With the 2023 Tennessee football recruiting class signed and basically solidified, Josh Heupel and his staff are shifting their focus to forming their 2024 class.
Over the holiday weekend, the Vols landed themselves in three prospects’ top schools. Here is a look at those highly-ranked athletes.
DL Kamarion Franklin
Franklin dropped his top 10 schools on Christmas Eve. Tennessee was included in Franklin’s top schools, among Texas A&M, Miami, Mississippi State, Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas, South Carolina, Florida State, and Michigan.
Franklin ranks as a five-star prospect. He is the No. 21 recruit nationally in his class, as well as the No. 1 prospect out of Mississippi.
Over 20 schools have offered the 6-foot-4.5, 260-pound defensive lineman, including all 10 of his top schools. He attends Lake Cormorant High School in Lake Cormorant, Miss., just outside of Memphis.
Tennessee has hosted Franklin a couple of times, including a junior day in January. The Vols extended Franklin a scholarship offer in November of last year.
Franklin finished second in Mississippi for sacks during the 2022 season.
ATH Joshisa Trader
Rated as an athlete, Trader will likely project as a wide receiver in college. He has Tennessee football in his top five schools, as well as Ohio State, Miami, Florida State, and Florida.
Tennessee is the only school on Trader’s list he hasn’t visited. Hailing from Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood, Fla., Trader has visited his home-state schools several times.
Despite not making a trip to Knoxville, Jalin Hyatt’s success this season – and wide receiver coach Kelsey Pope’s relentless recruitment – made an impression on the five-star receiver.
“Coach Pope is really trying hard to recruit me and show me a lot of attention,” Trader told ON3. That means something to me. With how he is recruiting me, the way Tennessee played this season and the way they produced at receiver this season, that has them high on my list. Jalin Hyatt won the Fred Biletnikoff award this season and that caught my attention too.”
Trader ranks as the No. 11 prospect nationally in his class, as well as the No. 5 prospect from Florida. The 6-1.5 and 170-pound receiver finished his sophomore year with 592 yards and six touchdowns in just six games.
DL David Stone
The five-star defensive lineman dropped his top 10 schools, including Tennessee among Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Southern California, Oregon, Alabama, Miami, LSU, Michigan State, and Florida.
Stone received a crystal ball projection from 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong, predicting he will commit to Oklahoma. Stone attends IMG Academy in Florida, but is an Oklahoma native.
Tennessee football extended the 6-4, 270-pound defensive lineman an offer in March. The Vols will look to get him on campus soon and try to make headway against the Sooners.
It is also worth noting that Deion Sanders and Colorado extended Stone a scholarship offer on Friday.
