Could Josh Heupel steal a recruit from the backyard of his original arch-rival, the Longhorns? Well, he’s got Tennessee football at least competing to do just that, as they are now in contention for an elite 2023 offensive lineman out of Austin, Texas.
Ian Reed, who comes out of Travis County’s Vandergrift High School in Leander, has Rocky Top in his top 10. He is listed as a four-star everywhere but Rivals, where he is a three-star. Standing between 6’5″ and 6’6″, Reed weighs in the range of 290 to 310 pounds.
Joining Tennessee football on Reed’s list include Texas, the Texas A&M Aggies, the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Georgia Bulldogs, the Clemson Tigers, the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Michigan Wolverines, the Wisconsin Badgers and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He announced the schools Sunday night on Twitter.
Thank You to the all of the coaches that have been recruiting me, each and every Offer was a blessing to me and my family, I am announcing my 2nd phase of my recruitment moving forward@RecruitVandyFB @JeremyO_Johnson @samspiegs @gabrieldbrooks @SWiltfong247 @adamgorney pic.twitter.com/DEcEuDDzc9
— Ian Reed (@Ian_Reed72) May 2, 2022
Given his size, Reed seems like he would be an offensive tackle, and that’s where he’s listed on Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports. However, On3 has him as an interior offensive lineman. Regardless of who’s right for the next level, it at least speaks to his versatility.
After two years of playing with the Oklahoma Sooners and another 10 coaching there, Heupel certainly has experience trying to recruit against Texas in the state of Texas. He now has to do it against his former in-state rival from that school as well, Oklahoma State, and a former Big 12 rival in Texas A&M.
Doing all of that should be familiar to him. At least three of the four tackles likely to be in the Vols’ rotation later this year will be gone by 2024, and at least one of them, Jeremiah Crawford, will be gone after this year. As a result, adding new talent up front is crucial.
Currently, there are no favorites to land Reed on the Rivals Future Cast or the 247Sports Crystal Ball. However, Texas is a majority favorite on the Rivals Fan Future Cast and On3, so Tennessee football has work to do to lure him to the real UT.