Tennessee football in elite 2023 Florida WR’s top three, which is a shocking list
Another elite wide receiver has Tennessee football on his radar, and every school that should have been the Vols’ biggest competition for him was eliminated. Could Josh Heupel get a steal in the 2023 prospect from the Florida panhandle?
Traylon Ray, a four-star across every composite rating and every individual service except 247Sports, where he is a three-star, has the Vols in his top three. A prospect from North Florida Christian School in Tallahassee, Fla., Ray stands between 6’2″ and 6’3″ and weighs 180 pounds.
Joining Tennessee football on the Leon County prospect’s list are the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Notably, no area schools were on there. He announced his list Saturday afternoon on Twitter.
Big thanks to all the coaches and schools that have considered me throughout my recruitment process, with that being said… #TOP3 @Vol_Football @HailStateFB @WVUfootball pic.twitter.com/PaD5WQjXLh
— Traylon Ray (@TraylonRay6) September 3, 2022
It’s not uncommon for elite receivers to show no interest in area schools, but that wasn’t the vibe with Ray. Although there were no favorites to land him on the Rivals Future Cast or the 247Sports Crystal Ball, On3 leaned heavily on predicting in-state schools.
That website had the Florida State Seminoles as the majority favorite with the Florida Gators in second place. Those were both overwhelming, but the South Florida Bulls and Miami Hurricanes were at No. 3 and No. 4 on there.
Taking that into account, the Vols got a huge break with none of those schools being on there. Now, to be fair, WVU is a majority favorite on the Rivals Fan Future Cast, but not having to worry about his local or area schools is still a huge advantage.
Given his size, Ray has more the build of a wideout too, and Cedric Tillman’s recent success should make Rocky Top very appealing for him. New receivers coach Kelsey Pope’s experience with wideouts specifically and the emergence of USC Trojans transfer Bru McCoy should also help.
Next. Top 10 Vols from out of state on 2022 roster. dark
Simply put, there are many reasons to have faith in Tennessee football’s chances at landing Ray. Heupel just recently talked about wanting to go deeper than last year at receiver, and adding another player like him would help.