Here are two words to describe Tennessee football recruiting over the past week: “Fast and furious”.

Since the beginning of July, the Vols lost one of their most coveted recruits, picked up a rare five-star prospect and added six commitments to their growing 2023 class.

Remember on Independence Day when the Vols had plenty of scholarships to offer and lost out on five-star offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa, who committed to Miami? That seems like a lifetime ago.

Since then, Tennessee has picked up four commitments: three-star linebacker Jalen Smith, four-star athlete Cameron Seldon, four-star offensive lineman Shamurad Umarov and five-star edge rusher Chandavian Bradley, who surprised his suitors with a sudden announcement on Sunday.

This surge in recruiting is proof that the Vols aren’t hoping to land highly rated prospects; that is the baseline. These are the expectations.

Times change

Expectations certainly weren’t that high a year ago. Tennessee Coach Josh Heupel had to repair a mangled culture that plagued the Vols for over a decade. Sure, recruiting was important in Heupel’s first season. However, there were plenty of other fires to put out first.

As it stands, Tennessee has 18 commitments for the 2023 class, which ranks first in the SEC and fifth in the nation. The Vols’ 2022 signing class finished 23rd in the nation and 11th in the SEC.

Keep in mind that we’re in July and nothing is signed, but Heupel and his staff are quickly becoming known as an excellent recruiting staff. Things (and players) are falling into place quite nicely for the Vols.

Think about what Heupel can offer. If you’re on the offensive side of the ball, like five-star Tennessee quarterback commitment Nico Iamaleava, you get to play in a high-powered offense that scores – a lot. If you play on defense, you can earn playing time quickly because the Vols need help – a lot.

There’s another layer of Heupel’s recruiting proposal that surely affected Bradley, who won’t have to be concerned about defending the run 24/7. There will be plenty of occasions for Bradley and other Tennessee pass rushers to rack up sacks when they arrive on campus. The Vols should have the lead in several games if Heupel’s offense continues to develop.

The Independence-Day-downer is no longer the focal point for Tennessee fans that watched Heupel pick up three-star athlete Cristian Conyer and three-star defensive end Tyree Weathersby in the days leading up to July 4.

Tennessee’s six commitments in July make things much rosier than last year when the Vols had just eight commitments and were forced to scramble during football season to put together a respectable class. This year, that’s not the case.

Now, the Vols can be patient and choose who they want based on physical ability and a solid cultural fit. Tennessee couldn’t be as particular in July of 2021.

Selective suitors

Tennessee’s mix of players in the 2023 class is intriguing; the Vols have star power. However, Tennessee also has some lower-rated commitments that have the potential to fit nicely. There will be an overlooked, three-star prospect that has a major impact on Tennessee’s program. Bet.

Who will that be? That’s anyone’s guess. Currently, the Vols have 10 three-star commitments that will be eager to prove their worth when they arrive on campus in 2023, assuming everything remains status quo in terms of the allegiance of both coaches and players.

As a whole, college football prospects have never felt the need to stick to a verbal commitment. Players have postponed their decision countless times, jumped ship and even backed out on the morning of National Signing Day. College coaches may soon have a similar approach to early commitments, which are non-binding.

The recruiting calendar has forced Tennessee and other schools to dole out scholarship offers earlier than ever thought possible. If a program’s commitments don’t continue to develop, they could be looking for a new program to call home. That sounds harsh, but that’s what college football is until regulations change.

College football recruiting has been forever altered with the early signing period. There was a time in which a school would never pull a scholarship for anything that wasn’t nefarious on behalf of the prospect. Now, pulling a scholarship is quite common and quite easy. Just stop calling the prospect that you don’t want. He’ll get the hint.

Recruiters once feared walking back into a high school if they pulled a scholarship from a commitment. Now, that is just how the game is played.

This means two things. First, don’t get too attached to any of Tennessee’s “borderline” prospects. The Vols, like any other program, might decide to trade up. Second, don’t discount any three-star prospect. Perhaps you’ve heard of Cedric Tillman?

Proof beats promises

Tillman was a three-star prospect and the No. 10 overall recruit in the state of Nevada. That’s not the most promising recruiting pedigree, but he’s now a household name – at least in East Tennessee.

Heupel and company have surely used Tillman as an example of how his coaching staff can develop players. Tillman is considered one of the top playmakers for the Vols and one of the best receivers in the SEC, if not the nation.

The difference between this point in the recruiting calendar as compared to a year ago is simple. It’s all about proof. Heupel now has proof that he can win in the the SEC, that he can field an exciting offense and that he has changed Tennessee’s overall culture.

That means this seemingly “fast and furious” recruiting run has been in the making for over a year.