Tennessee football makes another cut for elite 2023 Florida WR Carnell Tate

Wide receiver will continue to be where Tennessee football draws tons of interest from recruits given Josh Heupel’s system. Add in the fact that Heupel built a reputation as head coach of the UCF Knights, and the Vols will almost certainly always be in play for elite receivers from Florida.

UT continues to trend for one such prospect. Carnell Tate, out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., has included the Vols in his top five. A five-star on Rivals and composite ratings but a four-star everywhere else, Tate stands at 6’2″ and weighs in the range of 170 to 185 pounds.

Joining Tennessee football on Tate’s list are the Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide, Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He announced the schools with a picture Tuesday night on Twitter.

Before transferring to the notable school in Manatee County, Fla., Tate was in Chicago. Heupel also has connections to Illinois from his days as an offensive coordinator of the Missouri Tigers, so this could still work in the Vols’ favor.

Despite how loaded Rocky Top is at wide receiver, they could always use more help, and a guy like Tate could bring that help immediately. There remain questions at wideout for the future since 2022 will be Tillman’s last year.

Even with more receivers in the system by that point, Tate increases the likelihood that one steps up and makes a huge impact. Heck, he may be the most likely receiver to step up and make such an impact, so watch out.

Currently, Ohio State is the majority favorite on the Rivals Future Cast and On3, and they have both predictions with a medium confidence interval on the 247Sports Crystal Ball. Notre Dame On3’s second-place team and the plurality favorite on the Rivals Fan Future Cast.

However, Tennessee football just being on the list with these guys is amazing. All four schools have made the College Football Playoff one of the past two years. That means something specifically about the Vols has to stand out.