The Josh Heupel period in Rocky Top included a revival of the Tennessee violation and accompanied a just as seismic change hiring a few of the leading offensive leads around the nation.
*** RELATED: Analysis of Sanders-to-Tennessee announcement ***
No gamer symbolizes this brand-new phase of Volunteers football greater than Nico Iamaleava, entering what ought to be an outbreak period as he obtains his very first complete offseason preparing as the QB1. Authorizing Iamaleava in 2023 was the beginning of a fad for Tennessee inking a few of the leading passers in the country year in and year out, a style that’s just recently been intensified by the enhancement of the 2026 QB Faizon Brandon
The Vols have not just been generating excellent quarterbacks on a regular basis. The focus on recruiting in the trenches, and specifically, securing those excellent quarterbacks, has actually been boosted in a substantial style considering that Heuepel and this team showed up in Knoxville. That’s never ever been a lot more obvious in this 2025 recruiting course, which took one more huge jump onward with the dedication of luxury OT David Sanders Jr.
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SANDERS WOULD RANKING AMONGST BEST-EVER TO INK WITH VOLS
When Sanders indicators with Tennessee, he will certainly be the highest-ranked offending electrician to get in the program– in advance of Drew Richmond ( No. 12 in the Rivals250 for 2015), 2023 NFL Draft No. 10 total choice Darnell Wright ( No. 16 in the Rivals250 for 2019) and Brandon Jeffries ( No. 19 in the Rivals250 for 2002).
The elite offensive deal with out of Charlotte (N.C.) Divine Superintendence Day High is likewise among the highest-rated total employees to succumb to the Vols. When he inks, he’ll place just behind 2009 No. 1 total gamer Bryce Brown and Iamaleava, that in 2023 was the No. 2 total gamer in the Rivals250. Sanders is presently standing No. 3 in the Rivals250 for this 2025 course. The epic Eric Berry was likewise No. 3 in the Rivals250 back in 2007.
HEUEPEL, VOLS HAVE BEEN ON AN HIGHER TRACK RECRUITING OL
The offending plan in Knoxville has actually been hefty on the focus on costs settings such as quarterback, pass-catchers and offending line.
Considering That Heuepel and Glen Elarbee shown up on school in 2021, Tennessee has actually been efficiently cushioning the group’s total deepness in advance along with updating the ability.
This team’s very first complete recruiting take 2022 consisted of 5 offending electrician, something just achieved 4 times in the Opponents period. Heupel and Elarbee have actually authorized 5 offending electrician each of the previous 3 hiring cycles. Because stretch, each course has actually had a complete RR quality enhancement with approximately 5.8 in the 2024 course.
The enhancement of Sanders boosts Tennessee’s complete team of electrician as much as 3 for this cycle, signing up with luxury OL Douglas Utu and three-star OLAntonio Ogumoro When the ink dries out on the Vols’ 2025 course, it would certainly stand as Tennessee’s highest-rated team of OL (standard RR: 6.0) in the Opponents period– in advance of a six-OL course in 2015 that consisted of Richmond (standard RR: 5.7) and the 2019 haul that included Wright ( typical RR: 5.9) It would certainly likewise proceed the fad up boosting the typical ranking to a 4th successive cycle.