Tennessee football's recruiting class was ranked inside the top ten heading into National Signing Day, but after a few flips, the Vols have moved up in the recruiting rankings.
The Vols secured their top players in the recruiting class. Faizon Brandon, Ty Keys, and Gabriel Osenda all signed with Tennessee, setting a strong foundation for the class early in the day.
Four-star athlete Legend Bey was committed to Tennessee earlier this year but flipped to Ohio State. Bey flipped back to the Vols on NSD to give Tennessee a win over the Buckeyes. Also, former Texas A&M commit and four-star edge rusher Jordan Carter and former Alabama commit JJ Finch both signed with Tennessee.
Tennessee's ability to flip these four-star prospects completely changed the outlook of the Vols' recruiting class.
There were hopes the Vols would remain in the top ten on signing day, but rumors on social media suggested a flip or two could change that for Tennessee.
A few flips in Tennessee's favor have jumped the Vols up the recruiting rankings. Going into Wednesday night, the Vols had the No. 1 recruiting class in the SEC, according to 247Sports.
After the final players have inked their contracts, the Vols settle in as the No. 3 class in the SEC, according to 247Sports and On3. The Vols sit behind only No. 4-ranked Alabama and No. 5-ranked Georgia.
While Tennessee didn't finish the cycle with the top recruiting class in the country, that honor goes to USC; the Vols won National Signing Day by flipping some of the top prospects.
On3 Sports' Greg Smith declared Tennessee one of the biggest winners on NSD, along with Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt.
"Don't look now, but Tennessee quietly has the No. 5 class in the country right now," Smith writes. "The class is led by a pair of five-stars with quarterback and wide receiver. Both signed on Wednesday.
"But the Vols also got an electric running back in the class, flipping him from. The team also flipped four-star from and held onto four-star. It's a good day to be coach."
Tennessee sent shockwaves through the SEC, as many were surprised the Vols were able to put together the NSD performance they did.
Now, it's up to Heupel and the staff to pair their young talent with skill in the transfer portal to put together a team that can compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff in 2026.