Tennessee football makes cut for elite must-have in-state 2022 WR

A new coaching change hasn’t stopped Tennessee football from continuing to trend for certain top prospects inside the state. On Thursday, the Vols got one step closer to potentially securing one of the best 2022 recruits in their backyard.

Isaiah Horton, a four-star wide receiver across the board out of Oakland High School in Murfreesboro, Tenn., announced that UT made his top four. Horton stands at 6’3″ and weighs somewhere between 185 and 190 pounds. After playing his first two years in Nashville at The Ensworth School, Horton transferred to Oakland before this past season.

In addition to Tennessee football, Horton included the Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes on his list. Miami actually wasn’t on his previous list, so they were a surpris addition. He announced the schools in a video Thursday afternoon on Twitter.

This cut comes less than two months after Horton announced the Vols were in his top six. That list also included the Georgia Bulldogs, Ole Miss Rebels and LSU Tigers, all of whom were cut to narrow the list to four while making room for Miami.

It was obviously questionable whether or not Rocky Top would still be in play for him given the fact that Jeremy Pruitt was still coaching when he received the initial offer. As a result, it’s a big deal for them to still be on his short list with Josh Heupel and his new staff.

Of course, Heupel’s system is probably more exciting for a wide receiver to play in. Horton would certainly provide more depth at the position, and while there is a group of young, elite talent on the roster, the loss of Josh Palmer and departure of Brandon Johnson leaves a few major voids to fill. New receivers coach Kodi Burns could do a lot with a guy like Horton.

There are still no favorites to land Horton on the Rivals Future Cast or the 247Sports Crystal Ball. However, Tennessee football is a majority favorite to land him on the Rivals Fan Future Cast. The Vols need to do whatever they can to keep him in-state. He’d be a great addition.