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Tennessee football 2022 early signing day recap: The good, the bad, the unexpected

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 29: A general view of Neyland Stadium during the South Carolina Gamecocks game against the Tennessee Volunteers on October 29, 2011 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 29: A general view of Neyland Stadium during the South Carolina Gamecocks game against the Tennessee Volunteers on October 29, 2011 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Early signing day is in the books for Tennessee football. The Vols now have nearly two months between now and National Signing Day to build on what they’ve already done, and they have already done a lot. Josh Heupel entered the day with 17 commitments and a top 25 class. He finished the day with 20 commitments and a top 15 class.

On Rivals, the class was ranked No. 11, and on 247Sports, it was ranked No. 13. It was in the top half of the SEC either way, a huge accomplishment given what Heupel was working with most of the year. There is a lot to be excited about, especially with the players coming back in 2022.

Now, not everything was perfect. Tennessee football had some disappointments today. In this post, we’ll break down all the positives and negatives, separating them out by expected positives and negatives and then surprising positives and negatives. Each will have a slide, but let’s start with news that’s still incomplete. Before all of that, though, here is Heupel’s Signing Day show.

Recruiting updates still incomplete

Jeffrey M’ba does not commit.

This is really the only major storyline coming into the day that we didn’t get an answer on despite expecting one. Jeffrey M’ba, a junior college defensive lineman out of Independence Community College in Kansas, is listed as a four-star defensive tackle across the board. He is 6’6″ and weighs in the range of 305 to 315 pounds.

M’ba, who is originally from France and went to high school in Connecticut, appears to be down to the Vols, Missouri Tigers and Auburn Tigers. On the 247Sports Crystal Ball and the Rivals Future Cast, Auburn is a unanimous favorite, but there aren’t many predictions for him yet.

Indeed, there is only one prediction for him on the 247Sports Crystal Ball. On the less scientific Rivals Fan Future Cast, Mizzou is the favorite by a plurality. Either way, Tennessee football is in play for him, but he is one prospect who did not make any news during the early signing period. As a result, Heupel and the Vols will have to wait for news on him.

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