Signing Day Central: Live updates as Tennessee signs its 2023 recruiting class

Signing Day is finally here for Tennessee football. With the early signing period opening Wednesday, the Vols will officially introduce their new signees from their star-studded 2023 recruiting class.

The class currently includes 24 commitments — two five-star prospects, 10 four-stars and 12 three-stars — and three more players from the NCAA Transfer Portal. The early signing period is open for three days, closing on December 23.

Tennessee’s 2023 class enters Wednesday ranked No. 11 nationally and fifth in the SEC, with a class score of 91.87. The group is headlined by five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava and five-star defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs.

Edge rusher Caleb Herring, an in-state prospect out of Murfreesboro, is the highest-rated four-star prospect in the class, just ahead of edge rusher Chandavian Bradley, wide receiver Nathan Leacock and tight end Ethan Davis.

Since the NCAA Transfer Portal opened earlier this month, the Vols have added commitments from UC Davis tight end McCallan Castles, Indiana kicker Charles Campbell and Texas offensive lineman Andrej Karic.

Most of Tennessee’s 2023 class has already arrived in Knoxville and started going through bowl practice with the sixth-ranked Vols last week, as the team prepares for the Capital One Orange Bowl against No. 7 Clemson on December 30 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

TENNESSEE SIGNINGS

7:02 a.m.

Caleb Herring — EDGE/6-5/210 – Murfreesboro, Tenn. (Riverdale High School) 

Herring is ranked as the top player in the state of Tennessee and the four star is ranked 75th nationally and 10th nationally at his position. 

Herring is long and lean with a frame that can add weight and that is a priority for the mid-term enrollee who’s going through bowl practices this week and at the bowl site. Herring was a safety early in his high school career for a growth spurt moved him forward in the defense. 

Herring chose Tennessee over basically everyone in the SEC. The Vols had the inside track as his brother Elijah, who Caleb is very close with, just completed his freshman year on Rocky Top.

7:10 a.m.

Daevin Hobbs – DL/6-4/270 – Concord, NC (Jay M Robinson High School)

The second of two 5-stars committed to Tennessee in this class, Hobbs chose the Vols over Alabama and Georgia back at Thanksgiving. Tennessee overcame a late offer with persistence and his desire to play for Rodney Garner.

An avid basketball player, Hobbs has only recently dedicated himself to football. He was a standout at both tight end and defensive end in high school. He has great feet and athleticism which Tennessee loves. He should seamlessly add weight which should allow him to play both end and also slide inside as well. He will enroll in January but is playing basketball until then so he can get a few more games in with his friends. 

7:19 a.m.

Arion Carter — LB/6-1/210 — Smyrna, Tenn. (Smyrna High School) 

Carter is ranked as the #2 players in the state of Tennessee and the #157 player overall after exploding on the scene this fall. 

Carter had a true old school recruitment. After committing to Memphis to play running back, Carter saw his recruitment take off four games into his senior year after he begin playing linebacker and tailback. Carter picked the Vols last Wednesday over Alabama in a hotly contested recruiting battle. Carter shows plenty of quickness and instincts making him a sought after commodity. 

In the end his relationships with the Tennessee coaching staff, current players and other signees were the difference. Carter is going through bowl practice. 

7:25 a.m.

Nico Iamaleava – QB/6-5.5/200 – Long Beach, Calif. (Warren High School)

Nico is the bell cow of the class. The 5-star signal-caller from California sent shockwaves through college football when he committed back in March. He saw the vision Josh Heupel has for Tennessee and chose to be that guy when he announced his decision. 

With a tall and lanky frame, Iamaleava has a bigtime arm who can make all the throws. The most impressive part of his game is his ability to extend and throw from different arm angles. He has a quick release which should transfer well to the SEC. He is a great teammate who is already tossing it around in bowl practice.

7:33 a.m.

Jack Luttrell – S/6-0/180 – Moultrie, Ga. (Colquitt County High School)

The first commitment of the 2023 class, Luttrell transferred before his senior season to play better competition. Having played ball in Georgia’s smaller school classification, he chose to move all the way up and play 7A ball at Colquitt County. Many questioned the move but players make plays and that’s what Luttrell did this fall. 

He is one of two safeties in the class for the Vols along with John Slaughter. Luttrell is bigger than most think when they see him in person and showcases good ball skills. He will already in bowl practice and getting a look at what college ball looks like. That will give him a better understanding heading into spring practice. 

7:40 a.m.

Trevor Duncan — OT/6-5/270 – Knoxville, Tenn. (Knoxville Catholic High School)

Duncan is a hometown product out of Knoxville’s Catholic High School. The 6-foot-5, 270-pound offensive tackle was a consensus three-star prospect, ranked as the No. 39 offensive tackle in the 2023 class and the No. 13 overall prospect in Tennessee. He committed to the Vols in April over offers from Virginia Tech, Kentucky and Vanderbilt. 

7:49 a.m.

Nathan Robinson— DL/6-5/270 – Greenbrier, Tenn. (Greenbrier High School)

Robinson, the 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive lineman out of Greenbrier High School in Greenbrier, Tenn., is the No. 54 defensive lineman in the 2023 class according to the On3 Consensus and is the No. 16 overall prospect out of the state of Tennessee. His offer list included Tennessee, Ole Miss, Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia Tech, among others. 

7:57 a.m.

Nathan Leacock — WR/6-3/195 – Raleigh, NC (Millbrook High School)

Leacock rose up the rankings ladder all season and sits at 3rd in the state of North Carolina and 103rd nationally.  At 6-3, 205 pounds, the receiver has the stature and size that head coach Josh Heupel likes in his receivers specially on the outside. Leacock finished his senior year with 1703 yards receiving. 

8:06 a.m.

Cam Seldon – ATH/6’1.5/215 – Heathsville, VA. (Northumberland High School)

Seldon is one of two midterm enrollees (Daevin Hobbs) to not be going through bowl practice. He was the biggest offensive name Tennessee was waiting on a signature from today. He can play all over the field on offense and Tennessee plans on using him that way. 

At a legit 6-foot-1 and 215 plus pounds, he is a load that pushes the narrative that he will be dynamite in the backfield. How will he transition from small school hall in Virginia to the SEC? Physically we believe it will be seamless. The part we don’t believe you can answer is the knowledge of the offense and how he picks up the college game.

8:14 a.m.

Chandavian Bradley — EDGE/6-4.5/215 – Platte City, Mo. (Platte County High School) 

Bradley committed to Tennessee in July, picking the Vols over offers from Texas A&M and South Carolina, among others. The 6-foot-4.5, 215-pound edge rusher is the No. 80 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus. He’s ranked No. 13 among edge rushers and No. 3 in the state of Missouri, out of Platte County High School in Platte City, Mo.

8:19 a.m.

Ayden Bussell —OL/6-4/291 — Mount Juliet, Tenn. (Mount Juliet High School) 

Bussell is a long time Tennessee commitment picking the Vols back in January. Bussell is ranked as the #25 player in the state of Tennessee and #77 guard nationally. 

Bussell picked the Vols over Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt and since his commitment has been on campus as much as possible to recruit. 

Bussell has been a high school basketball player and has quick feet for a guy his size. Like all offensive linemen coming in, Bussell will have to add strength and fine tune his technique as he’s no longer going to be the biggest guy on the field. 

8:27 a.m.

Tyree Weathersby – DL/6-4/250 – Douglasville, Ga. (New Manchester)

Weathersby shot up the On3 Rankings this fall – all the way to No. 128 nationally. He’s a thin 250 pounds who carries his weight well. At 6-foot-4, there’s a lot of room to add some good weight, but his speed and athleticism will give Rodney Garner some options on where to place him on the defensive front. The Peach State native chose the Volunteers over Kentucky, South Carolina and Mississippi State back in July.

The new Tennessee signee is an athlete who will likely be utilized on special teams next fall. His speed allows him to be an option on kickoff while he develops on defense and he was also a standout tight end at the prep level. The Vols are getting a selfless player in Weathersby and one that will do whatever the coaches see fit in utilizing his tools and abilities.

8:34 a.m.

Larry Johnson — OT/6-7/365 – Savannah, Ga. (Hutchinson Community College)

Johnson was a relatively unknown prospect out of Jenkins High School in Savannah, Ga., a year ago. He felt his recruitment didn’t get the attention it deserved the first time around, so he went to Hutchinson Community College in Kansas.  

Now Johnson is a four-star prospect ranked No. 9 overall in On3’s JUCO rankings. He’s the No. 3 offensive tackle in the class and ranked No. 2 in the state of Kansas. He committed to the Vols on December 7.

8:44 a.m.

Vysen Lang – OL/6-4/335 – Pike Road, Ala. (Pike Road HS)

Lang was a late add to the Volunteer recruiting class, committing to Tennessee in November over Auburn, LSU and Texas. The projected guard was on Rocky Top this past fall for wins over Florida, Alabama and Kentucky. He’s a good pass blocker with feet of an offensive tackle and has shown the ability to move guys out of the way for the run -game.

Lang is already on campus going through Orange Bowl prep with his future teammates and will greatly benefit from the early start inside a collegiate strength & conditioning program.

8:53 a.m.

Jalen Smith — LB/6-2/205 – Loganville, Ga. (Grayson High School)

Smith, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound linebacker prospect out of Grayson High School in Loganville, Georgia, is ranked as the No. 46 linebacker in the class according to the On3 Consensus and is the No. 44 overall prospect in the state of Georgia. He’s ranked No. 459 nationally. Other offers included Pitt, Georgia Tech, LSU and Miami.

Smith is currently on campus going through bowl practices with his new Tennessee teammates.

9:02 a.m.

Jeremiah Telander – LB/6-2/217 – Gainesville, Ga. (Gainesville HS)

Telander was one of the more productive high school football players in the state of Georgia each of the past two seasons, balling out in the state championship game a few weeks ago with 13 stops, two sacks and four TFLs while Josh Heupel was in attendance. The linebacker was Tennessee’s 12 commit in the class, choosing the Volunteers over North Carolina and Louisville.

The three-star is already on campus and going through Orange Bowl practice with his future teammates. Telander has the speed to tackle sideline-to-sideline and does a great job of attacking the line of scrimmage to stop the run. Brian Jean-Mary will have plenty to work with in the Peach State native.  

9:09 a.m.

Max Gilbert — K — Memphis, Tenn. (Lausanne Collegiate School)

Tennessee announced the signing of Max Gilbert, a kicker out of Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis. Gilbert committed to the Vols in September and was a finalist for Tennessee Mr. Tennessee kicker of the year.

9:20 a.m.

Shamurod Umarov – OT/6-6/335 – Alpharetta, Ga. (Denmark HS)

The four-star rated offensive tackle was a big get for the Vols back in July, holding off Georgia who showed late series interest. Tennessee missed out on three other offensive tackles at the time, so bringing in one of the four priorities was crucial. Umarov is an On3 Consensus Top-275 prospect and one of the better players from the Peach State.

Umarov quickly gained a bond with offensive line coach Glen Elarbee early in the recruiting process while five-star quarterback Nico Iamlaleava did some heavy lifting over the summer as well. The offensive tackle has a great base and is a good pass blocker. He’s already on campus going through Orange Bowl practice with his future teammates. 

9:25 a.m.

Cristian Conyer – CB/6’1/175 – Bowling Green, KY. (South Warren High School)

Conyer picked Tennessee over his home state Kentucky Wildcats back in early July after Kentucky took a mighty swing that came up empty. That’s simply because he fell in love with Tennessee and bought into Willie Martinez and the culture on Rocky Top.

Conyer is a multi-time state champ at South Warren in Bowling Green as a key playmaker on both sides of the ball. He and his Tennessee Select 7v7 teammates Caleb Herring and Arion Carter makes the transition easier for all three. He also brings a skillset in the return game ask well. He is currently going through bowl practice.

9:31 a.m.

Jordan Matthews – CB/6’1/175 – Baton Rouge, LA. (Woodlawn High School)

Matthews is the crown jewel of the defensive back class for the Vols. He shocked many (not Volquest) when he chose Tennessee over Texas back in August. He won’t shock anyone if he contributes early for Willie Martinez. 

Matthews is a longer corner, who has family pedigree with a brother, who plays college ball and a dad played at LSU. Matthews was arguably one of the most loyal commitments with no visits taken and flirtation with other programs. He bought into program and was in Knoxville multiple times this fall plus their game at LSU. He is going through bowl practice. 

9:37 a.m.

John Slaughter — S/6-1/195 — Southaven, MS. (Southaven High School) 

Slaughter is ranked as the 12th best players in Mississippi and the 3-star product chose the Vols over Ole Miss and Kentucky. 

Slaughter showed his range and closing ability earlier this month at the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game where showed some coverage skills against slot receivers and a physical ability that attracted Tennessee to him last spring. Slaughter committed back in June during the camp period of the recruiting calendar. 

Slaughter is also in Knoxville for bowl preparation.

9:42 a.m.

Rickey Gibson — CB/5-11.5/165 – Trussville, Ala. (Hewitt-Trussville High School)

Gibson was a consensus four-star prospect ranked No. 178 overall in the On3 ratings. He’s ranked No. 19 among cornerbacks and No. 15 in the state of Alabama. He committed to Tennessee on August 14, 2022, picking the Vols over offers from Arkansas, Georgia and Georgia Tech, among others. 

The offer list for Gibson also included Penn State, Oregon, Florida State, Auburn, Mississippi State, Missouri and Kentucky, among others. He’s currently on campus going through bowl practice with the Vols.

9:50 a.m.

Charles Campbell — K — Jackson, Tenn. (Indiana)

Indiana kicker Charles Campbell was Tennessee’s second commitment out of the portal, announcing his decision not long after the McCallan Castles commitment. He’s No. 8 in Indiana football history in field goals made with 37 and is 14th in career points, with 179. He’s kicked five field goals from 50 yards or farther, including a career-best 55. 

9:58 a.m.

McCallan Castles — TE/6-6/245 — South Lake Tahoe, Calif. (UC Davis)

UC-Davis tight end McCallan Castles, a 6-foot-6, 245-pound tight end, was Tennessee’s first commitment out of the transfer portal in the 2023 class. Castles was second-team All-Big Sky after catching 32 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns. He had 27 catches for 363 yards and four touchdowns in 2021, after catching 12 passes for 194 yards in the COVID spring season in 2021, leading to first-team All-Big Sky honors.

10:06 a.m.

Nate Spillman – WR/6-1/180 – Franklin, TN (Lipscomb Academy)

Spillman was the fourth commit of this cycle for Josh Heupel and the second from the state of Tennessee. He’ll enter the Volunteer program after winning back-to-back state titles at Lipscomb Academy, where he was coached by former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer. Spillman has speed on the outside and runs good routes that will continue to be developed by Kelsey Pope. The On3 Consensus Rankings have him at No. 40 in the state and he chose the Vols over the likes of Marshall and others. 

10:29 a.m.

Andrej Karic — OL/6-5/306 — South Lake, Texas (Texas)

Andrej Karic, a 6-foot-5, 306-pound offensive tackle from Texas, announced his commitment to Tennessee on Monday afternoon. He played 26 games over the last three seasons with the Longhorns, making two starts this season while appearing in all 12 games. He entered the transfer portal on December 5. He was a four-star prospect out of Southlake Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas, ranked No. 305 overall in the 2020 class. He was ranked No. 31 at offensive tackle and was the No. 42 overall player in the state of Texas. Tennessee is losing All-SEC First Team right tackle Darnell Wright to the NFL Draft.

10:36 a.m.

Khalifa Keith – RB/6-1/220 – Birmingham, Ala. (Parker HS)

Keith was another late add to the class – but it was an important one as he’s the lone true running back in the committed group. The Parker standout is a big-bodied back who will surely benefit in short-yardage opportunities in the future. A three-star, Keith is considered top-50 at his position per the On3 Consensus Rankings.

This addition to the team gives Jerry Mack some variety as he’s the lone back coming in at 220 pounds+. Keith should be a great compliment to Dylan Sampson down the line and could offer a changeup for Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright next fall. The one-time Kentucky commit flipped to the Volunteers in November.  

4:30 p.m.

Ethan Davis— TE/6-4/225 — Suwanee, GA (Collins Hill High School) 

Davis is ranked as the #8 player in Georgia and the #5 tight end nationally after missing his senior season due to shoulder surgery. 

Davis was a mid-major basketball recruit as well. He committed to the Vols over a year ago and stayed true to his commitment. Davis offers a skill set that should be able to thrive in Josh Heupel’s offense that sees the tight end line up in multiple spots and be used in a variety of ways. 

Davis picked Tennessee over Ole Miss and is in Knoxville going through bowl practice as he continues to rehab his shoulder in preparation for spring practice where the Vols obviously had a need for help at tight end.