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What anonymous staff members told ESPN about Tennessee Football's recent recruiting wins

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•08/19/24•

GrantRamey

David Sanders TENN AFI

Tennessee Football’s recruiting tear through the summer months is up to 15 commitments dating back to June, including 12 prospects rated four stars or higher in the On3 Industry Ranking, two five-star prospects and two flips, taking players from Alabama and Oregon in the last month.

That kind of production is bound to get some attention. ESPN on Sunday listed Tennessee as one of the winners so far in the 2025 cycle.

“Despite an on-field dip in 2023,” ESPN’s Eli Lederman wrote, “Tennessee carries a strong pitch on the recruiting trail with the program’s upward trajectory and (Josh) Heupel’s high-octane offense. 

“Combined with a strong coaching staff and an organized NIL structure, the Volunteers have all the tools to help the program’s incoming class — ranked ninth in ESPN’s latest team rankings for the cycle — rise heading into Heupel’s fourth season in Knoxville.”

‘They seem to have a really good plan and process’

Tennessee added five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. on Saturday. Sanders, the No. 4 overall player in the country and the No. 1 offensive tackle in the class, picked the Vols over Nebraska, Ohio State and Georgia.

On Sunday Heupel and his staff flipped four-star linebacker Jaedon Harmon, a former Alabama commitment. 

The two additions moved Tennessee up to No. 5 nationally in the On3 team rankings and No. 4 in the SEC, with a class score of 91.95. 

ESPN quoted two anonymous staff members from other programs discussing Tennessee’s recruiting success from the outside in. 

“They seem to have a really good plan and process,” one source, described as a recruiting staff member from an SEC rival, told ESPN. “It seems organized. Seems targeted.”

“They’ve got a good thing going,” a Big Ten staff member told ESPN, described as one who competes against the Vols on the recruiting trail. “You feel them for sure. They’ve got the money to kind of back up the production they’ve had on offense the last few years. They’re having a great cycle.”

A closer look at Tennessee’s summer recruiting run

Tennessee added six commitments in June, including four-star edge rusher Jayden Loftin, four-star in-state interior offensive lineman Nic Moore, four-star interior offensive lineman Douglas Utu and four-star edge rusher Mariyon Dye. 

In July it was four-star receiver Travis Smith joining the class, followed by four-star linebacker Christian Gass, four-star safety Shaedy Hayward and four-star tight end DaSaahn Brame, flipped from an Oregon commitment. 

So far in August the Vols have added Sanders and Harmon to the 2025 class while starting the 2026 cycle with commitments from five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon, the No. 10 overall player in the country and the No. 2-ranked QB in the class, as well as four-star in-state tight end Carson Sneed.

Heupel during his press conference on Monday was asked about his program’s recruiting success and what has gone into it.

“The success that we’ve had on the field,” Heupel said. “Who we are and how we live out every single day. All those things parlay itself into the success that we’ve had on the recruiting trail here. 

“In particular here over the last month and a half. So for us as a program we got to keep taking steps forward, but we got elite players with physical traits that have high character and that allows us to continue to recruit the right type of person and player to this program.”

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