One of Tennessee’s biggest targets — not named Nico Iamaleava — released his top five on Tuesday night. Five-star receiver Carnell Tate included Tennessee among his top options, alongside of Ohio State, Notre Dame, Alabama and Georgia.
— Carnell Tate ¹⁷ (@carnelltate_) March 16, 2022
Tate, checking in at 6-2, 185 pounds, is out of the IMG Academy in Florida. He’s the 14th ranked prospect overall in the 2023 class, per 247Sports. Tennessee offered Tate in April of 2021, and have hosted him on visits a few times since. Notably, Tate visited with five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava for the Vanderbilt game in November.
He has since taken in a junior day in Knoxville, and has an official visit set for April 8th during spring practices.
Tate’s Tennessee recruitment took a detour when Kodi Burns bolted for the Saints wide receivers coaching job. Kelsey Pope was elevated to replace him, which also put Pope as the new lead recruiter for Tate.
— Carnell Tate ¹⁷ (@carnelltate_) February 21, 2022
— Carnell Tate ¹⁷ (@carnelltate_) March 8, 2022
Tate currently has two crystal ball projections pointing towards Ohio State. However, with the recent noise surrounding Iamaleava and Tennessee, could that change? That may depend on the NIL situation.
Regardless of that, Tennessee should become a destination for wide receivers, considering what Josh Heupel did in year one. He transformed Tennessee into an offensive juggernaut, just one year removed from the Vols being ranked among the worst offenses in FBS. Velus Jones Jr. is getting set to be drafted, while Cedric Tillman is returning with hopes of becoming a top receiver prospect for the 2023 NFL Draft.
The numbers speak for themselves, and Tennessee is firmly in this race. Add Tate to your watchlist over these next few weeks as he continues to make visits.