Tennessee Football is gaining a very specific reputation on the recruiting trail
The Tennessee Vols are in the mix for several of the top remaining players in the 2024 recruiting class, including players such as five-star wide receiver Mike Matthews, four-star wide receiver Amari Jefferson, and five-star defensive lineman Kamarion Franklin, among others. While it's hard to know how many of the Vols' top targets will commit […]
The Tennessee Vols are in the mix for several of the top remaining players in the 2024 recruiting class, including players such as five-star wide receiver Mike Matthews, four-star wide receiver Amari Jefferson, and five-star defensive lineman Kamarion Franklin, among others.
While it's hard to know how many of the Vols' top targets will commit to Tennessee, one thing is certain — if UT misses out on any of their top 2024 recruiting targets, it won't be for lack of trying.
Tennessee is putting a significant amount of energy into recruiting these days. Official visit weekends have become massive events that are universally praised by the recruits in attendance.
Under Josh Heupel, the Vols are quickly gaining a specific reputation on the recruiting trail — Tennessee is the "fun" school.
Nearly every recruit that spoke to various media outlets after this past weekend mentioned the word "fun" while discussing their official visit to Tennessee.
"This is definitely the most fun I’ve had on an official visit," said four-star wide receiver Terrell Anderson to 247Sports.
"I had a fun time with the staff and other recruits as well….Just the family environment and how they are building a new culture with this new staff and have big plans for the future," added four-star offensive lineman William Satterwhite (via 247Sports).
Football is the main focus at Tennessee. Ultimately, that's what the Vols are selling (last year's 11-2 season certainly helps). But UT is also selling the vibe on campus. Tennessee wants recruits to leave Knoxville feeling — for lack of a better word — good. There's a positive vibe on campus these days and Tennessee wants recruits to feel that.
Based on the comments that recruits made after the big recruiting weekend, it's safe to say that Heupel and his staff nailed it.
Of course, none of this matters unless Tennessee closes the deal with some of their top targets. But closing the deal wouldn't be possible without getting recruits on campus.
Recruits talk to each other a lot, via social media or group chats, and there's no doubt that recruits will be talking to each other about their visit to Tennessee and how it was "fun". And who knows, maybe that leads to a recruit visiting UT that otherwise wouldn't have visited.
There's still work to be done — Heupel took over a tough situation in early 2021. But in just two years, the entire narrative surrounding Tennessee has changed. UT went from a laughing stock under Jeremy Pruitt to a potential college football superpower under Heupel. This is just the beginning of the program's transformation under Heupel. And based on what he's accomplished so far, I don't think it's cliché to suggest that the sky is the limit for Tennessee moving forward.
Featured image via Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
