Top Defender Nolen, Elite QBs Headline Massive Visit Weekend for Vols
Tennessee will host No.13 Ole Miss on Saturday night at 7:30 pm ET under the lights at Neyland Stadium. The Vols will don orange on orange uniforms, the first sellout crowd since 2017 will checker the stadium, and multiple recruiting targets will be in attendance. We take a look at the list here.
The headliner for the event is 2022 defensive tackle, Walter Nolen. Nolen is the No.2 overall prospect in the nation, according to Sports Illustrated All-American. The visit with the Volunteers comes on the heels of an important official visit to Texas A&M, which is the primary competition for his services. Elsewhere in the 2022 class, Tennessee will host several of its current commitments including, QB Tayven Jackson, RB Dylan Sampson, WR Cameron Miller, WR Chas Nimrod, OL Maurice Clipper, DL Venson Sneed, OL Masai Reddick, and LB Elijah Herring. Currently, these are the only prospects confirmed in the 2022 class, as Tennessee continues to target other potential targets in the junior college ranks, which makes it difficult for them to make it in on weekends given their own games. Liberty commitment Christian Harrison could return to Knoxville for the second straight weekend after picking up an offer following last weekend's visit, but he has not confirmed this yet.
In the 2023 class, the list is numerous, with guys the Vols have extended early offers too. However, elite quarterback prospect Nicholaus Iamaleava out of California joins coveted in-state prospects Brycen Sanders (OL), Marcel Reed (QB), Caleb Herring (Edge), and current commitment Jack Luttrell as headliners for the class. Each one of these guys could be viewed as the Vols top priority for 2023, with Herring being especially important given his explosiveness off the edge and relationship with other in-state recruits.
Tennessee will also host highly sought-after in-state offensive linemen Joe Crocker, Luke Brown, Ayden Bussell, Lance Williams, Tyler Jeffries, and Cal Grubbs for the event. The Vols have yet to offer Jeffries or Grubbs, but they have shown them a lot of attention of late.
A trio of impressive receivers in the class will join the group, with Powell's Ayden Greene and Adarius Redmond coming over, while Ensworth's Shamar Porter will make the trip from Nashville. Staying in the skill positions, West Tennessee athlete Marquez Taylor is set to return to Knoxville for the first time since camping with Tennessee over the summer, while prized running back DeSean Bishop of Karns is also expected to be in attendance. Tennessee has shown a lot of attention to all of these guys since being able to initiate contact in September. 2023 Powell quarterback Jordyn Potts will also be in attendance.
A pair of stars from national powerhouse Collins Hill in Georgia will make the trip up, as tight end Ethan Davis and defensive back Jayden Davis will be in attendance.
The Vols will also host several of the nation's top underclassmen for the game. Catawba Ridge (S.C.) quarterback Jadyn Davis, the top player in 2024, and easily one of the top signal-callers in all of America, regardless of class, is returning for the second time since receiving an offer. Joining Davis in the 2024 class is Sammy Brown of Jefferson (Ga), one of the most sought-after athlete prospects in America, who has an elite ceiling as a linebacker or running back, and he is close friends with current commitment Jack Luttrell.
Tennessee will also host 2024 standout Boo Carter out of Chattanooga, 2025 Athlete Cameron Sparks out of Chattanooga, and 2025 prospect Warren Nolen out of nearby Powell, all of which have various offers, including Tennessee. 2024 tight end Tayvion Galloway out of Ohio will be in attendance, and he is a young, rising star at the position. The Vols have yet to offer, but this face-to-face visit will allow an opportunity for them to get to know Galloway more.
This is by far one of the biggest visitors list in a long-time at Tennessee, and it is expected to keep growing ahead of Saturday.
