Tennessee Vols won on the recruiting trail where other schools couldn't
The Tennessee Vols earned a win on the recruiting trail in 2024 where other schools couldn't. Of the top 10 players in the state of Alabama in the 2024 class, all but one stayed in the state and signed with either Alabama or Auburn. The only top 10 player from Alabama to leave the state […]
The Tennessee Vols earned a win on the recruiting trail in 2024 where other schools couldn't.
Of the top 10 players in the state of Alabama in the 2024 class, all but one stayed in the state and signed with either Alabama or Auburn.
The only top 10 player from Alabama to leave the state was five-star edge rusher Jordan Ross, who signed with Tennessee.
Ross, 6-foot-5/215 lbs from Birmingham, AL, is ranked by On3 as the No. 1 edge rusher in the nation and the No. 9 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class.
Scouting report on Ross via On3: “Jordan Ross is an athletic EDGE prospect with the physical ability to develop into a dangerous pass rusher. Measured in 6-foot-4.5, 215 pounds with a 33.5-inch arm prior to his senior season. Registers as a top athlete in the combine setting. Lines up all over the field for his high school. Works on the edge and as an off-ball linebacker at times. Makes most of his plays as a pursuit defender, using his athleticism and range to track down plays from sideline-to-sideline. Has palpable burst and play speed.
Tennessee is slowly becoming a major force in recruiting. And they're doing it in a way that's sustainable. Unlike past coaches at Tennessee who found quick success on the recruiting trail by making promises they couldn't keep (looking at you, Butch Jones), the Vols' current coaching staff is building a recruiting monster in Knoxville by practicing what they preach while building an elite culture.
UT's big win in Alabama — stealing the top edge rusher in the nation out of Alabama's backyard (Ross signed with Tennessee before Nick Saban retired) is one of the biggest recruiting wins in program history — is evidence that Josh Heupel's staff can recruit at an elite level. The Vols have been coming in second in some key recruitments in recent years, but we're slowly starting to see those second place finishes turn into first place finishes. That's why Tennessee is primed to be an annual College Football Playoff contender for years to come.
Comments from former Vols WR Jalin Hyatt help show that Tennessee wasn’t breaking NIL rules
Hope the NCAA is listening
