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Tennessee football makes cut for elite Florida OL Francis Mauigoa

By Caleb Calhoun

The Tennessee Volunteer waves a Power T flag during the Vol Walk ahead of a game against Pittsburgh at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021.Kns Tennessee Pittsburgh Football
The Tennessee Volunteer waves a Power T flag during the Vol Walk ahead of a game against Pittsburgh at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021.Kns Tennessee Pittsburgh Football /
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IMG Academy in Florida’s Manatee County has a bit of a connection with Tennessee football. Even right now, Kingston Harris is on the roster and hails from there. Well, it looks like the Vols are in the running for another offensive lineman coming out of the Bradenton, Fla., school.

Francis Mauigoa, a five-star on ESPN and On3 and a four-star on Rivals and 247Sports, now has Rocky Top in his top six. Standing at 6’5″ and weighing in the range of 325 to 330 pounds, Mauigoa is listed as an offensive tackle across all services.

Joining Tennessee football on Mauigoa’s list are the Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida Gators, USC Trojans, Miami Hurricanes and the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, where he has lots of family connections. He announced the schools Saturday on Twitter.

Given Josh Heupel’s connections coaching in the state of Florida and his offensive prowess, a high-profile lineman like Mauigoa could even be more deeply connected to UT than just the IMG Academy connection. That could be a huge for the Vols.

Remember, UT is the one school on this list that’s not either led by a coach who reached the College Football Playoff, representing a state he lives in or representing a state he has family connections. The Vols have obviously brought something else to the table.

With Darnell Wright, Addison Nichols and Dayne Davis all entering their senior seasons, even though they all could come back for 2023, it’s pretty obvious UT needs more help up front at tackle for the future. That’s another obvious boost to be trending for a guy like Mauigoa.

Next. Top five 2023 out-of-state recruits for Vols to pursue. dark

The Oregon Ducks were the unanimous favorite on the Rivals Future Cast to land Mauigoa, but they didn’t make the cut. With no 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions, Tennessee football is the majority favorite on the Rivals Fan Future Cast and On3. As a result, the Vols are in great shape with him right now.

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