Landing a three-star by itself isn’t going to shake up the recruiting world. However, Tennessee Football landed a player at the position that builds on the gigantic statement Josh Heupel has made on the recruiting trail over the past week: the Vols are going national.
Defensive back Tre Poteat, a prospect out of Wisconsin in the 2025 class, committed to Tennessee Football on Tuesday. Poteat, who stands at 6’0″ 175 pounds, hails from Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis., which is in Dane County, where Madison, the home of the Wisconsin Badgers, is.
Yes, Tennessee Football beat out Wisconsin for him, along with the Michigan Wolverines and Iowa State Cyclones. They beat out midwestern schools for a player in the heart of Big Ten country. Poteat announced his commitment to the Vols on X.
Beating Wisconsin out for a local product can’t be understated, especially given the position Poteat plays. UT has struggled severely at defensive back over the past few years, and the Badgers’ program is building itself up under Luke Fickell, who is a high-profile coach known for being a defensive genius.
Given Fickell’s reputation compared to Heupel’s along with the fact that he is a local kid, Wisconsin should have easily had the win. Heck, Iowa State should’ve been up there too. You could see the Vols beating out Michigan since that program may not have recruited him too heavily.
The point is, winning out on a guy like Poteat the way the Vols did may not jack up the value of their roster, but it makes a strong statement on where they are in recruiting. Also, it’s not like Poteat can’t be a big improvement to their secondary.
After all, Poteat comes in with experience as the son of former NFL cornerback Hank Poteat. He can double as a return specialist, and his highlight reel shows a level of physicality and ability to recover on plays. That can prove extremely valuable in the SEC.
With the addition of Poteat, Tennessee Football now has 15 commitments for 2025. The Vols have the No. 12 ranked 247Sports Composite recruiting rankings, and they could be in the process of adding more elite talent in the near future. Poteat follows Douglas Utu, Charles House and Nic Moore as commits within the past week.
