Tennessee below Josh Heupel has but to show highschool recruits into difference-makers in two areas that, not coincidentally, depend as key questions within the Vols’ pursuit of a bid within the first 12-team Faculty Soccer Playoff — offensive line and secondary.
Time, teaching, improvement, higher analysis and higher luck are a number of of the methods these two place teams will enhance and be extra prominently populated with Vols who had been recruited out of highschool. Right here’s one other: Take the recruiting up a notch and go beat the perfect for the perfect. Saturday’s verbal dedication from Charlotte, N.C., offensive sort out David Sanders Jr., represents that strategy.
And it continues a recruiting tear for Heupel and his workers as they strategy their fourth season on the sector. The 6-foot-6, 290-pound Sanders is ranked the No. 1 offensive sort out and No. 2 participant total within the 247Sports Composite within the Class of 2025. He selected the Vols over finalists Georgia, Ohio State and Nebraska.
He’s obtained Heupel in place to push for a top-five class and proceed the Vols’ total upward development — a 3rd straight top-15 end is probably going, after ending up No. 17 in 2022, the primary class that’s honest to evaluate (the 2021 class was truly a decent No. 22 regardless of the workers having to select by way of Jeremy Pruitt’s rubble to search out their telephones).
That’s recruiting to relevance, particularly within the 12-team world. And that doesn’t account for the Vols’ latest dedication from 2026 Greensboro, N.C., quarterback Faizon Brandon — No. 1 on the place and No. 1 total per 247Sports. As a quarterback recruiter, Heupel is unsurpassed proper now in school soccer.
At most positions, he has excelled by way of highschool recruiting, which is simply as essential because it’s all the time been regardless of the switch portal. Sure, a Florida State can juice up its inventory for a season with dynamic switch provides, however that’s not a sustainable mannequin. Watch the correlations between the highest highschool recruiting courses and the highest groups within the sport proceed, and take into account a number of the prep prospects Heupel has landed.
James Pearce Jr., an anticipated excessive first-round 2025 decide, on the sting. Arion Carter at linebacker. Jaylen Wright and Dylan Sampson at operating again. Squirrel White and Chas Nimrod at receiver. Tyre West on the line of defense. Ethan Davis, a man who’s destined to make some massive performs on this 2024 offense, at tight finish.
And, after all, Nico Iamaleava at quarterback. He’s the primary non-transfer who will begin on the place below Heupel. He obtained issues rolling on the place — true freshman Jake Merklinger and 2025 commit George MacIntyre had been important additions earlier than Heupel obtained to Brandon. And the hopes couldn’t be larger for the California native.
Heisman and Playoff runs? Two starring seasons earlier than his personal massive draft evening? Imaginations can run wild proper now, and should show affordable. However I wish to see how that offensive line does, after it most likely didn’t get sufficient blame for final season’s monumental step backward with Joe Milton instead of Hendon Hooker at quarterback.
Sanders is Tennessee’s first five-star offensive line recruit since Pruitt signed Darnell Wright in 2019, and boy, did the Vols miss Wright final season whereas he toiled in Chicago as a first-round Bears sort out.
I’d prefer to see a secondary that doesn’t overlook tips on how to sort out and observe receivers at Florida, that doesn’t soften down at Alabama, that doesn’t pull a collective no-show in a 2022 loss at South Carolina — the one which value that Tennessee staff a spot within the four-team Playoff.
The 2024 offensive line is all holdovers from the earlier workers or transfers, and the starters look promising. However how is the depth? That’s the place this workers’s skill to judge and develop goes to be examined, and that can definitely be the case in 2025.
Defensive again recruiting has gone properly per the recruiting providers, however the Vols nonetheless haven’t produced a standout on the sector. Rickey Gibson III might be that man this season. Possibly Christian Harrison, if he’s the selection to exchange Jourdan Thomas on the star (knee, out for season). Boo Carter is a freshman security with promise.
“Playmaker that’s extraordinarily bodily,” Heupel informed reporters final week of Carter after UT’s second scrimmage. “Performs extraordinarily laborious. I feel the most important space of development for Boo has simply been continued development of taking part in inside the scope and scheme of the protection — alignment, task and his bodily traits will take over from there.”
However this yr? Subsequent yr? Defensive coordinator Tim Banks has leaned decisively towards expertise over presumed expertise up to now in his tenure with regards to the secondary, and there’s discuss that walk-on Will Brooks may have a major function at security this season. Nothing in opposition to Brooks, who is a good story, however that’s typically not tips on how to construct the secondary of a staff that may contend for SEC and nationwide championships.
This UT staff will likely be doing properly if it may possibly win one in every of three amongst Oklahoma, Alabama and Georgia, care for enterprise in any other case and be one of many inaugural, chosen dozen. As five-star prospects and top-10 courses accumulate, extra needs to be doable and full groups needs to be anticipated.
Sanders, as a prospect and as a recruiting win, is a sizeable step towards that.
(Picture: Randy Sartin / USA As we speak)
