Tennessee football has produced plenty of news the past three weeks, from the firing of Jeremy Pruitt to the hiring of Josh Heupel with multiple NCAA transfer portal decisions sprinkled in as well.
Wednesday, however, could be unusually quiet.
The first Wednesday in February is the traditional signing period for college football recruits, but the early signing window in December has punted tradition out the door. There has been minimal buzz on the recruiting front this week in Knoxville, with Tennessee having landed 20 signees during the early period and with most of the current curiosity surrounding the assistant coaches that Heupel has to announce.
“Last year, Tennessee only added a couple guys on national signing day, and that’s kind of become more of the norm,” said Ryan Callahan, who covers Vols recruiting for 247Sports.com. “This year, even with Tennessee’s former staff, there wasn’t the plan to sign maybe anybody on Wednesday. There is an eye on the transfer portal, and some schools are saving spots because of that.
“This was supposed to be the make or break year for Jeremy Pruitt, and the plan was for them to take some transfers, which they already have with Virginia Tech quarterback Hendon Hooker. With the timing of this new staff, it’s tough to jump in on guys you haven’t been recruiting.”