Everything Josh Heupel Said About Tennessee Football's Early Signing Day Class

The Tennessee Volunteers have done a great job when it comes to recruiting, and they have signed many of their top targets. They have also made some additions on signing day. Here is what Josh Heupel had to say in his presser.

Heupel's Opening Statement

Nov 29, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

“Good afternoon. This is always a huge day for the future of our program. So excited about the guys that we have signed. I want to thank all of our organization. There’s so many people that go into it. It starts with our personnel department, our coaches, developing relationships, and being out on the road. It takes our administration support, it’s professors on campus, certainly our content team, and everybody who goes into such a pivotal role in the recruiting process. So I want to thank them, but I really should have started with, I want to thank the families, the coaches, and the recruits themselves for entrusting us with their future, their son’s future, one of their players’ futures. The chance that we have an opportunity to play such a vital role in helping them chase their goals and dreams, we want to thank them for all their efforts, but also just entrusting us with them. I think our staff did a great job here in state. From the moment I got here, I said it was important for us to go recruit it the right way. It doesn’t mean that we take every player, but that we recruit it the right way. Able to sign the top defensive player in the state, Joel Wyatt, top offensive lineman in Gabe Osenda. Thought our staff did a great job here inside of the state of Tennessee and the bordering states as well. Again, went into North Carolina, got the top player there. Just really proud of what we did. The ability to add great length athleticism on the defensive side of the ball, I think 13 guys that are public at this point. Hopefully, we’ll have some good news here as the afternoon continues to go on. But adding any lead traits dynamic, playmakers on that side of the football, couldn’t be more excited about what we’ve done there. This afternoon has a chance to trickle in and bring in some more guys. Hopefully, you guys stay tuned, but really excited about what we did in this class.”

Heupel on Legend Bey Flipping Back

“Yeah, Legend on the video, he is dynamic. Special playmaker, ball in his hands. Got a chance to watch him live and in person, too. And he is such a unique tool. His skill set, having played quarterback, the command, the presence that he has back there. Throws the ball really extremely well in person. As a playmaker, man, the ability to be involved out in space, perimeter screen, the ability to go up and high point balls, he’s extremely loose. He’s a guy who can be used in the return game as well. So just a dynamic tool that we have an opportunity to add to the offensive arsenal. Early on, our personnel department, researching Legend Bey, and then Kelsey got a chance to watch him really early in the process. We got on him extremely early, and I think that’s one of the keys of ultimately getting him. Kelsey did a great job developing a relationship with, Legend his family. They had a great experience up here, and through the stretch run right here, we were hoping to get some good news. And Kelsey certainly did a great job of flipping him back.”

Heupel on Faizon Brandon Being the Core of the Class

“First of all, Faizon’s a great player. We had an opportunity to watch him on the basketball court, extremely explosive, great touch, had great presence. And bodies in motion, you see that on the football tape, obviously as well. He’s played at an elite level for a long time. His body continued to develop. He’s got a great mind. He’s extremely quick-minded. You combine all those factors, really excited about having him in the quarterback room and competing next fall. Anytime you’re able to get a quarterback that’s at that level and is made of the right things, he’s able to develop relationships with guys and help attract them. And he certainly did that in this recruiting class, really on both sides of the football.”

Heupel on Getting on Brayden Rouse Early

“A long athlete that is continuing to physically develop. We recognized all the traits are really on in the process. Unbelievable family. Dad's coaching. And his football IQ has continued to grow. Really unique skill set. You look at him playing on the offensive side of the ball, wide receiver, tight end. Physically, he has continued to develop. He’s played on all three levels of the defense as well. And every time that we’re talking to him on a given game week, he’s moving somewhere else. And the structure of it, he’s got great athleticism, change of direction. I think his body’s going to explode when he gets to college and is focused on one sport and in the weight room every single day. Just a high character, highly athletic individual that’s, I think, going to develop into a really special player.”

Heupel on landing Multiple Canada Players

“South Dakota was annexed by Canada a few years back, so it was part of our curriculum in school, actually. Didn’t get much of a laugh on that one. I do think you’ve seen more and more guys come down from Canada, typically to private schools chasing their dreams of, playing American football at this level, and the three guys that you talked about, you think about the road, the journey that they have to be on to ultimately get to this point. There’s so much sacrifice from the families, from the kid moving away from home. I think that in some ways it eases the transition to college for those guys, they’re hungry and desperate to go accomplish their goals and dreams. And at the end of the day, that’s what you need inside of your locker room, inside of your position rooms. All those guys are athletic at their position, have really good traits. And guys that have adjusted and grown inside of the landscape of football really quickly."

Heupel on Guys Like TK Keys Falling In Love With Tennessee

“I think it starts with who we are, our consistency throughout the recruitment. I think it then parleys itself into who we are every single day, into the building with our guys. Because our guys are going to, our recruits are going to find that out from our players. And you put all those factors together, and then our fan base, this campus, but our fan base, the experiences that they have with them that can be at a game, it can be while they’re here, going to a basketball game. It can be a fan who’s at one of their high school games who’s just passionate about Tennessee and knows that the local player is getting recruited by us. But then the game days experiences that they have, they know this is college football at its best and recognize who we are and what we’re about and the continued growth of where we’re going. You put all those factors together, we’ve been able to recruit the right type of player, and the right type of kid here at Rocky Top.”

Heupel on Deciding Factors in Recruiting

“I think it is about all of the things that you just talked about. All the old historical things that were a part of recruiting. When the NIL era began, I don’t know five years ago, whatever it might have been it changed it. I think things have slowed down a little bit. There aren’t as many dramatic changes in the landscape of it. There’s certainly still some things that college football is navigating, but certainly, I think the relationships, who you are, the product that you have, and what they’re going to play and how they’re going to develop is really important.”

Heupel on Kelsey Pope Flipping Keys Earlier in the Cycle

“Kelsey did a great job with him. Our staff did with TK. His family, a dynamic wide receiver, is super loose at the line of scrimmage. Has the ability to stretch it vertically, but he has ball in hand value as well. He has the ability to go attack the football. Dynamic player that is really excited about being here at Tennessee, and we’re excited to have him for sure.”

Heupel on Tyreek King

“Tyreek is another one at the wide receiver position that’s explosive and dynamic. His short area acceleration is really rare and unique. Tyreek, it’s been a long recruitment. I was talking with him last night, and man, two years ago, he came by the hotel on a Friday night when he was off. It feels like it was just yesterday, and it feels like it was a decade ago all at the same time. Tyreek is a great player, great family. Being local, understood what it’s like inside of that stadium. But I think also it’s different for the local kid in that, man, all of his classmates at his high school, all of his extended family, everybody that he’s grown up with, super fans of Tennessee. I think that’s important that you have those guys inside of your locker room because they feel that they live it 365 days out of the year. I can’t wait to get Tyreek here in the late spring and start going to work with him. I think he’s got a great future in front of him.”

Heupel on Finding a Balance Between The Portal and Recruiting

“It’s different this cycle. Just the timing of the portal in general. I think it’s a positive for us. We’ll look at what we signed in this class, what we have coming back, and then attack the portal. How do we continue to grow our roster to be ready to go compete and win a championship?”

Heupel on Needs In the Portal

“I wouldn’t say anything as of right now, but certainly here over the coming days and weeks, we will look hard at that. We’re finishing up exit interviews with our current players now, and then be ready to attack that when it comes.”

Heupel on Flipping Hezekiah Harris Earlier in the Cycle

“Just scratching the surface of what he’s going to be. Super athletic. Long-rangey and can play in space, can rush the passer. Chop (Levorn Harbin) did a great job. Just continuing to be consistent with Hezekiah and his family. They were able to get up here multiple times, had a great official visit. All of his experiences. We got him up in May for our May event. Just super excited to get Hezekiah here. He is just beginning his football journey. I say that in a positive way. Like, when he gets in the weight room consistently and isn’t on the basketball court or running around in the spring, I think his body is going to really take off. Couldn’t be more excited about having him. Coach Chop and our staff are doing a good job with him.”

Heupel on Golesh to Auburn

“Excited for him. Obviously, did a great job here and did a great job at USF. It’ll be like playing Mississippi State where you got one of your former guys on the other sideline. Got a couple of them inside of this league. Excited for both of those guys.”