Tennessee Vols have another potential superstar on the roster and it's already evident at fall camp

Tennessee Vols true freshman edge rusher Jordan Ross hasn't played a snap of college football yet, but he already looks like UT's next defensive superstar.

Ross, a former five-star recruit from Alabama who signed with Tennessee during the 2024 recruiting cycle, didn't enroll at UT until June, but that hasn't stopped him from making some serious physical gains.

The true freshman is listed at 6-foot-5/245 lbs and he looks every bit of it. In fact, he looks like he could take the field in a key SEC matchup right now in late July.

The physical gains that Ross has made since high school haven't gone unnoticed by the coaching staff, either.

"We are super excited about Jordan," said Vols defensive coordinator Tim Banks earlier this week. "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."

"It is nothing to walk through the football building to see him somewhere watching tape," added Banks. "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."

Tennessee is in a good spot when it comes to the defensive line/pass rush. Thanks to guys like James Pearce, Joshua Josephs, and Caleb Herring, the Vols don't need to force Ross into action early in his career.

Still, if Ross if able to contribute as a true freshman, it will only serve to improve Tennessee's depth. And that depth, while not sexy, is the biggest reason that programs like Michigan and Georgia are still able to dominate late into the season. And Tennessee is rapidly building similar depth as those programs.

Everything that needs to happen for Tennessee to become an elite program is slowly happening under Josh Heupel. The ceiling is high for the Vols' football program moving forward.

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