Tennessee Vols and Josh Heupel flip in-state RB from USC in late recruiting win

Now this is what we're talking about. When it comes to keeping top talent home, Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel and his coaches are always going to make sure they get the job done there. Throughout this cycle, there was some worry that perhaps running back Daune Morris would be heading elsewhere.

He was a USC commit, but the Volunteers picked up their recruiting efforts over the past month or so. This included Heupel bringing Morris back to Knoxville for an official visit, one that was head-turning for him. So much in fact, it made Morris realize that there really is no place like home. That's right, On3's Hayes Fawcett just revealed that the speedster has flipped his commitment from the Trojans to Tennessee:

Tennessee has officially flipped USC RB commit Daune Morris

With the Early Signing Period arriving on Dec. 4, this is big news for the Vols as they look to finalize their 2025 recruiting class. The Morris commitment has been in the works, with analysts predicting him to flip of late.

The fact that Heupel was able to get him in town for senior day, a game in which Tennessee took down UTEP 56-0, surely helped get things over the top to land Morris. He's a dynamic back and he'll be hoping to make an impact for this offense from the moment he gets on campus as a student-athlete.

Throughout his recruitment, the 5-10, 185-pounder picked up offers from Tennessee, USC, Florida, Kentucky, Colorado, Auburn, Ole Miss, South Carolina and many others. While the idea of playing for the Trojans and Lincoln Riley was attractive to him at first, Heupel and his staff never stopped showing him love. Tennessee made him a RB priority and the hard work paid off. Soon enough, Morris will sign with the Vols and then get ready for 4-5 years with the SEC powerhouse.