Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel would be wise to do his best Tony Vitello impression next week when UT takes on the NC State Wolfpack in Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
In 2023, Vitello landed a commitment from Clemson transfer Billy Amick, just weeks after Amick and the Tigers played against the Vols in the NCAA Tournament.
Amick came away from that matchup impressed with Tennessee.
"I know the way they play and how they go about things," said Amick about the Vols shortly after transferring to Tennessee. "Something that stuck out to me (in the NCAA tourney) was how they go about the game and how they play. It definitely attracted me.”
Clemson didn't want to lose Amick to Tennessee, but the pull of the orange and white was too tempting for Amick to ignore.
"We didn't want him to go, but obviously we wish him all the best," said Clemson head coach Erik Bakich after losing Amick to Tennessee. "He's an elite hitter and he had an elite year, and we hope he continues to find that success."
I think it's safe to say that Vitello and the Vols made a big impression on Amick in the NCAA Tournament, which is a big part of why the third baseman transferred to Tennessee.
Josh Heupel should have his eyes open for a potential transfer against NC State
Heupel could be in a similar situation when Tennessee plays NC State on September 7.
There's a decent chance that the Vols will need to find a wide receiver in the transfer portal after the 2024 season.
If everything goes to plan for the Vols' offense this fall, it's possible they could lose several key wide receivers (Bru McCoy, Chris Brazzell, Squirrel White, and Dont'e Thornton could all be on their way to the NFL...McCoy will be out of eligibility regardless).
And NC State has a wide receiver that could be of interest to the Vols.
Wolfpack sophomore wide receiver Kevin Concepcion had a huge true freshman season for NC State in 2023, catching 64 passes for 767 yards, and 10 touchdowns.
On Thursday night, in NC State's season-opener against Western Carolina, Concepcion caught nine passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns.
Concepcion would a perfect fit in Tennessee's up-tempo spread offense.
But that's only if he enters the NCAA transfer portal after the season.
Heupel obviously can't tamper with Concepcion. But perhaps seeing the Vols' offense up close will catch Concepcion's eye (especially if Tennessee's wide receivers have a huge day).
By the way, Concepcion was high school teammates with Tennessee star edge rusher James Pearce at Julius L. Chambers in Charlotte. So I'm sure there will be some pregame interactions between Concepcion and the Vols' sideline...
Related: Former Sooners QB Jason White offers strong comments on Josh Heupel's time at Oklahoma and Heupel's exit from Norman
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