Comments from in-state recruit show how perception of Tennessee Vols has changed
For the better part of the last 15 years, the Tennessee Vols' big selling point on the recruiting trail has been that players can be part of the "rebuilding process" at UT. Various coaches, from Lane Kiffin and Derek Dooley to Butch Jones and Jeremy Pruitt, have sold to recruits that they can be part […]
For the better part of the last 15 years, the Tennessee Vols' big selling point on the recruiting trail has been that players can be part of the "rebuilding process" at UT.
Various coaches, from Lane Kiffin and Derek Dooley to Butch Jones and Jeremy Pruitt, have sold to recruits that they can be part of the group that restores Tennessee to relevancy.
The selling point for the Vols has changed, however, entering the third year of the Josh Heupel era.
Tennessee is no longer selling to recruits that they can be part of the rebuilding process. Instead, the Vols are selling to recruits that they can be part of a team that competes for championships.
And that's evident from recent comments from recruits, such as 2024 in-state three-star offensive tackle Jesse Perry.
“The Tennessee program is definitely on the come up," said Perry to 247Sports recently. "Their goal is to win it all each year. It’s great being heavily recruited by one of the top programs in the country.”
One of the Vols' biggest roadblocks to landing elite recruits in recent years has been the fact that programs like Alabama, Clemson, and Georgia could sell competing for championships while Tennessee couldn't.
But after beating Alabama and Clemson last season and just narrowly missing a top-four finish in the College Football Playoff rankings, recruits can see that Tennessee is on a different path under Heupel. And that should lead to better recruiting classes for the Vols in the coming years. Which will obviously enhance Tennessee's odds of winning a national championship.
