Tennessee football makes cut for local 2023 WR Ayden Greene

Shoring up the in-state and local talent has clearly been a priority for Tennessee football this recruiting season after missing out on so many top prospects this past recruiting class. It’s a lot easier for Josh Heupel and the Vols with the NCAA investigation appearing to almost be over.

UT is now trending for wide receiver Ayden Greene. Coming out of Powell High School in Knox County, Tenn., Greene is pretty much as local as they can get. A three-star across the board, Greene stands between 6’0″ and 6’1″ and weighs in the range of 165 to 170 pounds.

Joining Tennessee football on Greene’s list are the Virginia Tech Hokies, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Arkansas Razorbacks and Pittsburgh Panthers. The Knoxville-area kid announced the schools Wednesday evening on Twitter.

Obviously, given how loaded the Vols are at receiver based on this past class, a three-star who barely makes 6’1″ may not turn many heads on Rocky Top right now. However, given Josh Heupel’s system, it’s clear that as many receivers as possible is a good thing for the Vols.

Look at this past year. JaVonta Payton was once a three-star out of junior college, and Cedric Tillman was as low as a two-star on some services. They became the Vols’ top two wideouts, and Payton is now in the NFL while Tillman brings huge expectations to 2022.

Simply put, playmakers at receivers can come from out of nowhere sometimes, and Heupel’s system is set up to find the best ones. As a result, a local kid with these ratings is definitely worth looking into, especially when On3 consensus somehow has him as a four-star.

Currently, there are no favorites to land Greene on the Rivals Future Cast, and there are no 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions. Tennessee football is the majority favorite on the Rivals Fan Future Cast, but Virginia Tech is the On3 favorite with the Vols in second, so they have a bit of work to do.