On Wednesday, Josh Heupel was introduced as the 27th coach in Tennessee football‘s storied history. In his introductory press conference, Heupel answered questions regarding recruiting moving forward and made a sales pitch to the Vols still in the transfer portal.
Those players include Henry To’o To’o, Quavaris Crouch, Jahmir Johnson, JJ Peterson, and Key Lawrence, all of whom entered the transfer portal following Jeremy Pruitt’s firing on Jan. 18. Lawrence recently committed to the University of Oklahoma, so while it’s safe to believe he’s gone, the other four names have yet to announce their transfer destinations.
If there’s any chance of bringing those players back into the Tennessee football program, Heupel will have to do everything in his power to pull some early recruiting magic. The importance of them rejoining the roster makes UT’s new coaches’ comments so important. Here’s some of what he had to say about convincing players to stay in Knoxville.
"“At the end of the day, a family to me is defined when push comes to shove that family stays together. Let’s stay a family. Let’s trust the people that are in place to help you become what you’re capable of.”"
According to 247 Sports, the Vols have lost 15 members of their 2020 roster to other schools via the transfer portal. On top of that, seven players are still in the portal but are uncommitted, and those are the players Heupel will want to focus on.
Two players, Shawn Shamburger and Austin Pope entered the portal before deciding to stay with Tennessee football. Despite all of the challenges ahead, Heupel’s message remains consistent to those players still with doubts.
"“Trust me, our leadership, who I’m going to bring in, give us a chance for our family to become connected. Let’s go have fun together, work hard, but let’s have fun together and compete.”"
The Vols’ only sure-fire transfer addition for 2021 is former Virginia Tech Hokies dual-threat quarterback Hendon Hooker. Auburn outside linebacker/edge-rusher Big Kat Bryant initially announced his transfer commitment to UT but has since deleted his commitment post following the firing of Pruitt and Shelton Felton. Bryant’s status remains unknown.
But what’s certain right now is the early work that Heupel has on his plate. How he fares in recruiting Tennessee football’s transfer portal players and assembling a coaching staff could make the difference in starting his tenure off on the right foot and winning over some of those doubtful fans. It will be interesting to watch how things develop in Knoxville on both of those fronts.