The addition of edge rusher Chandavian Bradley isn’t just a boost for Tennessee’s football program. It’s a historic event.

Prospects with five stars next to their name don’t often commit to SEC programs not named Alabama, Georgia or Texas A&M. Now, with Bradley’s surprise announcement on Sunday, the Vols have two five-star prospects committed to their 2023 class, per the 247 Sports composite ranking. 

Bradley, who is from Platte (Mo.) High School, is rated as the 36th best prospect in the nation, the No. 1 prospect in Missouri and the No. 5 edge rusher in the nation. Bradley, who is 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, could play linebacker or defensive end, but the intent is clear wherever he lines up: go after the ball.

The first five-star prospect to announce his commitment to Tennessee was, of course, quarterback Nico Iamaleava from Long Beach (Calif.) Poly Tech. Iamaleava is the No. 4 rated prospect in the nation. If you haven’t heard of him, keep enjoying the cave you’ve been living in.

Iamaleava is exactly what the Vols wanted to help lay the foundation of a transitional class, one that could take the Vols from surprisingly good to consistently great. Bradley is another key step toward that goal.

A quarterback will always get the most publicity over any other position player, especially a defender. Bradley knows that. However, he and every coach in college football knows that he could have the same impact on Tennessee’s program as Iamaleava. The impact could be even greater.

Why? Bradley may prove to be more unique than Iamaleava.

Iamaleava isn’t the only signal-caller that could have great success under center for the Vols with coach Josh Heupel’s quarterback friendly offense. In fact, it’s hardly surprising that the Vols landed a highly rated quarterback like Iamaleava with or without the alleged NIL agreement. Tennessee has a starting position and a Porsche-like offense. Who wouldn’t want to be the ringleader of that?

Iamaleava is an elite prospect, but Heupel doesn’t need an elite quarterback to move the ball. He’s proven that. Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker was fantastic last year and he wasn’t even named the starter to begin the season.

Short of something very unforeseen, Iamaleava will have success at Tennessee. That’s almost a given. Bradley can elevate the Vols even more.

Bear with me. 

Think of Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr. at Alabama. Young won The Heisman Trophy. However, Anderson is every bit as burdensome for the opposition as Young. Anderson controls the line of scrimmage against the run and can pressure the passer despite the fact that teams continually scheme against him.

There are several players who could have done what Young did last season. There have been several quarterbacks play at a high level under Nick Saban, who upped his offensive game in the mid 2010’s. Young is great, but Anderson is special.

The Crimson Tide hasn’t had anything like Anderson since Derrick Thomas dominated the SEC as he was growing into one of the best defensive players in the history of football. Do you remember who Alabama’s quarterback was when Thomas had a record 27 sacks in 1988? Admittedly, I had to think about it.

Tennessee’s entire class has the type of synergy that one would expect after landing a top-notch quarterback like Iamaleava. He has made the Vols hip. At least that’s what the kids tell me before I yell at them to get off my lawn.

Tennessee hasn’t had a five-star signee since 2019 in which they landed offensive linemen Darnell Wright and Wanya Morris. Both were rated as five-star prospects. Wright has become a solid starter at left tackle. 

Morris transferred to Oklahoma after struggling to find playing time at Tennessee. He has faced those same struggles in Norman. Therefore, there is no guarantee that Bradley will be a superstar or even a starter. The Vols will gladly take that chance based on his recruiting evaluations.

Tennessee beat out South Carolina and Texas A&M for Bradley, who despite being a consensus five-star prospect, is deemed a four-star prospect by 247 Sports’ internal evaluation. I’ll let them sort that out.

Nevertheless, using the composite metric, the Vols have two five-star commitments for the 2023 class and 17 overall commitments that place Tennessee at No. 5 in the country. That’s good news for those that have been concerned that Heupel has been settling for lessor prospects too often.

The only other school in the country that has more than two five-star commitments is Texas, which has three. Alabama has two five-star commitments and, in case you’re wondering, Georgia has just one five-star pledge.

To use another Alabama/Saban reference, rebuilding a roster is a “process”. The Vols are on their way. Enjoy the ride.