New Tennessee NCAA college football coach Josh Heupel speaks during an introductory press conference at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, Wednesday, January 27, 2021. (Caitie McLekin / Knoxville News Sentinel via AP, Pool )
Tennessee Heupel Football
If there is one thing we can say, it is that Tennessee football did not end National Signing Day in 2021 with the same energy that the class had last summer. Season 3-7, the investigation and eventual dismissal of Jeremy Pruitt and the surprise hiring of Josh Heupel would all take their toll. A wave of disengagement came naturally from all of this.
Considering all these problems, it is safe to say that UT’s National Signing Day for 2021 could have been much worse. In fact, given how it all ended on paper, the Vols at least have one floor below their program in Heupel’s first year.
Not everything was perfect. Losing Roc Taylor after withdrawing an offer created some drama earlier this week. However, things went well after that. Let’s dive into what’s good and bad in the program related to your recruiting class. These details will make things look more positive. Here are our top five stories from Tennessee’s National Football Signature Day.
5. An unsigned player
VolQuest is still showing the defensive back De’Shawn Rucker and wide receiver Andison Coby without a contract. However, Rucker is listed as a member of the Vols subscription class on UTSports, and he is listed as a subscriber on 247Sports, so he appears to be signed.
Coby, however, is a different story. January 23 appointment, he is listed as a subscriber to 247Sports, but not yet listed as a subscriber to ESPN or VolQuest. UTSports has not named him on the list either. Taking all this into account, it seems that Coby has not yet been signed.
For what it’s worth, ESPN lists Auburn Tigers Markaviest “Big Kat” Bryant’s final defensive transfer as an unsigned commitment too, but given the fact that he deleted his commitment tweet after Tennessee football fired Jeremy Pruitt, we’re leaving out of it recruiting history completely. Nobody knows anything about him, and he is not a college or college candidate.