Tennessee football lost more on recruiting trail over weekend than it gained
In terms of personnel, Tennessee football came out on top over the weekend. However, that was due to Hendon Hooker deciding to come back for 2022. It’s hard to overstate how big of a deal that was for the Vols. Adding Florida Gators transfer offensive lineman Gerald Mincey only further helps out with that.
On the other hand, though, when it comes to recruiting specifically, the losses outweigh the gains. Sure, the Vols added four-star wide receiver Kaleb Webb for 2022 and four-star tight end Ethan Davis for 2023. At the same time, though, they lost out on two elite defensive players.
It started with Venson Sneed. The second commitment for Josh Heupel, Sneed is a four-star edge rusher in the 2022 class on Rivals, although he was a three-star on 247Sports and ESPN. Back in November, Sneed tweeted out that his recruitment was open. Over the weekend, he committed to the Indiana Hoosiers.
Losing Sneed was bad enough for the Vols. On Monday, however, they suffered another blow. Junior college safety Marquise Gilbert, a four-star on Rivals and 247Sports but a three-star on ESPN, had been down to the Vols and the Auburn Tigers. He announced his commitment to Auburn Monday evening.
— Marquise Gilbert (@_Rambo3k) December 14, 2021
With Gilbert’s decision, the Vols have lost out on two elite defensive players. This is a big deal. Heupel’s track record and his personnel shows his offense will be fine. Defense is where he needs help for the future, and losing out on both of these players is a big deal.
Obviously, Walter Nolen is the headline of 2022 for the Vols when it comes to defense, and he is still committed to the Texas A&M Aggies. However, UT is still in play significantly for the five-star defensive lineman. Now, it’s crucial they land him, which wasn’t the case beforehand.
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Although Tennessee football has proven it will be fun to watch offensively under Heupel, the defense still needs some real help. What happened over the weekend set that back significantly, and it will be cause for concern if this is a trend on that side of the ball.