Another strong sign that Josh Heupel has the Tennessee Vols on the path to greatness
The Tennessee Vols are undoubtedly on the right track under head coach Josh Heupel. Over the last year, Heupel has completely transformed Tennessee's football program. He's turned the offense into something that was painful to watch into perhaps the most exciting offense in the nation. If you look down at your phone while the Vols […]
The Tennessee Vols are undoubtedly on the right track under head coach Josh Heupel.
Over the last year, Heupel has completely transformed Tennessee's football program. He's turned the offense into something that was painful to watch into perhaps the most exciting offense in the nation. If you look down at your phone while the Vols have the ball, you'll likely miss two or three plays.
On the other side of the ball, the defense is playing with more intensity and aggressiveness. And unlike the Jeremy Pruitt era, the players on the field don't look confused and out of place. The Vols are operating like a well-oiled machine on both sides of the ball. All that's missing is elite talent.
And speaking of talent, recruiting is picking up, too.
Tennessee appears to be the favorite to land 2023 five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the No. 3 overall player in the country according to 247Sports.
That's not the only five-star the Vols are in the mix for, either.
On Tuesday, 2023 five-star wide receiver Carnell Tate revealed his top five schools and Tennessee made the cut.
Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, and Ohio State are the other teams in Tate's top five.
Tate, 6-foot-2/185 lbs, is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 2 wide receiver in the country and the No. 14 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class.
Will the Vols end up landing Tate? It's too early to say for sure. It's going to be tough to beat out Alabama and Georgia — considering their recent success at the national level — but the fact the Vols are even in the mix is a credit to Heupel.
Tennessee has to start winning these types of recruiting battles to be an elite program. But winning battles against Alabama and Georgia for top recruits takes time. The Vols have to routinely start making top fives for elite recruits before they can actually start landing elite recruits.
Tate, who plays high school football in Florida but is originally from the Chicago area, spoke to Rivals on Tuesday to break down his top five schools.
And he pointed out that Heupel's high-powered offense is the main reason he's interested in Tennessee.
"Tennessee made my top five because of coach (Josh Heupel) and his high-powered offense, his Air Raid offense, I love it," said Tate. "Any receiver would love the Air Raid offense that gets them the ball. It’s a high-tempo, fast-paced offense that I would love to be a part of. I also have a great relationship with (wide receivers) coach (Kelsey) Pope. We’re continuing to develop that relationship where coach Kodi (Burns) left off."
"Coach (Heupel) has a long track of receivers with 1,000 yards," added Tate. "Back when he was at UCF he had 1,000-yard receivers and then Cedric Tillman."
Heupel's offense is based more on the Veer and Shoot than the Air Raid, but there are definite similarities.
Either way, it's clear that Tennessee's high-powered, up-tempo offense is attractive to one of the best wide receiver recruits in the nation.
If the Vols can start winning a few of these battles, it won't be long until Tennessee is competing with Georgia for an SEC East division title.
Just give it time and trust the process if you're a UT fan — the Volunteers are trending in the right direction.
Featured image via Tennessee Athletic Communications
