospect in North Carolina and the No. 9 defensive back prospect in the country by SuperPrep ... A first-team All-America selection by Parade magazine ... Also named first-team All-America by the Dick Butkus Football Network ... Rated as the No. 9 defensive back in the country by the National Recruiting Advisor ... Listed as the No. 4 overall prospect in the Atlantic region and No. 1 athlete prospect in the region by PrepStar ... Named to FOX Sports Net "Countdown to Signing Day's" All-South team ... A two-time Class 2A All-State selection at North Stanly ... During his senior season, he had 97 tackles, four interceptions, four caused fumbles and one fumble recovery from his strong safety position ... Two-year starter at fullback ... As a senior, he rushed for 647 yards and 12 touchdowns ... Competed in track with a 100 meter time of 10.8 and a member of the 4x100 relay team which set a school record (42.8) ... North Stanly HS coach: Robert Harris ... Full Name: Orentheal James Owens ... Born: Dec. 20, 1981.
Jason Respert
Lineman, 6-4, 295
Warner Robins, Ga. (Northside)
A consensus high school All-America who was rated as one of the top offensive line prospects in the nation ... Named to the Parade, Rivals.com, PrepStar, SuperPrep All-America team and second team USA Today All-USA Team ... Listed on the Atlanta Journal Constitution's Super Southern 100, Rivals 100 and the Georgia Top 75 list ... Rated as the No. 7 offensive lineman in the nation according to Tom Lemming ... Named to the FoxSportsNet All-South Team, PrepStar Top 100 Dream Team and SuperPrep Top 50 ... Was named to the Class 4-A All-Star team by the Augusta Chronicle ... Also listed as one of the Top South players by the Orlando Sentinel ... Was a Dick Butkus Football Network second team All-America ... As a senior, he graded out at 90 percent and recorded 39 pancake blocks, despite being hampered by injuries early in the season ... Team reached the Class 4A state semifinals for the first time in school history in 1999 ... Squad was ranked No. 1 in the state and sixth nationally by USA Today ... As a junior, he helped the Eagles' star running back set school records for rushing yards and touchdowns ... Was the center on the basketball team and threw the shot and discus ... Member of student council and honor graduate ... Has a twin sister, Jennifer ... Is a second cousin to NBA guard Shawn Respert ... Northside HS coach: Conrad Nix ... Full Name: Jason Allen Respert ... Born: Nov. 30, 1981.
Courtney Rogers
End, 6-4, 240
Memphis (Fairley)
A PrepStar All-America selection at tight end ... Also rated as the No. 6 tight end prospect in the Southeast by PrepStar ... Ranked No. 11 in the state by the Chattanooga Times & Free Press ... Named All-Metro by the Memphis Commercial Appeal ... All-Region in 1998 and 1999 ... During his senior season, he caught 23 passes for 496 yards and seven touchdowns ... Against Westwood HS, he had 10 tackles with two sacks and five catches for 79 yards and a touchdown ... Defensively, he made 97 tackles with 16 sacks and two interceptions from his middle linebacker position ... Was a three-year starter at defensive end and tight end ... Helped guide Fairley to the state playoffs in 1999 and 1997 ... Participated in baseball while at Fairley ... Garnered All-Metro and All-Region honors in baseball as a pitcher and first baseman ... Three-year starter on the baseball squad ... Fairley HS coach: Rahman Slocum ... Full Name: Courtney Dewayne Brown ... Born: Oct. 18, 1982.
Chavis Smith
Lineman, 6-3, 250
Forest City, N.C. (Fork Union Military)
Attended Fork Union Military Academy following senior high school season ... Had 20 tackles in one game while at Fork Union ... Recorded 50 total stops with 10 tackles for loss, two caused fumbles and two fumble recoveries ... During his senior year at East Rutherford High, the National Recruiting Advisor rated him as the No. 4 linebacker in the ACC region ... SuperPrep named him the No. 6 prospect in North Carolina as a defensive lineman ... The National Recruiting Advisor ranked him the Atlantic Region's No. 3 tight end prospect ... Registered 10 tackles and three sacks in a win over Chase HS in 1998 ... Named Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 1998 ... A three-year starter who was named All-County and All-Conference as a junior and senior ... Fork Union Military coach: John Schuman ... .East Rutherford HS coach: Jerry Cash ... Full Name: Chavis LaMont Smith ... Born: Aug. 29, 1980.
Andre Taylor
Lineman, 6-3, 265
Toronto, Ontario (Central Technical)
Made Canada's prep All-Star listing, along with All-City and All-Region honors in 1999 ... A two-year starter at offensive and defensive tackle ... Helped lead Central Tech to two consecutive city titles and a berth in the state finals with records of 9-1 and 8-2 ... As a senior, he recorded 95 tackles and six sacks ... Born in Jamaica, and moved to Canada when he was 9-years-old ... Central Technical HS coach: Chuck Wakefield ... Full Name: Andre Omar Taylor ... Born: April 11, 1981.
Lee Wheeler
Back, 5-10, 170
Coolidge, Ariz. (Coolidge)
Ranked as the No. 5 overall prospect in Arizona by SuperPrep ... A PrepStar All-America selection who was rated as the No. 4 defensive back in the West region by the publication ... Two-time Class 3A Defensive Player of the Year in Arizona ... An All-State selection on both sides of the ball as a senior ... Had a 95-yard touchdown run against Globe HS in the conference championship game ... Helped lead his team to the state semifinals in each of his three years as a starter ... Second on his team in tackles and picked off two passes from his cornerback position, and he returned both for touchdowns ... Wheeler was also named Offensive Player of the Year in his conference for his play at quarterback ... He ran 76 times for 910 yards and threw for 828 more yards for 14 total touchdowns ... Named All-Region and All-District during his junior and senior seasons ... As a junior, he made 62 tackles with five interceptions ... Coolidge HS coach: John Kashner ... Full Name: Lee Alfred Wheeler III ... Born: Nov. 20, 1981.
Jason Witten
End, 6-6, 262
Elizabethton (Elizabethton)
Named All-America by PrepStar and the No. 6 defensive line prospect in the Southeast ... Listed as the No. 1 prospect in Tennessee by the Knoxville News-Sentinel and the Chattanooga Times & Free Press ... Named Tennessee High School Player of the Year by the Lawrenceburg Quarterback Club for all classes ... Listed as one of the top defensive line prospects in the country by SuperPrep, National Recruiting Advisor and USA Today ... Named the East Tennessee Player of the Year, Region Defensive Player of the Year and runner-up for the Mr. Football award during his senior season ... Racked up 163 tackles, nine sacks, 27 tackles for loss ... Also registered eight deflected passes, two interceptions, two blocked kicks, five caused fumbles and recovered three fumbles his senior season ... Holds school record for most career tackles with 450 ... Also played tight end, catching 24 passes for 290 yards and 11 touchdowns ... Four-year starter at linebacker and tight end ... Led team to state semifinals three times ... Named to the 4A All-State team his senior and junior years ... Also played basketball, averaging 15 points and 12 rebounds per game ... Full Name: Christopher Jason Witten ... Elizabethton HS coach Dave Rider ... Born: May 6, 1982.
Sean Young
Lineman, 6-8, 298
Cohutta, Ga. (Northwest Whitfield)
Named first-team All-America by USA Today ... Rated as the No. 3 offensive lineman in the country by the National Recruiting Advisor ... Selected to PrepStar's "Dream Team" and rated as the No. 6 offensive line prospect in the country ... Also named first-team All-America by ESPN and Reebok ... Listed as the No. 12 overall prospect in Georgia by SuperPrep ... A member of the Rivals.com Top 100 prospects list ... Named to FOX Sports Net "Countdown to Signing Day's" All-South team ... Did not allow a sack during his three years at offensive tackle ... Had two games with 12 pancake blocks during his senior year ... Helped lead team to its first-ever regional championship in 1999 ... Graded out at 87 percent on the offensive line for his career, 89 percent for his senior season ... Holds school record in the shot put (58-4) and the discus (162-0) ... Selected to play in the Florida-Georgia All-Star game ... Also named captain of his team as a senior ... A two-time all-state performer at Northwest Whitfield ... Northwest Whitfield HS coach: Ron Wheeler ... Full Name: Sean Alan Young ... Born: Dec. 1, 1981.
