'God answered that prayer': A good walk not spoiled for Tennessee tight ends coach Alec Abeln

It was an off day in late May 2023 when Tennessee tight ends coach Alec Abeln walked the fairways of a North Carolina golf course talking on the phone. On the other end of the line was Jaden Reddell, a four-star recruit telling Abeln he was picking Georgia over the Vols.

It was two holes lost to one that got away, but also a gut punch for Abeln in his first year as an on-field position coach.

Josh Heupel took a leap of faith on Abeln after multiple years as an offensive analyst. He had never been on the road as a recruiter and was a former offensive lineman now coaching tight ends.

The normally flat-line demeanor was replaced by plenty of frustration as he tried to finish a hopeless round of golf.

“I’m not a guy that really gets anxious or stresses about much,” Abeln said on Thursday, “but a year ago, especially the first couple months, it was something that, obviously you understand the importance of (recruiting).

“And truth be told, I was sitting in church like early May and we have a prayer card, 21 days of prayer, and I wrote down recruiting. And had a little note typed up in my phone and just said, hey God, put the right men in my room. However it looks, however it’s supposed to be, I’m trusting you, I’m going to view recruiting from that lens of. Just give me the right men in my room.”

Two days later, Reddell committed to Georgia and cancelled the official visit he had scheduled to Tennessee.

“And the summer wasn’t great,” Abeln said. “And come December, whatever fourth or fifth, things were looking pretty rough. And as I look around the room now, man, like God answered that prayer for sure. 

“I think for me, just having time with these guys to get to know guys, them to build rapport with us and then also there’ve been great kids in this cycle that really just naturally connect with.” 

During the open portal period in December and January the Vols were able to land Notre Dame transfer Holden Staes and Alabama transfer Miles Kitselman. Abeln’s attention to detail, aggressive hunger and need for impact players left an impact on the two transfers.

“I made a great relationship with Coach Abeln, Coach Halzle, and Coach Heup,” Staes said. “Coach Abeln was the first coach to come up to South Bend and visit me once I put my name in the portal. That was a big thing for me, and the opportunity they have there at the position.”

In this recruiting cycle he has been able to find his footing through old-school relationship building, which helped him land four-star tight ends Jack Vandorselaer and Dasaahn Brame.

“(It’s) honestly just his coaching style,” Brame said. “I got to watch him in spring practice and just how he is with his players. Getting to talk to those players and ask them how they like him. He showed me the progress from when the guys came in to now. I really feel like he can develop me into a great player.”

So were his prayers answered? Or did the opportunities improve with a more comfortable approach?

“Probably both,” Abeln said. “I think with anything, the more you do it — like I’m going to work hard at whatever I do and I don’t think effort was anything to do with last year (struggles). I really don’t.

“But as far as just the guys that got in my room in December and January, like looking around even this spring is like, holy cow. And you look at guys that we got coming on deck, like have a chance to be really special.”

Some call golf a good walk spoiled, but for Abeln it was a walk that he looks back on as a building block for growth in the game of college coaching.