Bryce Brown, the No. 8 prospect in the ESPNU150, will play his college football at Tennessee. Brown picked the Vols over a list of finalists that included Oregon, LSU, Kansas State and Miami.
Brown's decision ends a months-long saga that began picking up steam when the talented running back from Wichita, Kan., opted not to make a decision on national signing day.
Brown, who rushed for 1,807 yards and 29 touchdowns this year at Wichita East, had been committed to Miami (where his brother Arthur is a sophomore linebacker) since February of 2008. But Brown, who is ranked the No. 2 running back in the country by Scouts Inc., decided not to sign with the Hurricanes on signing day and instead wanted to take all five of his official visits.
The Vols became a player for Brown late in the game. He visited Knoxville unofficially last week and did the official visit with Lane Kiffin and the Vols this weekend, when Tennessee held its first scrimmage of the spring practice.
The addition of Brown boosts a Tennessee class that was ranked 15th after signing day but has since added Brown and versatile running back David Oku, who is the 13th-ranked running back in the 2009 class.
There has also been widespread criticism of the relationship between Brown and his adviser Brian Butler. At one point in the process, Butler was charging for updates on Brown's recruitment on his Web site.