Recruiting victories are tough to quantify. I don’t need to tell you that even the highest-rated prospect can be a complete bust. We’ve all seen that.
It’s also much easier to quantify the impact of a big game than a top prospect. When the Vols beat Alabama in 2022, it was obvious they had arrived or, at least, hit another level from where Tennessee football had previously languished. Recruiting wins? Well, they have to be examined a bit closer.
Tennessee commitment Nic Moore is a sure sign that the Vols’ recruiting in football will be surging in the coming weeks even though he may not be considered an elite prospect by recruiting analysts. Now, you have every reason to ask why. So here we go.
Moore was no where close to committing to Tennessee before his official visit last weekend. West Virginia was probably in the lead as the center prospect had already eliminated Vanderbilt. Now, topping West Virginia is nothing to celebrate, but topping them at the snap of Josh Heupel’s fingers is reason to think the Vols’ recruiting under the fourth-year coach has hit another gear entirely.
Moore’s commitment is reminiscent of the kind of prospects that Alabama would land under former head coach Nick Saban, who would let other schools toil away on the recruiting trail before he’d swoop in and convince them that they should play football in crimson. Most of the time it worked. The Vols certainly got burned in that fashion more times than one could count. Now, Heupel is the one doing the burning. How do you think the Mountaineer fan base thinks about Moore nowadays? Well, too bad.
The Vols’ newfound recruiting stature was also on display by the timing of Moore’s announcement. Did anyone notice that the commitment came rather quickly? That might have been by design. With 12 commitments, Tennessee’s 2025 class is filling up fast. At least that’s what you tell prospects who might be on the fence. True or not, if the Vols want to apply some pressure to borderline prospect, they can use the “limited opportunity” sales approach.
Tennessee is expected to pick up Charles House, the defensive lineman from North Mecklenburg High School in Huntersville, N.C., on Saturday when he announces his decision. No, House isn’t considered an elite prospect. Therefore, he should go ahead and lock up his spot in Knoxville. Surely, he’s been made aware of that.
The Vols didn’t have anywhere near the recruiting leverage they have now. In the early days of Heupel, Tennessee couldn’t have even put together an official weekend like it did just a few short days ago. Prospects wouldn’t have had the interest from enough highly rated high school players to assemble such an event. That isn’t a problem anymore. Neither is throwing the Vols’ weight around a bit, which is exactly why last weekend was nearly as impactful as a monstrous win over Alabama.
In other words, beating Alabama on the field is nice, historic and had to happen. However, the Vols achieving their current heights in recruiting is every bit as important as any one single game. Looking for a weekend that could compete with an actual game in terms of program growth? It just happened. The difference, however, is that recruiting is much more difficult to put a true finger on until National Signing Day in December.
Until then, you’ll have to trust me. The Vols might be ranked No. 17 in the nation in recruiting and seventh best in the SEC, but they’ve hit another level in recruiting. The Vols don’t have to be one of the highest-rated programs in the country anymore. They can be top 10 or, even, top 15 in the country and compete for championships. Why? The Vols can supplement their roster with transfers.
High school recruiting has changed. Heupel can be picky based on talent and character. If things don’t work out, there’s always the portal, which Heupel has managed extremely well. Still, he’s thriving on high school recruiting, which no one would have ever seen coming back in 2021, which was Heupel’s first season.
The biggest question about Heupel’s hiring at Tennessee was whether or not he could recruit with the SEC big boys. Consider that question answered. Don’t believe me? Just wait.
