Vols expect big things from ‘mature’ and ‘explosive’ freshmen class

Tennessee welcomed 12 freshmen as early enrollees back in January. Two more joined the fray in March as mid-semester call ups. The Vols added six other scholarship freshmen in June , along with junior college transfer Jamal Wallace , for summer workouts and classes.

All 21 members of the 2024 Tennessee signing class are present and accounted for entering fall camp, which holds the first practice Wednesday morning. Several have already got a taste of the action with spring practice while the others hit the ground running in the summer conditioning and weigh training program.

There’s still a lot to be learned about this group, but one thing already been made abundantly clear by the head football coach.

“Certainly, [this is] the most mature group of high school kids that we’ve had inside of our program. I think that stems from us being intentional further along in the recruiting process as coaches, recruiting to our culture, knowing what we’re bringing in,” Heupel said during Tuesday’s Media Day . “I think it also stems from the leadership inside of our locker room, being able to grab those guys and make sure they understand the standards of what it means to be a Tennessee football player.”

Most first-year players don’t see a significant role right away on Saturdays. It’s part of the process, after all, to come in and learn, grow in the knowledge of the game while the bodies have a chance to catch up with a collegiate strength and conditioning program.

Still, some are expected to make considerable contributions right away. In-state phenom Boo Carter is a clear example.

“Boo is great energy all the time. He is a guy that is always 100 miles per hour,” defensive coordinator Tim Banks said. “I think as he continues to grow in our program, he will continue to get a little bit more mature. We definitely like what he brings from a football perspective. He is a kid that works hard and wants to do well. He has shown some maturity, but I think you will see more once he gets his feet wet a little bit.”

The former four-star is expected to compete for snaps in the defensive backfield at the STAR position and should get a good look in the return game right away. If Carter is able to come on in a hurry over fall camp, that creates some serious depth at the safety position as well – where projected nickelback starter Jourdan Thomas has experience as well.

Speaking of depth, Tennessee’s wide receiver group is as deep as it has ever been under Josh Heupel and second-year offensive coordinator Joey Halzle . Thanks to several veterans – such as Bru McCoy , Squirrel White , Chas Nimrod and Kaleb Webb – coupled with transfer portal wins of Dont’e Thornton and Chris Brazzell the past two cycles – there’s not a whole lot of snaps left up for grabs.

That, however, didn’t stop the dynamic receiver duo of former five-star Mike Matthews and four-star Braylon Staley from exploding out of the gates this past spring, pushing for playing time right away.

“Two guys that can mentally handle it right from the beginning. Didn’t see a bunch of busts from those guys when they took the field in spring,” Halzle said of the pair. “Really excited about that, that they can just go out there and actually operate. Because that’s what keeps most freshmen off the field. It’s usually not talent… They got a chance to come in and keep pushing this thing, which is why I think everyone kept talking about how good the wide receiver room looked this spring and it did.”

Wednesday will be the next opportunity to see those newcomers who got their toes wet in the spring. It will also serve as the first chance to see the summer arrivals in a true practice setting. Of the seven signees from the Class of 2024 who arrived in June, none comes with more anticipation than former five-star Jordan Ross .

“We are super excited about Jordan. The biggest thing, to be honest with you, is his size. You see those guys during the recruiting process, and I think our strength program has done a tremendous job of getting him stronger and getting him leaner. I just love his size,” Banks said of the pass-rusher. “I know he is a kid who wants to be great, and his work ethic aligns with that. We are excited for him. I think, again, as he continues to power through the playbook and take what he is learning from the playbook and apply it on the field, I think he has a chance to impact this program and help us in some way.”

Wednesday marks the official start to the 2024 season for the Tennessee Volunteers. The expectations remain high with plenty of explosive, play-making ability on the offensive side of the football and an abundance of experience across the defensive front-seven. And just because the norm in college football is for freshmen to come in and wait their turn, that won’t shy any of these guys away from competition.

It’s all about the process.

“All of your young players – everybody inside your building – has got an opportunity when we get on the field tomorrow to be a dramatically different player from where they were when they finished spring ball,” Heupel concluded. “And that happens through how intentional you are during the summer. Continue to grow in understanding, change your bodies, but then the understanding of our schemes as well. So, we get out there tomorrow, expect us to be much further individually and collectively. And in particular, those new guys that showed up in January.”

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