Sumter OT Marques Pair picks Volunteers

Sumter (S.C.) offensive lineman Marques Pair has committed to Tennessee. And it’s fitting in a way, since few major programs had paid much attention to Pair before he went to the Vols’ camp earlier this month and showed off dramatic athleticism for a 6-foot-6, 260-pound young man.

After that, Pair started “blowing up,” as they say in the recruiting world, drawing more attention from schools like Auburn, Clemson, N.C. State, North Carolina and South Carolina.

The Volunteers were the first to offer, though. And Pair already had a relationship with Tennessee QB coach David Reaves, who had spotted the player when Reaves was still on South Carolina’s staff.

There’s a lot to like about Pair; he should be able to add 40 pounds or so to his rangy frame, and he runs a 5-second-flat 40-yard dash.

The bottom line on all this? Tennessee was the first to figure out that Pair is a big-time prospect, and the Vols recruited him longest and hardest.

--Stan Olson