Trust usually must be earned. That isn’t pragmatic in college football. True trust is rare. Faith is more appropriate.
In a world where trust can be hard to come by, faith is the ultimate test of fandom. The whole concept of turning over a beloved program to someone that was barely recognizable just a few years ago is a bit of a leap. I understand that.
Yet Josh Heupel deserves some more faith than he’s getting from some within Tennessee fan base. There’s no choice but to believe that Heupel will make the correct decisions. So far, he’s led us to believe he will. Have faith.
The Vols picked up their third commitment of the 2023 class in a week on Friday. That means the Vols have 13 commitments for the 2023 class. The latest commitment came from defensive lineman Tyree Weatherby, a defensive lineman from New Manchester High School in Douglasville, Ga. The 6-foot-4, 251-pound prospect committed to Tennessee on Friday evening.
Weathersby has something in common with Tennessee’s other two most recent pledges; they’re all three-star prospects, along with safety John Slaughter from Southaven (Miss.) High school and Jeremiah Telander from Gainesville (Ga.) High School.
Typically, three-star prospects aren’t exciting enough to light up a message board. They are most often considered “foundational” players with more proven ability than elite upside. However, don’t dismiss their importance as program builders or potential stars.
To begin with, it’s impossible to know what prospects will have a major impact on a program. Receiver Cedric Tillman was a three-star prospect when he signed with Tennessee. Now a senior, Tillman is one of the most important players on Tennessee’s roster headed into the 2023 season.
Heupel simply can’t compete with the SEC recruiting heavyweights on a day-to-day basis. Not yet.
Until it is on better footing, Tennessee’s football program isn’t going to beat Alabama and Georgia for a coveted five-star prospect on a regular basis. That day might come, but it isn’t here yet.
Go back to Tennessee’s last national championship. The Vols plugged away before landing a guy like Manning, who led to some guy named Al. It took time and it took a generational impact player to sign up. The Vols may have that in place already with Nico Iamaleava, the five-star quarterback from Long Beach (Calif.) Poly.
If Heupel wanted to, he could probably boost his class’ recruiting ranking. It’s pretty simple: pick up some commitments from young men with a questionable past. Then, prepare for all the recruiting accolades that are sure to follow. Who needs character?
There’s one problem with that: Tennessee’s 2009 class. That class was surprisingly highly ranked after former UT coach Lane Kiffin took over Tennessee’s program following the 2008 season. In just a few months, the Vols assembled one of the better classes in the nation. There was one problem with that. There were more felons in that class than All-Americans.
Kiffin surely knew he was taking some commitments with questionable character. That’s the path he chose to rebuild a floundering roster. Heupel has chosen another route.
Heupel is picking up lower-rated prospects that are known for their upside based on the way they play in high school. Other than the star rankings, the three most recent commitments all have a few things in common on the football field. They’re instinctive, aggressive and solid. They may not be flashy and may not be as highly recruited. No matter.
Tennessee’s evaluations of their incoming players is the most important factor in this stage of Heupel’s rebuild. Tennessee fans just have to trust that he’ll make the right decision when it comes to doling out scholarship offers.
Alabama fans don’t get fired up when the Crimson Tide picks up a three-star commitment, as it did last week. The Alabama faithful trust coach Nick Saban to pick the right prospects to build his roster. Saban has earned that trust. Heupel is on his way.
There are plenty of reasons to offer a scholarship to a three-star prospect. Maybe he has been overlooked by other colleges? Maybe he he has some special personality traits that make him a potential leader among his college football teammates?
No one is asking Tennessee’s fan base to have blind faith, just faith. Heupel deserves that. He has earned some modicum of trust. Heupel has showcased an exciting offense and landed elite players in recruiting. There’s enough reason to have faith. The next step is trust.
The fretting over just landing three-star prospects could change quickly. Five-star offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., is set to announce his college decision on July 4. Tennessee is in the hunt with some elite schools, including Alabama. Perhaps Tennessee’s fan base will have a bit more trust in Heupel if he picks up a commitment that is cause for an Independence Day celebration.
