During the Josh Heupel era, Tennessee has had its fair share of big recruiting wins, drama, and success stories. However, there have also been some major disappointments that left Vols fans wondering if a player who was expected to become a star would end up being just another average contributor.
Let’s dive into the three biggest disappointing high school recruits of the Josh Heupel era at Tennessee.
3. Cameron Seldon, 4-star, RB/WR
Coming out of high school, offensive weapon Cameron Seldon was expected to be the next Deebo Samuel-type player. Seldon was a big, explosive athlete who could play running back or wide receiver, but it just never panned out for him in Knoxville. Starting his career in the backfield, he posted 48 carries for 224 yards and a touchdown in two seasons at Tennessee before transferring to Virginia Tech and switching over to wide receiver. However, he didn’t accomplish much on a struggling Hokies team, only catching 23 balls last season.
247Sports ranked Seldon as the No. 77 player in the 2023 class, but that ranking has proven to be quite inaccurate so far. Selodn is playing one more year at South Florida, where he will look to get things back on track.
2. Jordan Ross, 5-star, EDGE
When Tennessee landed Jordan Ross out of high school, who was ranked in the top 10 of the 2024 class, many thought he was going to be a future first-round pick and a force in Knoxville. However, he has been far from that. In 22 career games, Ross only recorded 1.5 sacks. On a defense that struggled last season, Ross wasn't able to break through the depth chart and become a consistent producer, ranking sixth on the defensive line in pass rush win percentage
Ross entered the transfer portal this winter and is now at LSU with Lane Kiffin where he hopes to elevate his game to a new level. Although he has shown some promising skills, he has not lived up to the expectations of being a top ten high school recruit
1. Nico Iamaleava, 5-star, QB
For many reasons, this has to be the most disappointing recruit of the Heupel era. Sure, Iamaleava did lead the Vols to their first-ever college football playoff appearance, but that was mostly due to the team's strong defense and Dylan Sampson's amazing running ability. It wasn't because Iamaleava was the dynamic weapon we were promised out of high school. In 2024 at Tennessee, he posted 2,616 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and six interceptions, completing 64% of his passes. While those numbers are not bad, they also weren't game-breaking, especially for someone who was the No. 1 player in the 2023 class.
Even at UCLA, he hasn't exactly lit it up either. He had only 1,928 yards last year and 13 touchdowns with 7 interceptions for the Bruins last fall.
Obviously, the way Iamaleava left Tennessee has left a very sour taste in the mouths of many Vols fans, and rightfully so. Given how much hype he had coming out of high school, I don't think anyone could ever take the throne from him on this one.
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