Recruiting is an inexact science. That’s been the case all along even before NIL and the transfer portal created a revolving door at just about every program in the country.

Sure, the hit rate is higher with five stars than others. But for the vast majority of every team’s class, there’s no way of knowing who will develop, stay motivated, wait their turn, etc.

For Tennessee, the 2023 class enters their senior seasons. Built as the Vols were surging towards their first 11-win season in over 20 years back in 2022, Josh Heupel assembled a top 10 class, with Southern California five-star QB Nico Iamaleava as the crown jewel.

Fast forward three-plus years, and there are just a few remnants of that once-promising group remaining in Knoxville.

How did that class fare, and how did they do in comparison to the rest of the schools in the top 10? Not well, but not all that dissimilar from the rest of the list.

The Athletic’s Manny Navarro took a look at how many players started and transferred, and Tennessee’s group really didn’t pan out like it should have.

Tennessee’s 2023 recruiting class left a lot to be desired

“Quarterback Nico Iamaleava ‚ the headliner in the class, led the Volunteers to the College Football Playoff and then bolted for UCLA, where he and the team struggled this past fall,” Navarro wrote. “Three members of the class have stuck around and been strong contributors: linebackers Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander and offensive tackle Shamurad Umarov. Cornerback Rickey Gibson III, a starter in 2024, left for Texas A&M after playing in only one game for the Vols last season. Tight end Ethan Davis (four starts in 2025) and defensive linemen Daevin Hobbs and Nathan Robinson are the other three members in the class who remain in Knoxville. Hobbs is a former top-50 recruit with one career start.

“Final word: Losing Iamaleava really hurt the potential of the class, but there were a lot of other misses in the group.”

First, it should be noted that the number of starters churned out from signees is notably low from everyone. Alabama led the way with 11 from 28 signees. Ohio State had seven from 21. Texas has nine from 25; Georgia nine from 26.

For Tennessee, the number was five from 25. And as Navarro notes, Gibson would have been another one, but Tennessee couldn’t keep him from entering the transfer portal after missing almost all of the 2025 season with injury.

As far as the rest of the group, Carter has been an impact player, but Telander hasn’t quite reached that level yet. The book is still unwritten on Uramov, but he has experience with 10 starts last year and he has a shot at winning a starting spot in 2026 as well. Hobbs should hold a key role on Jim Knowles’ defense this fall, with Robinson mixing in the rotation as well.

Things are what they are three years later, and fortunately, Heupel has been able to use the transfer portal to fill key roster needs, particularly this offseason on the defensive side of the ball. But ticking the starter rates up a bit higher in his high school recruiting classes will be important to develop a lasting foundation from year to year.