Tennessee rises in 2023 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings

While the 2024 recruiting cycle has been in full-swing for a few months now, the Tennessee Volunteers added a win to its 2023 class Wednesday morning. Emmanuel Okoye, a 2023 athlete who plays out of the NFL Academy in London, announced his pledge to the Vols picking them over USC and Texas Tech.

With Okoye’s pledge, the Vols 2023 recruiting class rose from the No. 12 class in the country to No. 13. They also finished the cycle with the No. 4 class in the SEC.

Okoye’s pledge propelled the Volunteers past their SEC East rival Florida.

Okoye is the No. 479 overall prospect in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

On3 rates Okoye higher than other recruiting services, according to the Industry Comparison. Per the 2023 On300, Okoye is the No. 257 overall prospect in the the 2023 class.

A former 2024 recruit that reclassified to the 2023 class, Okoye took spring visits to Tennessee, Texas Tech and USC. He also took a visit to Vanderbilt but the Commodores didn’t make his top three list.

“Tennessee has a great football environment and tradition, great coaches and system going on,” Okoye told Hayes Fawcett earlier in the month. “They also have great academics. I met great people during my time out there which will be great in the long run.”

Okoye adds to another great class for Josh Heupel

Josh Heupel’s second year with Tennessee was full of wins on and off of the field.

After signing the No. 15 class in the country during his first full cycle with the Vols, Heupel and staff built upon that putting together a class that finished just outside of the top-10.

The Volunteers class was highlighted by five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the No. 1 player in the 2023 On300. They also signed On3 top-50 wide receiver Nathan Leacock.

Tennessee also had 11 four-star prospects sign in the class including three ranked inside the top-100 and eight in the top-150. Defensively the Volunteers’ class was highlighted by On3 five-star defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs and top-100 EDGE Caleb Herring.