A Look At Tennessee's Group of Preferred Walk-Ons, Why They Are Important

Each year Division 1 college football programs across the country offer prospective student-athletes the opportunity to come to their program as preferred walk-ons. Time and again, these student-athletes take advantage of the opportunity to go to Power Five schools over offers from lower-tier schools, and they end up succeeding in the end. 

This past season, Stetson Bennett, a preferred walk-on at Georgia, now on scholarship, led the Bulldogs to their first national title in over 40 years. Baker Mayfield walked on two times at Texas Tech and Oklahoma and went on to become a Heisman Trophy winner and No.1 overall NFL Draft pick. Other notable walks that went on to be a star in the NFL include J.J. Watt, Hunter Renfrow, and Clay Matthews, among others. 

Tennessee is arguably set to bring in the best group of preferred walk-ons in the country coming out of the 2022 cycle through the diligence of multiple off-field recruiting staffers such as Scott Altizer, Charlie High, Trey Johnson, and numerous others. The off-field trio of Altizer, High, and Johnson all have extensive ties to the state and surrounding areas and were an integral part of bringing in the talented group of preferred walk-ons. 

 So what does this mean, and why does it matter for the Vols?

It means that Tennessee is bringing in a group of student-athletes who are coming to campus with hopes of eventually earning a scholarship spot on the roster, all while doing it on their own dime essentially. While in-state recruits will benefit from in-state tuition and scholarships, they still have to pay their way on everything else. 

If these players aren't good enough to come to Knoxville on scholarship, then they don't matter to this team, right? Wrong. Let's take a look at why. 

Even if a preferred walk-on is not going to make an immediate impact on game days, their presence Monday through Friday will be significant to Tennessee. 

These preferred walk-ons will earn their stripes by showing out on the scout team and helping the starters prepare week in and week out for their upcoming competition. So the better your preferred walk-ons are, the better your team is going to be able to prepare during the week.

Now, let's take a look at the preferred walk-on Tennessee brought in for this cycle.

 Navy Shuler (App State Transfer)- Shuler opted to leave Appalachian State, where he was on scholarship to come to Tennessee as a preferred walk-on. Much like Bennett, Shuler is a smaller, versatile quarterback that can offer the defense a variety of different looks on the scout team and could prove to be invaluable. 

Charlie Browder (UCF Transfer)- The 6'7", 265lbs tight end is a native of Kingsport (Tenn.), and he left Orlando to come home and reunite with Josh Heupel and Alex Golesh. Tennessee will only face one other tight end with a stature similar to Browder's this fall, in Darnell Washington of Georgia, so his ability to make defenses strain during practice and likely finding a role in the offense on Saturdays because of his stature alone will be a welcomed addition. 

Jackson Hannah (Nebraska Transfer)- After two years in Lincoln, the once-coveted linebacker recruit returns home to the Volunteer state. He has the potential to crack the rotation, given Tennessee's depth at linebacker and his talent. Still, he will be a vital piece on the scout team if not, as he is a high IQ football player who will ensure the scout team is doing what it needs to give the offense a proper look. 

Camron Douglas (2022 Recruit)- Measuring in at 6'2, 305lbs, Douglas is a solid prospect on the hoof. He chose to be a preferred walk-on at Tennessee over offers from Illinois, Arkansas State, Memphis, Middle Tennessee State and Vanderbilt, among several others. This is a prospect who had numerous opportunities to play on a Division 1 scholarship that is staying home to play at Tennessee with hopes of eventually earning a scholarship. 

Shannon Blair (2022 recruit)- Blair was the victim of a knee injury that cost him the majority of his senior season, but despite that, he still had Division 1 interest. The local standout athlete from Knoxville West, who can play on both sides of the ball at a skill position, was committed to Michigan State for months and also held other offers from Liberty, Akron, Virginia, Wake Forest, Purdue and Memphis, but he is choosing to stay home to try and earn a scholarship at Tennessee. 

Jamar Price (2022 recruit)- Price is another gem for Tennessee in this category. The Providence (N.C.) recruit will not receive in-state benefits, but he is still coming to Knoxville in hopes of earning a scholarship. He signed with Air Force as a running back in December, but due to an issue with eczema, he was disqualified from going to a service academy, so he is now headed to Knoxville as a quality body to join Jerry Mack's running back group. 

These are just six examples of players choosing to walk-on at Tennessee over Division 1 offers. Below is the full list that has made announcements. 

RB Hunter Barnes (2022 Recruit)- Chose Tennessee over Arkansas and Memphis

LS Brady Bennett (2022 Recruit)- Chose Tennessee over Memphis

ATH Derek Taylor (2022 Recruit)- Chose Tennessee over Marshall and Michigan State

DL Joshua Helsdon (2022 recruit)- Chose Tennessee over Austin Peay

ATH Malik Ganaway (2022 recruit)- Chose Tennessee over Alabama A&M

OL Connor Meadows (2022 recruit)- Chose Tennessee over UT-Martin

TE Titus Rohrer (2022 recruit)