Vols a Hot Topic For Nation's Elite Prospects at Las Vegas OT7

Las Vegas, Nevada- The Overtime Seven has brought a collection of the nation's top to Las Vegas to compete in a multi-day 7v7 tournament. The heat from the desert was sweltering last night, with temperatures near 100 well past midnight for these prospects. Multiple Tennessee prospects are in attendance, and the Vols have plenty of recruiting heat coming out of the event. Below is what Volunteer Country gathered on day two of the event.

Nico Iamaleava

It all starts with the elite signal-caller. He is leading multiple peer recruiting efforts for the Vols, and he has a high success rate currently. But let's start with his play on the field. Iamaleava did not participate in night one on Thursday, but he delivered in his first outings on Saturday. The loading event brought four of the nation's top signal-callers, and Iamaleave simply outdueled Malachi Nelson and Jaden Rashada on Friday night. Both guys were more than efficient throughout the event, but in head-to-head competition, Iameleava was lights out against them. He did not miss. His stock is already high, but he raised it even more on a national level on Friday night.

Elsewhere on the recruiting front, Iamaleava is a captivating prospect for other recruits across multiple classes. His 7v7 team, Team Toa, features multiple top Tennessee prospects, such as John Slaughter, Rico Walker, and Tausili Akana, and they are all there for one reason, to play with Iamaleava. What the touted quarterback brings on the field is special, but what he does on the recruiting trail could help bring an elite class to Rocky Top in 2023.

Ethan Davis

The long-time Tennessee commitment was in attendance and wowed yet again on day two. And, according to a source in attendance, Davis was arguably the best pass-catcher on day one also. In speaking with him, he remains "locked-in" with the Vols, and it's due to his trust in Alex Golesh, the appeal of playing with Nico, and what the Vols' offense can offer him as a player. He admitted Ole Miss never quit coming after him during the process, but he has closed that out of his mind and is set to take only one official visit, which will be with Tennessee later this month. His most recent visit in May was key for the Vols, as Davis was quickly able to rekindle on connections that he had not been able to experience in person for several months.

Ryan Wingo

The nation's top 2024 wide receiver is as advertised. Very smooth pass-catcher with a large catch radius. His most recent visit was to Tennessee, and the Vols showed well. He likes what he saw from Kelsey Pope and how the offense could fit his skillset. He also paid close attention to Iamaleava during day two and raved about him as a quarterback. There is a long way to go in this recruitment, but he expects Tennessee to be a team he gives a lot of consideration along the way.

Carnell Tate

The elite wide receiver has all of the buzz around his name in Vegas, currently. With a commitment video that could drop at any time, everyone wants to know where Carnell Tate is going. On Thursday, Tate said there were three teams he was considering. On Friday, there were four. At the end of the day, the feel is that there are only two—Tennessee and Ohio State. The Vols have had the momentum in this recruitment for a while, and if they win, getting him back to campus unofficially in May will be a huge reason why. Ohio State has made this close down the stretch as Brian Hartline refuses to go away. Tate is tough to read and does not want to say much at this point. However, he insists that the video will drop as soon as he gets it edited and that he has his mind set on the school he is choosing. No more official visits are planned after his commitment.

Rico Walker

The highly touted edge prospect did not play a ton of defense on Friday night. Instead, he caught passes from Iamaleava. Walker's twitter handle reads, "6'4" Specimen," and it holds true. He has a well-developed frame and can move. He currently weighs in at 225lbs. He was recently at Tennessee and Auburn, and it should be noted that he is an Auburn legacy. However, that is likely working more in Tennessee's favor because the coach that recruited his father to the Plains is currently recruiting the younger Walker to Rocky Top. Walker says Rodney Garner is like "an uncle" to him, and there is an immense amount of trust there. Several schools remain involved in this one, and Walker does not plan to make a decision until after the season, but the Vols are in great shape here currently. Home-state North Carolina is likely Tennessee's primary competition in this recruitment. Walker will be back to Tennessee for an official visit during the season.

John Slaughter

First time getting to see Slaughter work in person. He is an underrated safety prospect. He is a long, rangy safety that closes well and has nice ball skills. Pretty easy to see why Tennessee covets him. He is still back and forth between decision timelines. Still, he is set to return to Tennessee for an official visit at the end of the month, which will allow the Vols to attempt to stymie any momentum Ole Miss tried to gain during a recent unofficial visit to Oxford. Tennessee sets up well in this recruitment, especially if Slaughter decides sooner rather than later. But Florida State and Ole Miss are both working hard in this one as well, so we will see where Slaughter's timeline ends up at.

Tausili Akana

The linebacker from Utah will likely end up with his hand in the dirt at the college level, but he did look comfortable playing in space at times on Friday night. He is fresh off a multi-visit tour, which featured nearly ten stops in as many days. Tennessee got a visit, and they are now expected to get an official visit later on. He is not rushing towards a decision and there are no clear favorites in this one. He is close with Iamaleava, so the Vols have that working in their favor. He really enjoyed his most recent trip to Knoxville as well.

Jordan Anderson

The slot receiver from California gets better every time I see him. He is Iamaleava's favorite target and best friend, and the Vols are in a good spot in his early recruitment. He loves the idea of coming to the south and teaming back up with Nico, and he is a silky smooth wide receiver prospect with a high ceiling. He is very dangerous across the middle, and the chemistry with Iamaleava is off the charts.