Tennessee wrapped up National Signing Day with a class that won’t blow anyone away nor garner top marks from recruiting analysts, but there’s a good reason why that’s the case. The Vols also had to recruit from within.
Welcome to the new world of college football recruiting.
Unless the Vols signed a phenom during the early signing period on Wednesday, Tennessee won’t have any prospect have near the impact that their top three recruits will have. The three recruits, left tackle John Campbell Jr., center Cooper Mays and middle linebacker Keenan Pili, just happen to be on Tennessee’s roster. All have said publicly that they are committed to returning to be a Vol next season. How does that affect current high school prospects? Simple. The Vols only had so much NIL money to disperse and, if the Vols were wise, much of that went to the aforementioned trio.
Let’s start with Mays. His decision to return is key from a leadership and on-field standpoint. Everyone saw what happened to the Vols in the Florida game when he was sidelined with an abdominal injury. With Campbell at tackle, the Vols will have one of the more experienced offensive lines in the SEC. Then, there’s Pili, who was deemed a starter and leader as soon as he arrived on campus after transferring from BYU following the 2022 season. Understandably so, those three players were the priority in the offseason. One of those players could play more snaps in 2024 than the entire incoming freshman class. They were integral to a strong run next season.
While the Vols’ recent signing class figures to rank somewhere between 10th and 15th best in the nation, it’s important to note that Tennessee’s coaches would much rather have a known commodity like Campbell, Mays and Pili than a prospect that may or may not be a solid college football player. However, let’s not downplay the triumphs in the Vols’ 2024 class. There were plenty.
The Vols picked up a five-star receiver in Mike Matthews from Parkview High School in Lilburn, Ga., and secured five four-star signees. Tennessee beat out schools like Clemson, Michigan, Oklahoma and Alabama for some of its top prospects. Had the Vols had a bit more attention (and NIL funds) to spend on other prospects, there would have likely been other top prospects that would have spurned more accomplished programs for Tennessee. The Vols also had to deal with a pesky Colorado program that seemed intent on snatching away athlete Boo Carter from Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, Tenn. Head coach Josh Heupel bested some of the top recruiting programs in the nation even after a disappointing 8-4 regular season campaign.
The Vols – thus far – weren’t as active in the transfer portal as they were last season when Tennessee picked up eight transfers. However, Tennessee addressed its needs with the transfer portal via cornerback Jermod McCoy, safety Jakobe Thomas and tight end Holden Staes. Those three have proven themselves against college competition, which is obviously more preferable than picking up a similar high school prospect who will need more time to develop.
Tennessee’s class wasn’t perfect, but it seemed well thought out. The Vols could have used some more signees at receiver and tight end, but that can be addressed via the transfer portal later if need be. The Vols seemingly have decided to grow their line play in-house with five offensive linemen and five defensive linemen signed in the 2024 class from the high school ranks. The Vols shouldn’t need to depend on the transfer portal for either position if they’ve correctly judged the players they’ve signed.
The next recruiting cycle should be incredibly entertaining. The Vols already have four commitments for the 2025 class, with three cornerbacks and a running back already publicly committed. For Heupel, who is in his third season as Tennessee’s head coach, the upcoming class should be an opportunity to grow the Vols’ roster from the inside out, like he’s attempting to do with Tennessee’s offensive and defensive lines. Then, those rankings might rise as recruiting analysts swoon. That will be the first recruiting cycle in which Heupel doesn’t have to worry about filling gaps; he just has to worry about assembling the best roster he can.
The biggest question about Heupel when he was hired before the 2021 season was whether or not he could recruit with Tennessee’s SEC rivals. The 2025 class should provide a definitive answer to that question. The 2024 class – to some extent – already did.
