Tennessee’s recruiting efforts have not gone unnoticed. The Vols continue to climb in the recruiting rankings with even more fertile territory to be harvested.
The Vols’ 2023 signing class is currently 11th in the nation after picking up a pair of commitments earlier this week. That’s good, but it could be better. Tennessee is ranked fifth among current SEC teams, behind Alabama (No. 1), Georgia (No. 5), LSU (No. 6) and Florida (No. 10).
There’s one particular team ranked ahead of Tennessee that is a monstrous bugaboo for the Vols. Plain and simple, Georgia isn’t going anywhere – at least that’s how things look right now. Moreover, the Bulldogs are in the SEC East along with Tennessee so that’s an issue for the Vols.
There is always a chance that Georgia coach Kirby Smart could go to the NFL like his former mentor, Nick Saban, did when he left LSU for the Miami Dolphins. There is also a chance that Georgia could change its team colors to orange and black, but neither seems very likely.
Smart, 46, played for Georgia and should be quite comfortable in Athens, especially with a new contract and a national championship in his back pocket. The Vols will likely have to tussle with Smart for at least a decade. That makes recruiting much tougher in the state of Georgia and, particularly, the Atlanta area.
Tennessee was at its best when it had success recruiting in Georgia in the 1990’s and 2000’s. However, recruiting against Jim Donnan or Mark Richt isn’t nearly as tough as recruiting against Smart, who looks like the best recruiting head coach in the nation that doesn’t reside in Tuscaloosa.
So what now for the Vols?
First, Tennessee isn’t going to give up recruiting in Georgia. As evident by cornerback Jordan Matthew’s recent commitment, the Vols can win recruiting battles against big-time schools for big-time prospects. Matthews, who is from Woodlawn High School in Baton Rouge, La., is a four-star prospect who picked the Vols over Texas and Michigan. That’s an impressive recruiting victory.
Bulldog battle
Tennessee can expect to win some of those recruiting battles against Smart, but it won’t likely be the norm. That’s fine. The Vols have landed six commitments from Georgia. Not all of those commitments were prime Georgia targets, but Tennessee can still secure solid players and build recruiting pipelines into Georgia no matter what Smart is doing.
Recruiting has changed for Tennessee. The Atlanta area is incredibly important, but not as vital as it was when Phillip Fulmer was heading up the recruiting charge. Why? It’s simple. There is a larger population base in the state of Tennessee, particularly Nashville, and the Vols have a team philosophy that will appeal to any prospect no matter where he’s from.
You might think I’m just referring to Tennessee’s offense with that aforementioned claim. However, that’s just a part of the Vols’ sales pitch. Defensive players should take note that Tennessee plays an aggressive scheme when they don’t have the ball. The Vols’ defense is predicated on getting upfield, making plays behind the line of scrimmage and sacking the quarterback. What pass rusher out there wouldn’t like that?
Tennessee’s defensive backs are also encouraged to strip the ball as often as possible and keep an eye out for an errant pass that needs to be intercepted. The Vols want playmakers as much as the “by-the-book” type on defense. Why? It best complements Tennessee’s offense, which will undoubtedly test their defensive counterparts with its fast scoring ways. Let’s hazard a guess: cornerbacks like Matthews like playing aggressively. I think that’s a safe assumption, as well as another sales angle that the Vols can use.
Complimentary recruiting
Sure, every team wants to force turnovers. However, every coach has a limit when it comes to taking chances. Tennessee’s coaching staff has a looser leash with its defenders than other schools because a turnover, combined with a quick, offensive score, can change – or end – a game quickly.
Tennessee, as long as it keeps winning, has a fantastic product to sell to prospects. They just have to make sure that they find the right prospect that is willing to buy.
Take Matthews as an example. The recruiting world believed he was heading to Texas. He flipped the script and committed to be a Vol on Monday. Tennessee’s coaching staff and recruiting department deserve immense praise for landing Matthews, which would have been viewed as wasted effort by many before he committed. Instead, the Vols added an incredibly talented prospect to their 2023 class.
It would be an exaggeration to call Matthews’ decision a “watershed” moment. Five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava can probably lay claim to that after committing to the Vols in March. However, Matthews’ commitment is a bit different.
Defense can win in recruiting
Matthews didn’t commit to Tennessee because he could throw the football all over the field. He committed to be a Vol because he believed he could be a part of an aggressive defense.
The Vols have (reportedly) used NIL backing and an explosive offense as reasons to play college football in Knoxville. The ability to harass opposing quarterbacks should be added to the list.
Tennessee’s 34 sacks last season was eighth best in the SEC. That seems like the middle of the pack. However, the Vols were only six sacks away from being third in the SEC. Considering the Vols were outmanned and learning a new system in head coach Josh Heupel’s first season at Tennessee, that’s not bad.
Can the Vols hit 40 sacks this season? Certainly. Tennessee has a bevy of pass rushers that have experience, talent or both. The Vols’ defensive ends and linebackers should have a major impact on this season. That should give Tennessee’s defensive backs more opportunities to flip the field.
It’s apparent that Tennessee has benefitted from their offensive explosion last season. Tennessee is having much more success in recruiting after lighting up SEC scoreboards in 2021, especially with offensive players.
It would be good to have a play-making defense to show off to prospects that might be considering another school – like Georgia.
