The Tennessee Vols lost a key recruit to Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes last winter, but the Volunteers could still end up winning the battle.
Last December, after several days of indecision , 2023 five-star offensive lineman Jordan Seaton signed with Colorado over Tennessee.
The Vols did everything right in the battle for Seaton, but they weren't able to overcome the magnetic pull of Coach Prime.
But in this day of NIL deals and the NCAA transfer portal, a recruit's initial commitment is only the beginning of the journey. It's becomingly increasingly common for college football players to finish their careers at a program other than the one they signed with out of high school.
And it seems possible after a recent report from Athlon Sports that Seaton isn't going to finish his college career at Colorado under Sanders.
Athlon Sports reported this week that Seaton was allegedly "bullied" into fighting former Colorado offensive lineman Savion Washington this past April in order to prove his "manhood". According to Athlon Sports, both athletes were left "bloody".
From Athlon Sports : This violence often seemed to come from personal vendettas, but not always. Jordan Seaton, another five-star recruit, was allegedly bullied into "proving his manhood" and picked to fight former CU lineman Savion Washington. In April, the two were said to have exchanged blows, leaving both bloody. Witnesses described it as "two bears scrapping for food."
That sounds like a disastrous culture. And it definitely feels like Sanders is in over his head as a head coach.
And look, there's no doubt that Sanders is one of the greatest competitors in the history of sports. What he was able to do on the field was beyond amazing. He's an NFL Hall of Famer and he could've been an MLB Hall of Famer as well if he had enough time to dedicate to both sports. You can never question the toughness and the elite abilities that Sanders brought to the field and the diamond on any given day.
But when it comes to coaching, I'm not sure it's the best fit for Sanders (which isn't a surprise -- superstars rarely become elite coaches).
Seaton is a future NFL player who should be competing for championships. It's hard to see that happening at Colorado. If the culture is as bad as it sounds in Boulder, it wouldn't be a shock to see Seaton enter the NCAA transfer portal at some point. And if he does, Tennessee would make sense as a potential destination thanks to the job that Josh Heupel and his staff did during Seaton's recruitment -- even when it became apparent that he wasn't going to sign with the Vols.
The relationship that Tennessee built with Seaton could still pay off. And it might be sooner than you think.
Related: Former Tennessee Vols HC Jeremy Pruitt makes honest admission about returning to coach at the high school level
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