Tennessee Vols hoping to flip in-state RB target from USC and Lincoln Riley

With the 2025 Early Signing Period right around the corner, the Tennessee Volunteers are looking to put the finishing touches on their class over the next six weeks or so. Come early December, the best prospects across the country will be ready to put the pen to paper.

With that said, there are several targets Josh Heupel and his staff have their attention on. The list includes running back Daune Morris, a 5-10, 195-pounder from Oakland High in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Ranked the No. 18 player from Tennessee for his class, Morris has been a USC verbal since April.

However, with Tennessee looking to add a second running back for its '25 haul, might Morris be the answer? According to 247Sports' Ryan Callahan, Morris has continued to keep in close contact with the Vols. Not only that, but he'll be in Knoxville for when Tennessee hosts Kentucky:

USC commit Daune Morris will visit Tennessee for the Kentucky game

That's a pretty big update from Callahan and one that has Vols' fans excited. As of this writing, Tennessee holds 23 commits for 2025. Running back Justin Baker, a Georgia product, is on the verbals list, but the Vols indeed are hoping to add another RB playmaker.

Morris has picked up more than 30 offers throughout his recruitment. His long list includes USC, Auburn, Tennessee, Kentucky, Colorado, Duke, Florida, Ole Miss, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt and many others. This past summer, he took official visits to Auburn and USC.

The Tigers are still very much in the race to land Morris' signature too, as he appears to be quite high on them as well. Lincoln Riley and Co. are doing all they can to keep Morris on board for the new Big Ten school, but the competition is still fierce. Things are only going to heat up leading up to Signing Day. The upcoming Tennessee campus visit for Morris could play a major role in him playing his college ball in-state or on the west coast.