Tennessee football makes cut for elite 2024 in-state WR Brandon Heyward

It makes all the sense in the world that Tennessee football would be the most attractive place in the nation for elite wide receivers given what Josh Heupel has built on Rocky Top. The Vols would obviously be even more attractive for elite receivers in the area, and they are now trending for another such prospect.

Brandon Heyward, a 2024 wide receiver out of Oak Ridge High School in Anderson County, Tenn., just outside of Knoxville, has the Vols in his top eight. Although he is not yet rated on ESPN, Heyward is a four-star on Rivals, 247Sports and 247Sports Composite. On3 has him as a three-star, but On3 Consensus has him as a four-star.

Joining Tennessee football on Heyward’s list are the the Kentucky Wildcats, Vanderbilt Commodores, Cincinnati Bengals, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Missouri Tigers, Michigan State Spartans and Boston College Eagles. He announced the schools on Twitter Wednesday.

Standing between 5’10” and 6’0″ while weighing in the range of 160 to 175 pounds, Heyward is another slot receiver. Given the success of Jalin Hyatt and what even Squirrel White was able to show last weekend, it makes sense that more and more slot guys would be interested.

Obviously, this is still very early in the recruiting process, but it’s likely UT continues to load up here. Although Mississippi State is a threat because of what mike Leach’s air raid can do, Heupel’s system brings more to the table right now, and being so close has to help.

Of course, competition for playing time could be a factor, as Heyward seems to be a cusp four-star right now. If his rating continues to improve, though, watch out. The Vols are likely going to go extremely deep at the position in the future because of what they’ve already shown.

Currently, there are no favorites on the Rivals Future Cast and no 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions to land Heyward. On3 had Tennessee football third behind the Louisville Cardinals and Arkansas Razorbacks, but both have been eliminated.

Meanwhile, the Vols are the majority favorite on the Rivals Fan Future Cast, and while that’s not scientific, it’s enough to go on to suggest Rocky Top is the favorite to land this guy at the moment. However, there are still a lot of moving parts with him this early.