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Tennessee football: Ranking position groups in Vols’ 2022 recruiting class with grades

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Detailed view of the checkered endzone at Neyland Stadium during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Chattanooga Mocs on October 11, 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 45-10. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Detailed view of the checkered endzone at Neyland Stadium during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Chattanooga Mocs on October 11, 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 45-10. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Catholic’s Jourdan Thomas (4) takes down Montgomery Academy’s Chance Wilson (12) in the first half on September 24, 2021.092421 Ma Vs Catholic
Catholic’s Jourdan Thomas (4) takes down Montgomery Academy’s Chance Wilson (12) in the first half on September 24, 2021.092421 Ma Vs Catholic /

8. Defensive back: D

Everybody saw how Tennessee football looked in the Music City Bowl without its best secondary player in cornerback Alontae Taylor. He is now gearing up for the NFL Draft. Well, Theo Jackson, the Vols second best defensive back this past year, is out of eligibility as well, leaving a huge need for depth at nickel and cornerback.

Meanwhile., Trevon Flowers will be out of eligibility after this year, and Jaylen McCollough will be a senior, so he could be gone as well. Simply put, Heupel needed to add a lot of talent in the secondary to upgrade his depth and set himself up for the future.

He added three guys in Christian Harrison, Jourdan Thomas and Desmond Williams. In terms of numbers that would be okay. However, it’s slightly less than the number he needs, and then comes the ratings. None of these guys are four-stars on any recruiting service.

As a result, even with the bodies, there is nobody to offset the losses of quality talent like Taylor and Jackson, at least on paper. At least two of the commitments are cornerbacks, and transfers Brandon Turnage and Kamal Hadden should help there this year with more playing time. Still, this wasn’t enough to offset this past year’s departures and the coming departures.

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