IIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTT’SSSSSSSSSSSSS MONDAY!!!!!!!!!
And folks, it’s a Monday to remember. Tennessee football is officially back, y’all. We made it. Fall camp starts on Tuesday, and there will be tons to talk about as we analyze (over-analyze, probably) and mentally gear up for what we hope is the Vols’ first chance at playing for a national title in a quarter century.
So let’s put on those crash helmets, hop into those orange and white cars, and smash off of the Tennessee Vols-related pillars of thought stuck throughout my mind.
1) You absolutely have to love what Josh Heupel is doing on the recruiting trail. That man has gotten recruits buying into his vision on Rocky Top. Over the weekend he secured the commitment of Lyons, GA safety Lagonza Hayward, a consensus 4-star top 100 player and one of the top safeties in the country. What makes it even better is that he picked the Vols over Florida and Georgia. Just a huge pickup at a dire position of need. Tennessee simply has needed to improve in the secondary, and Hayward is the type of impact player who can help turn that area around quickly. Simply a massive get from the Peach State.
2) Heupel also got TE DaSaahn Brame from Derby, KS to flip his commitment from Oregon to Tennessee. Brame is considered a top 5 tight end in the composite rankings, and he should give Heupel potentially one of his best options at the position in the passing game. If there’s one area where Heupel’s offense has lacked production, it’s from the tight end position. The 6’5” Brame could serve as a very useful red zone weapon, as he totaled 13 touchdowns in his junior season.
3) As it stands now after those pickups, which puts the Vols at 20 commitments for the 2025 cycle. Tennessee’s class sits at #5 in the team rankings by 247 Sports. What an incredible group that Heupel has built.
4) And hey, if he can secure the services of 5-star OT David Sanders, then the Vols are poised to move even higher. Commits George MacIntyre, Ethan Utley, and Brame all hung with Sanders over the weekend in Knoxville, where Sanders’ name was painted on the rock. Can’t say that the fans and fellow recruits haven’t given their all to try to close the deal on Sanders, whose final four are Tennessee, Nebraska, Ohio State, and Georgia. The Vols and Cornhuskers got the last two visits though. A player who could bring the class from great to elite. As simple as that.
5) And in non-football news, Kirby Connell is reportedly joining Tony Vitello’s staff as an assistant coach for 2025. Vollie Fingers is the perfect guy to work with pitchers. A player who used his head, proper mechanics, pitch location and selection to get guys out. And a true fan favorite. Only a great thing for the program to have him staying in the dugout.
Go Vols!