Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols got on the board early when they landed a commitment in February from 2027 three-star quarterback Derrick Baker.

Baker is an under-the-radar quarterback who, according to On3’s Cody Bellaire, could be one of the biggest risers in the nation during the current recruiting cycle.

As a result, other programs are pursuing Baker despite his commitment to the Vols.

The Georgia Bulldogs, for example, offered Baker earlier this month.

Baker indicated after receiving the offer from Georgia that he’s not planning on flipping from Tennessee, but a lot can change between now and signing day.

“I’m probably not going anywhere,” said Baker to 247Sports. “The only visit I have is Tennessee for my official visit in June.”

The biggest reason why Tennessee could have trouble holding on to Derrick Baker is frustrating

The biggest reason the Vols may have trouble keeping Baker away from other programs has to do with money.

Now, to be clear, there’s no indication that Baker is shopping around for the best NIL deal. But still, business is business. And NIL deals, as well as the depth chart, is something that has to be considered by recruits.

If Baker receives a lucrative offer from another Power 4 school that has a wide open depth chart this fall, it could be very tempting for the three-star quarterback to flip (and that would be understandable).

“I’m sure Tennessee will try to hold on to Derrick Baker,” said VolQuest’s Austin Price on WNML’s Josh and Swain this week. “But other teams have come calling. Other teams are going to offer financial packages that he may like more, or maybe not — we’ll see.

“Tennessee will have to decide how much do they want to go up on him (price wise). I mean, at the end of the day, you probably can’t bring in a $2 million or $3 million quarterback every cycle. That’s probably just not going to happen… His offer list has started to expand and grow, and it probably will only get bigger from here. I think he likes Tennessee for a reason, but you gotta do what’s best for you and your family.”

Whichever quarterback starts for the Vols this fall — either George MacIntyre or Faizon Brandon — is probably going to receive a big raise next offseason (assuming they play well).

Can Tennessee afford to match any big NIL offers that Baker gets?

Maybe. But it probably wouldn’t be a wise use of resources. The Vols would probably be better served spending that money on players who can help every week rather than on a player who might be the No. 3 quarterback on the roster.