Doesn't head coach Josh Heupel have enough on his plate to worry about? This week, quarterback Nico Iamaleava has been dominating the news due to the reported issue he has with his current contract. That's not the only issue that has arrived for Heupel and his staff.
Out on the recruiting trail, Tennessee was able to pick up a massive commitment in the fall from 4-star defensive lineman Tyson Bacon. Bacon checks in at 6-3, 270 pounds and he no doubt has a bright future at the next level. However, it's far from certain that he'll be Tennessee-bound.
Since he announced for Tennessee, Bacon has picked up plenty of offers, including one from Ohio State earlier this week. Back in January, Michigan came calling and put an offer on the table. In an interview with 247's Sam Webb, Bacon revealed just how much that tender meant to him.
Tennessee has plenty of work to do to keep 4-star DL Tyson Bacon on board
"I was just like, man, that's the offer I worked hard for," Bacon said via his interview with Webb. That's the offer I wanted. Like I wanted that. Like, I really wanted that bad because we came up here. I think it was a Rising Stars. It was a Rising Stars visit. I seen Michigan (there). I was like, yeah, this is where I want to be. Like, I want to work. I want to work, so I can be up here, you know. So that's what I did. I worked and I got it. Soon as I got that offer, got off the phone, coach Espo did 100 push-ups straight."
Bacon took an unofficial visit recently to Ann Arbor and he excitedly posted a picture of him and 5-star freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood on his Twitter page. Clearly, the Wolverines are giving him a lot to think about moving forward. They're not the only ones.
Bacon has scheduled official visits with Washington (May 2), Georgia (May 16), Alabama (May 30), Florida (June 13) and Tennessee (June 20) per his 247Sports page. You've got to figure a date will be finalized for a return trip to Michigan too, while Ohio State is now fully in the mix after the reigning champs offered Bacon. Not long ago, everyone was fired up over the youngster's future in Knoxville, but it's fully unknown if he'll sign with UT this December or not.