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Tennessee football makes cut for elite 2023 WR Carnell Tate

By Caleb Calhoun

Sep 1, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; A Tennessee Volunteers helmet is seen pregame before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 1, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; A Tennessee Volunteers helmet is seen pregame before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports /
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With two players currently on the roster out of IMG Academy in Florida, it makes sense for Tennessee football to pursue other elite targets from there. On Wednesday, they made headway with a 2023 prospect there who is initially from Illinois.

Rocky Top is now in the top 10 for Carnell Tate, who left Chicago, Ill. to attend the Bradenton, Fla. school. A four-star wide receiver on Rivals and 247Sports who is not yet rated on ESPN, Tate stands at 6’2″ and weighs in the range of 170 to 185 pounds.

Joining Tennessee football on Tate’s list are the Florida State Seminoles, Illinois Fighting Illini, Ohio State Buckeyes, LSU Tigers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Michigan Wolverines, Penn State Nittany Lions, Texas Longhorns and Ole Miss Rebels. He announced the schools on Twitter.

With the recent transfer of Malachi Wideman and Velus Jones Jr. entering his senior year, the Vols could certainly use some long-term help at receiver. An elite prospect like Tate, who could play wideout, would be a huge benefit.

Obviously, there is plenty of young talent at the position, but some of those guys could be gone by 2023, and Josh Heupel will need more help by then. He’s doing the right thing getting ahead of the curve and trying to recruit Tate now.

The Vols’ previous staff would have had a great chance at landing Tate given the fact that it had Chris Weinke, who coached at IMG Academy for four years. However, Heupel’s connections to Florida after three years with the UCF Knights have to help too.

Currently, Ohio State is the favorite by a majority to land Tate on the Rivals Future Cast. They are split with Notre Dame in the lead on the 247Sports Crystal Ball, and the Irish lead by a plurality in the Rivals Future Cast.

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Simply put, landing Tate will be tough for Tennessee football. Although he’s in Florida now, Big Ten country still seems to be heavily on his radar. However, Heupel has every reason to target him, specifically with his offensive schemes, and if he has a solid season this year, he could put the Vols in strong contention.

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