Tennessee football makes cut for elite 2022 Georgia OL Addison Nichols

Josh Heupel may have a different approach than Jeremy Pruitt, but Tennessee football is still going to recruit elite offensive linemen and still target players from the Peach State. The Vols are now in the running for one of the best blockers for 2022 from Georgia.

UT is in the top five for Addison Nichols, a four-star offensive tackle across all recruiting services. Coming from Greater Atlanta Christian High School in Norcross, Ga., Nichols is 6’5″ and weighs in the 300 to 305-pound range.

Joining Tennessee football in Nichols’ top five are the Georgia Bulldogs, Florida Gators, Ohio State Buckeyes and USC Trojans. He revealed all of the schools on his list with a graphic Wednesday afternoon on Twitter.

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Obviously, the UGA Dawgs would seem like the stiffest competition for anybody hoping to land Nichols. They are the home state school, and Kirby Smart keeping them in the running means he is clearly going to be drawn to them.

Florida, meanwhile, is always going to be difficult for Georgia kids as well, especially if they’re rolling like they are right now under Dan Mullen. Between Florida and Ohio State, Nichols seems genuinely interested in the Urban Meyer spread offense.

Still, it’s pretty impressive for UT to be on the list with these other schools. Every one of the other schools finished in the top 25 this past year, and every coach on the list has either won a conference title or finished in the top 10. That the Vols could trend with such other programs is a testament to what they have to offer and what Josh Heupel may be building.

It’s also true that Rocky Top needs help on the line in the future. After Trey Smith and Brandon Kennedy graduated and Wanya Morris and Jahmir Johnson transferred, four key rotational guys this year are seniors: Jerome Carvin, Cade Mays, Riley Locklear and K’Rojhn Calbert. They need more players to restock the cupboard quickly.

Currently, there are no favorites to land Nichols on the Rivals Future Cast or the 247Sports Crystal Ball projections. Tennessee football is a favorite, though, on the Rivals Fan Future Cast. As a result, keep an eye on their progress with him the future. That they have gotten this far is impressive.