The Tennessee Vols could improve dramatically in recruiting via a splashy assistant coach hire, but it would require some creativity from Josh Heupel.

Tennessee needs an offensive coordinator/tight ends coach to replace Alex Golesh, who recently took over as the head coach at USF.

The most likely scenario for the Vols is that Heupel promotes quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle to offensive coordinator and hires a tight ends coach.

If Heupel promotes Halzle, then he needs to fill his vacant assistant coaching role with an elite recruiter.

Heupel, however, might have to get creative with the hire to land an assistant who's an elite recruiter.

That might mean hiring an assistant who coaches a different position and moving someone on the staff to tight ends coach.

If that's the route that Heupel takes, then I think there's one ideal scenario that would make sense.

Los Angeles Rams running backs coach Ra'Shaad Samples is a former SMU/Texas assistant coach who has a reputation as a high-level recruiter — especially in the state of Texas.

And I think he's someone that Heupel should find a way to bring on staff.

Samples coached under Sonny Dykes during his time at SMU, so he has a connection to the Mike Leach coaching tree that produced Dykes, Heupel, and many others.

In early 2021, Dykes called Samples an "elite-level recruiter".

"He's an elite-level recruiter," said Dykes early last year (via ESPN). "But Ra'Shaad works equally as hard at the coaching piece. In a couple of years, you'll see him as an offensive coordinator and a playcaller, and then as a head coach. He has all the things you want. The ability to communicate, inspire people, he does that very well. He's got a great football background having been around his dad (a former Dallas area high school football coach)."

Heupel could hire Samples as his runnings back coach/passing game coordinator or co-offensive coordinator with Halzle (the title matters because Samples isn't going to go back to the college game just to be a running backs coach).

Hiring Samples as a running backs coach would mean Jerry Mack would have to move to tight ends, a position he previously coached as an assistant at Jackson State. If Heupel were to make that switch, it might be smart to give Mack an associate head coach title and a raise.

If the Vols want to land top five classes, they need to add another top recruiter. Tennessee's on-field success this season will help in recruiting, but it's still all about relationships. Samples is clearly a star in the recruiting world and while most of his connections are in Texas (which would be very beneficial for Tennessee), he has the ability to build connections anywhere. I have no doubt that he could help the Vols quickly land a top recruiting class.

Heupel needs to make a splash to keep Tennessee's momentum going. And I can't think of a bigger splash than bringing Samples from Los Angeles to Knoxville.

Featured image via Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK