Tennessee football: Top five needs for 2023 recruiting class

Directly addressing so many needs combined with the return of so much talent is why Tennessee football had a successful recruiting class in 2022 despite it not being in the top 10 across any ranking. When you consider what Josh Heupel was working against for most of the recruiting season the past year, a top 10 ranking would’ve been impossible.

Obviously, he’ll want to take up up a notch in 2023, but once again, addressing needs will be important. There are a few players that Rocky Top is 100 percent certain to lose next year and many more who could leave given the fact that they will be seniors.

As a result, Heupel will once again have to be methodical in who he adds for 2023. In this post, we’ll take a look at where he needs to be selective. This obviously doesn’t take into account how the transfer portal could change things. That’ll be addressed later. For now, these are Tennessee football’s five biggest needs in their 2023 recruiting class.

5. Kicking

This applies to place kicking and punting. Chase McGrath and Paxton Brooks were seniors this past year but have one year of eligibility left. It’s not clear what they will do, but even if they leave, Toby Wilson, who would replace Brooks, will be a fifth-year senior next year. Kolby Morgan will be a sophomore punter, but UT could still use more help there.

Taking that into account, no matter what, Rocky Top needs to make some additions on special teams. Now, it is true that these additions can be made via preferred walk-ons, but Brooks was a scholarship punter who committed in 2018. Also, Chase McGrath was on scholarship with the USC Trojans, and Brent Cimaglia was a scholarship kicker before that.

Simply put, Tennessee football has relied on scholarship players to handle kicking duties the past three years. That doesn’t mean that they can’t find other guys via walk-ons, but you have to be careful with something like that, especially place kicking. They need a commitment here next year.