Vols struggling on the recruiting trail
Kodi Burns’ definition of “not that long ago” must be different than mine.
Tennessee football doesn’t have any commitments to its 2022 recruiting class, which is indicative of the challenge it faces on the recruiting trail.
The Vols overhauled their coaching staff in January and February following a 3-7 season. And the ongoing NCAA investigation into allegations of recruiting malfeasance by the previous coaching staff – an investigation that could result in self-imposed or NCAA penalties – is an additional hurdle.
Tennessee is the only SEC school that doesn’t have a 2022 prospect committed.
I asked Burns, UT’S wide receivers coach, what the Vols’ sales pitch is to prospects.
“Tennessee is one of the most storied traditions in all of college football – just the amount of national titles, the amount of SEC championships, and it wasn’t that long ago that Tennessee was on the top,” Burns said.
Wasn’t that long ago that Tennessee was on top?
Tennessee was last on top of college football in 1998, well before any 2022 prospect was born. Heck, 2022 prospects aren’t even old enough to remember Tennessee’s last SEC East division title in 2007.
Tennessee is like the television show “Friends.” Both were dominant in the ‘90s and early 2000s, but neither aged well.
Rather than regaling the past, the Vols must sell the future – namely, the aggressive and forward-thinking style of play that coach Josh Heupel embraces.
After the hyperbole about UT’S history, Burns arrived at this more relevant selling point:
“Once guys start to see what we’re doing in the spring game, this fall coming up, as much as how we’re going to throw the ball, what we do, the tempo with which we play with and how different that we’re going to be offensively
than everybody else in the SEC, I don’t think that it’s going to be a hard sell,” Burns said.
Or, as Heupel put it: “This is one of the greatest traditions in college football, and we get to put a completely new-age approach on it.”
That’s the sales pitch, with emphasis needed on the “new-age” portion.
Sell offensive prospects on the chance to play in a high-scoring, uptempo system. It’s not uncommon for a Heupel-coached team to snap 100 offensive plays in a game.
Quarterbacks should be intrigued by the chance to play for Heupel, who coached quarterbacks like Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford at Oklahoma, the NFL’S Drew Lock at Missouri and Central Florida’s Dillon Gabriel, who led the nation in passing yards per game last season.
Quarterbacks aren’t the only players who should relish this offense. The offensive
lines at Missouri and UCF found success under Heupel and Glen Elarbee, who’s now Tennessee’s offensive line coach.
This offense provides an opportunity for multiple receivers to have 1,000-yard seasons.
Recruiting a running back? Heupel need only show the game film from Missouri’s 63-37 thrashing of Tennessee in 2016, while Heupel was Missouri’s offensive coordinator. Damarea Crocket rushed for 225 yards in that game amid a 1,000-yard season.
As for defensive recruits, the pitch to defensive linemen should come easy. They’ll have the chance to play for position coach Rodney Garner, who established a track record of producing NFL talent while at Georgia and Auburn.
Overall, Heupel promises that Tennessee’s defense will be “aggressive in nature.”
That aggressive mentality on both
sides of the ball should appeal to recruits. So should the opportunity for early playing time after offseason transfers stripped UT of some of its talent and depth. Top-notch facilities, a passionate fan base and a vibrant city also are worth selling.
The challenge is persuading recruits to take a chance on a slumbering program, especially one under NCAA investigation, leaving open the possibility of a potential postseason ban.
All the more reason for Tennessee not to sell its past. It’s a what-have-youdone-for-me-lately business, and, lately, Tennessee has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons.
The less time Heupel and his staff spends talking about Tennessee’s past, the better.
Blake Toppmeyer is SEC Columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at Btoppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.