The Vols’ decision to send five-star defensive tackle Shy Tuttle a photoshopped Rolling Stone cover, with Tuttle walking alongside Beyonce, may prove to be one of the most brilliant recruiting tactics you’ll ever see.
And it’s not because of the creativity of the photoshopped cover (although it was a unique idea), but because of the national spotlight it’s cast on the Vols and Tuttle.
Schools aren’t allowed to talk about recruits in the media. The Vols essentially found a way to circumvent this, by letting the national media do the talking for them.
The Vols have basically been plastered on Sportscenter saying “We want you to be a Vol, Shy Tuttle”.
The Tennessee Volunteers are using Beyoncé in a creative pitch for a 5-star recruit. Seriously. » http://t.co/3qA7Y6zSYf
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 26, 2014
What better way to tell a recruit you want him, then to get him national attention like that?!?!
The other element of this is Tuttle’s reaction. According to Tuttle’s high school football coach, Mark Holcomb, Tuttle was “smiling all day about it” on Tuesday.
This really could not have went any better for Tennessee.
Recruiting is an ever changing world and it looks like Tennessee is on the cutting edge of things.