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Tennessee football: Five underrated signees in 2021 recruiting class

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images) /
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KNOXVILLE, TN – OCTOBER 11: Detailed view of the checkered endzone at Neyland Stadium during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Chattanooga Mocs on October 11, 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 45-10. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN – OCTOBER 11: Detailed view of the checkered endzone at Neyland Stadium during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Chattanooga Mocs on October 11, 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 45-10. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

Every year, a recruiting class has a collection of players who blossom into surprise superstars. Tennessee football has had plenty of players who had a three-star rating or worse turn into eventual NFL superstars, including guys like Arian Foster. This past year, the Vols leading receiver and sacks leader, Josh Palmer and Deandre Johnson respectively, were three-stars in 2017.

Simply put, you can find talent anywhere. Despite a coaching change and a ton of drama, Rocky Top was able to secure a top 20 recruiting class and the No. 6 class in the SEC across all rankings. That was largely due to players signing before the news of Jeremy Pruitt’s firing.

Obviously, the coaching change will affect some of this. However, Heupel has a history of bringing out the best in underrated talent. Who has the chance to do that for Tennessee football? Based on their star ratings alone and what they could be in the future, not necessarily just this year, these are the five most underrated signees in the Vols’ 2021 recruiting class.

839. Scouting Report. Seymour, Tenn.. J'Marion Gooch. Offensive lineman. 5. player. Pick Analysis

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Size alone is enough to put J’Marion Gooch on here. He stands between 6’7″ and 6’8″ and weighs somewhere between 340 and 360 pounds. According to Matthew Ray of SI.com, the in-state prospect is also known for being very quick and agile. A guy with his size who also stands out with agility is automatically positioned to be an elite offensive lineman.

How was he a three-star across the board then? Well, he’s apparently extremely raw, so he struggled at camps with other linemen. This is because he switched to offensive line in high school after playing tight end and defensive line growing up.

Still, Gooch would apparently always get better at such camps, and his potential alone is through the roof. The more he develops, the more elite he could be. If you want proof of his potential, know that Tennessee football flipped him from the Auburn Tigers and that he had offers from the Georgia Bulldogs, Florida State Seminoles, USC Trojans and numerous other Power Five schools.

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