Tennessee Recruiting – Defensive Overview and Update on the 2025 Recruiting Class

The recruiting class of 2025 is approaching a final date of December 4, 2024. The nation’s top prospect will have signed their National Letter of Intent and will no longer be “available.” This means that for most programs, there is still a lot of recruiting work to do before the final horn sounds.

Luckily for the Tennessee Volunteers, it’s mid-July and they’ve already done a lot of their trail work and still have some good news coming up, you’d think. Let’s take a look at the class and give a bit of an update.

Defense Line/Edge

Tennessee’s defensive line class is already quite loaded. Mariyon Dye and Ethan Utley are both very solid commits who are top 150 picks, and Charles House only adds to the talent in that room. The line of scrimmage needs to be a priority in the SEC to be successful, and Tennessee has definitely checked that box this recruiting cycle. Jayden Loftin on the edge was another great addition to the Volunteers, and looking at what James Pearce Jr. has done during his time in Knoxville, Volunteer fans can get excited about any edge rusher.

Line defender

The Volunteers got a much-needed commitment at the position on Saturday when Christian Gass announced his commitment to Tennessee. This was a big one too, as Georgia felt like the leader and likely winner of the race, but the Volunteers did their work in the final stretch to get their first linebacker commitment. He’s an 11.55 100-yard dasher, and stealing a linebacker from the Bulldogs probably means you’ve got a good one, given their track record at the position. It also sounds like the Volunteers might steal another linebacker from Georgia’s commitment list, and with Loganza Hayward still waiting to make his decision, the Volunteers could have a home run class this cycle.

Corner defender

Another position that Tennessee has really solidified. Tre Poteat, Tyler Redmond, and Dylan Lewis are already in the class, and Redmond and Lewis have been committed for a while. Poteat’s father has a background in the NFL, as he was a third round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Redmond plays at the highest level of high school football in the state of Georgia at Milton, and Lewis plays alongside Redmond at Milton. A good solid class that Tennessee can hang their hat on.

Safety

There’s only one name in this group right now, but it’s one that could have a lot of potential at the college level. Sidney Walton had a wingspan of 6-foot-5 and has a frame that could use some extra weight when he graduates. He might not be the prospect to last four quarters with a team’s best wide receiver, but he’ll have no problem dealing with tight ends and bigger receivers at the next level.

Tennessee’s 2025 recruiting class:

The Vols are still dealing with a logistical nightmare left over from the Jeremy Pruitt era in Knoxville. The NCAA demanded scholarship cuts during the trial period. I thought the Vols had already been given 12 points before the sanctions were even imposed.

Other news from Tennessee:

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