National Signing Day has come and gone, leaving in its wake a blissful Tennessee fanbase, thrilled for the most part with the talent that's on its way to Knoxville. The recruiting game never stops though, and the Tennessee coaching staff is already hard at work assembling next year's recruiting haul.

In fact, those efforts have been under way for a good while now and have already produced some tangible results. Phillip Fulmer and his staff are starting off the 2008 class with five verbal commitments from high school juniors already in hand.

One of those, Hickory, N.C. linebacker Austin Johnson committed to Phillip Fulmer in September, ending the process for him before it even began in any serious way.

Johnson hasn't been the only young man to lock up a spot on the Vols' future roster. Maryville tight end Aaron Douglas, Georgia tailback Taureen Poole, South Carolina defensive back J.T. Floyd and Nashville fullback Ben Bartholomew join him as the other early verbals.

For Johnson (6-foot-3, 230 pounds), the decision wasn't a hard one when he made it back in late September, and now a little over four months later, it's still a decision he's at peace with.


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