Recruiting the state of Tennessee has been an emphasis for Josh Heupel and his staff. Tennessee football has to lock down its borders to have success.
Chattanooga has quickly become a hot bed of talent, with private boarding schools like McCallie and Baylor School in the city. Heupel spoke of his recruiting of the Chattanooga area on Monday at the Big Orange Caravan.
“Chattanooga has had a long history of great players,” the head coach said. “You can go all the way back to Reggie White, who is the best defensive lineman to ever play this game. This is a great area. It’s been an area that has been extremely important to Tennessee, our football team, for a very long time. It’s certainly important to myself and our staff.”
Here’s a look at Tennessee’s top targets in the area for the 2024 and 2025 classes.
2024 Boo Carter
Carter is a name that most Tennessee fans will recognize. The prospect, who recently announced he is transferring to Bradley Central high school, ranks as a four-star prospect.
Ranked as the No.5 player from the state of Tennessee, the athlete is trending towards the Vols. Carter has been on visits to Michigan and Colorado, coming away impressed with each.
2024 Amari Jefferson
Committed to Tennessee for baseball, Jefferson has begun to entertain his college football prospects. Heupel and his staff have been after the Baylor School prospect for a while.
Ranked as the No. 6 player in Tennessee, the athlete is someone that could help Tennessee early.
2024 Marcus Goree Jr.
Another Bradley Central prospect, Goree recently committed to Tennessee. He is the No. 10 player from the state and somebody the Vols had high on their board.
Goree is an example of the success Heupel and his staff are having when recruiting the Chattanooga area.
2024 Carson Gentle
Another prospect committed to Tennessee, Gentle is an interior defensive lineman out of McCallie in Chattanooga. Gentle was one of the first commits in the 2024 class.
He has remained loyal to the Vols, and ranks as the No. 26 player from the state.
2025 Cameron Sparks
The five-star prospect has become a top priority for Tennessee’s 2025 class. After his most recent visit, the Baylor School prospect spoke highly of Tennessee.
“Me and coach Heup, I’d say we’re close,” Sparks told Off The Hook Sports. “I could talk to him about anything I feel like. Usually, when you go to a power-five school, especially in the SEC, you have to go through many people to get to the head guy. It’s not like that with Heupel at all.”
He ranks as the No. 1 player in the state for the 2025 class.
2025 Martels Carter Jr.
Carter attends Brainerd High School in Chattanooga, Boo Carter’s former school. He ranks as the No. 8 prospect in Tennessee.
It seems he is still early on in the recruiting process, but he holds a Tennessee offer.
