Where Tennessee Football’s Recruiting Ranks After National Signing Day Buzz

Tennessee’s first registrants of the 2023 Signing Day class. Photo via Tennessee Athletics.

There wasn’t much new activity for the Tennessee football program on Wednesday, despite it being National Signing Day. The Vols’ 2023 class already has a massive lineup as Tennessee did its job during the first part of the signings timeline in December.

However, Wednesday officially began the regular signing period which will last until April 1, 2023.

Tennessee currently has 19 players already signed up, six who have signed their letter of intent and nine additions from the transfer portal as well.

The Vols announced Wednesday the addition of Class of 2023 wide receiver Nathan Roberts, a player from hometown Morristown-Hamblen East High School — about 45 miles east of Knoxville. Roberts is one of the favorite extras Tennessee has added here in recent days. The Vols also brought in quarterback Ryan Damron this week in the same status.

The national recruiting calendar has certainly started to see changes here over the past few years. As players continue to see the benefits of joining a program in December, the early signing period has increasingly become day one signing for rookies.

Although there wasn’t as much activity on Wednesday as there was in December, talented players across the country still found their home and signed on the dotted line.

Here’s how Tennessee’s recruiting class standings formed after Wednesday’s National Signing Day event:

247Sports Pre-Early Signing Day: No. 9 Early Signing Day (Dec. 22): No. 10 National Signing Day (Feb. 1): No. 9 No. 4 in the SEC One Five-Star, 12 Four-Star, 12 Three-Star Rivals Pre-Early Signing Day: No. 10 Early Signing Day (December 22): No. 11 National Signing Day (February 1): No. 12
No. 4 in the SEC One five-star, 12 four-star, 12 three-star On3 Sports Pre-Early Signing Day: No. 11 Early Signing Day (December 22): No. 12 National Signing Day (February 1): No. 12 No. 5 in the SEC One five-star, 11 four-star, 13 three-star

During last Saturday’s basketball game between Tennessee No. 4 and Texas No. 10 in Knoxville, head coach Josh Heupel brought the new football players onto the court for a moment in front of the crowd.

Thompson-Boling Arena immediately began cheering on new volunteer football players before head coach Josh Heupel took the mic.

“Really proud of what these guys have achieved in 2022,” Heupel said, pointing to his players. “None of this happens without your support guys. The trip was fun but the best is yet to come. These guys are new registrants, let’s give them another round of applause!