With the 2020 recruiting cycle more or less wrapped up for Tennessee — with the exception of five-star running back Zach Evans — it’s time to focus attention on the Vols’ recruiting efforts in the 2021 cycle. Unlike in the last few classes, UT doesn’t have a lot of glaring needs to where they have more holes than available spots in the class. This time, unlike in the 2019 and 2020 classes, Tennessee can actually work towards building depth rather than needing a lot of immediate contributors.
That’s not to say the Vols aren’t targeting elite prospects in this cycle, though. In fact, Tennessee is really aiming high when it comes to five-and-four-star talent in the 2021 class.
The Vols should have an almost full allotment of 25 scholarships to play with in the 2021 cycle. At worst, they’ll have 24 spots available, meaning this could be the biggest class Jeremy Pruitt and his staff have been able to bring in at Tennessee.
Right now, Tennessee is targeting a few prospects inside their own state borders, but the crop of talent in the state of Tennessee isn’t quite as strong overall in the 2021 cycle as it was in the 2020 class. Because of that, the Vols are hitting North Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia harder in this cycle. California is also getting some more attention from UT, as is Florida.
Tennessee may not have as many huge holes to fill in this class as in previous ones, but they definitely still have some needs to address. The way UT’s recruiting board looks right now is undoubtedly different than how it will look in the fall after coaches get to evaluate prospects in person at camps and get to see how other players develop in their senior years. But for now, we’ve compiled a list of Tennessee’s likely top targets on both offense and defense.
Here’s a look at who is likely at the top of Tennessee’s recruiting board for the 2021 recruiting cycle with the February dead period coming to a close soon.
All rankings via the 247Sports Composite rankings unless otherwise noted
