Tennessee is getting set for its first season in the expanded 16-team SEC, as Oklahoma and Texas officially join the ranks this year. The Vols will be put to the test immediately, as they travel to Oklahoma in September for their first conference game of the year. They finished with the No. 11 recruiting class for the 2024 cycle after securing an early commitment from quarterback Jake Merklinger and winding up with 10 4-star players. Head coach Josh Heupel and his staff also inked wide receiver Mike Matthews along with coveted edge rusher Jordan Ross.
The Vols have already started to make some early moves in the 2025 cycle as well, with multiple 4-star recruits already committed. The Tennessee football recruiting class is currently ranked No. 11 in the 247Sports recruiting rankings, but those numbers are constantly changing due to updates across the country. If you want to see the latest Tennessee recruiting news, you should join GoVols247, the 247Sports affiliate that covers the Tennessee Vols.
The GoVols247 team of Patrick Brown, Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Ben McKee have decades of experience covering the Vols. Callahan has a history of breaking massive recruiting news, while Brown, Rucker and McKee are locked in on all the latest team news. Hundreds of thousands of Tennessee fans follow them on social media and their Tennessee coverage is read by millions. They’ll keep you locked in on everything happening in Tennessee athletics and provide you with premium updates you won’t find anywhere else. It’s all available at your fingertips on any device here.
The team at GoVols247 has extensive coverage of Tennessee’s recruiting efforts, including information about a pair of four-star players who are being recruited by Heupel’s staff. Head to GoVols247 and join now to see who they are and how they could change the face of Tennessee football.
Josh Heupel Tennessee recruiting updates
One player from the 2025 class that Heupel’s staff is targeting in is four-star linebacker Dante McClellan. Tennessee is one of two SEC schools that McClellan is strongly considering, as he announced his top eight college choices on social media in early February. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound linebacker is looking at Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Minnesota and Rutgers as well.
He has received more than 20 scholarship offers, including one from Tennessee last August. McClellan visited Knoxville in October for the Vols’ game against Texas A&M, and he is planning to return this spring. He is the No. 31 linebacker in his class and the No. 11 player from Ohio in the 2025 cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite. Join GoVols247 for the latest on McClellan’s recruitment.
Another player that Tennessee’s staff is interested in for 2025 is three-star defensive back Sidney Walton. He attended three of Tennessee’s home games last season and visited Knoxville for the first junior day of 2024. Walton picked up his second SEC scholarship offer during his visit for the Vols’ home opener against Austin Peay last season.
He returned for home games against Texas A&M in October and Georgia in November. Walton is the No. 61 safety in the 2025 class and the No. 35 player in his class from Alabama, with several other SEC teams set to host him on official visits. He has already received offers from at least 14 schools and has been talking with one of Tennessee’s staffers on a “weekly” basis. Join GoVols247 to read the latest VIP article regarding Walton’s plans.
Former Michigan commit Chris Ewald, a four-star cornerback in the 2025 class, is planning to visit Tennessee again this spring. Ewald initially committed to Michigan at the end of 2022 and was part of the Wolverines’ class for more than a year. He reopened his recruitment in January of 2024 due to uncertainty around the future of head coach Jim Harbaugh, who wound up leaving for the NFL.
Ewald was offered by Tennessee in January of 2023 and made his first visit to Knoxville last June. He is planning to visit multiple schools this spring, including Rocky Top in April. Ewald is the No. 93 overall prospect in the 2025 class and is the No. 12 junior from Florida, according to the 247Sports Composite, and he has received offers from more than 30 schools. See more about Ewald’s spring travel schedule here.
Other recent highlights include a four-star linebacker from Georgia planning to visit Knoxville, a game-changing edge-rusher who loves everything about the Volunteers, and a four-star receiver who is about to make his final call.
How to get Tennessee 247Sports updates
The Vols are also pursuing a four-star wide receiver for the 2025 cycle, who has narrowed his focus to two SEC schools. Join GoVols247 to see who it is and get all the latest Tennessee football news.
Who are the top players for 2025 that Tennessee’s coaching staff is targeting right now, and which four-star wide receiver could change the game? Join GoVols247 to see all the latest Tennessee recruiting news, all from a team of reporters with decades of experience covering the Vols, and find out.
Source link
#Tennessee #football #recruiting #Josh #Heupel #News #rankings #Vols #players #watch #SEC #insiders