KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Jeremy Pruitt and members of his newly assembled coaching staff popped in and out of Tennessee's staff meeting room, occasionally huddling in front of the large television on the wall as it spit out signing-day news at a clip surpassed only by the incessant buzzing of Pruitt's cell phone.
One by one, many of the Vols' most coveted prospects lingered then passed over the Tennessee cap in front of them on the table in favor of an Alabama cap, a Georgia cap, a Florida cap, a Florida State cap or a USC cap.
For Tennessee fans, it probably felt eerily similar to the Vols' search for a head coach, which saw one high-profile coach after another linked to the job either turn it down and stay put or elect to go elsewhere.