Tennessee football: In-state WR Nate Spillman commits to Vols for 2023

The success of Tennessee football in its first season under Josh Heupel is naturally going to generate buzz across the state. That it came because of his exciting, up-tempo offense will result in lots of skill players on that side of the ball also taking a look at what he’s building.

Obviously, that means in-state skill players will give the hardest looks to UT, and the Vols added one of them on Sunday. Nashville, Tenn., wide receiver Nate Spillman, who is originally from Sierra Leone, according to Ryan Callahan of GoVols247, became the fourth member of the Vols’ 2023 recruiting class.

Standing between 6’1″ and 6’3″ and weighing in the range of 180 to 200 pounds, Spillman is a three-star on Rivals and 247Sports but is not yet rated on On3 or ESPN. The product of Davidson County’s Lipscomb Academy announced his commitment to Tennessee football on Twitter.

On its face, this doesn’t seem like a splash of a commitment. After all, UT loaded up at receiver in its 2022 recruiting class, and Spillman is flying very much under the radar. Also, wideout is clearly where Josh Heupel is loading up the most, and given his size, Spillman fits that frame as well.

However, more depth there wouldn’t hurt. After all, Rocky Top just lost its No. 2 wideout in JaVonta Payton, and Cedric Tillman, who had a breakout campaign in 2021, decided to come back for 2022 but almost certainly won’t be there for 2023.

Because of that, a guy like Spillman gives Heupel, Alex Golesh and whomever replaces Kodi Burns more options. He could also end up being a perfect fit for Heupel’s system specifically. Here is a look at his highlight reel.

As you can see, speed is a calling card of Spillman’s, at least against his relative competition. He blows past guys really quickly, and he’s also aggressive. Also, even if he does fly under the radar, don’t forget that Tillman flew under the radar as well. Heupel’s system can work for lots of different types of wideouts.

Although he is the first receiver in Tennessee football’s class, Spillman is the second in-state commitment in that class, following offensive lineman Ayden Bussell. UT needs to do better in the state than it did this past year, so this should be a good start.