Tennessee is hoping to contend for the SEC title and a spot in the College Football Playoff this season following a 9-4 campaign in 2023. The Vols have already begun winter workouts and will begin spring practices in March. Head coach Josh Heupel has made two hires to bolster his staff this offseason, including former Cincinnati running backs coach De’Rail Sims and former Washington co-defensive coordinator William Inge. Sims was hired to be Tennessee’s running backs coach, while Inge is taking over as the linebackers coach.
The new staff will be tasked with hitting the Tennessee football recruiting trail to build upcoming classes after the Vols had the No. 11 class nationally for 2024 in the 247Sports rankings. They currently occupy the same ranking for the 2025 class, with a pair of four-stars and four three-star players in their class. If you want to see the latest Tennessee recruiting news, you should join GoVols247, the 247Sports affiliate that covers the Tennessee Vols.
The GoVols247 team of Patrick Brown, Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Ben McKee have decades of experience covering the Vols. Callahan has a history of breaking massive recruiting news, while Brown, Rucker and McKee are locked in on all the latest team news. Hundreds of thousands of Tennessee fans follow them on social media and their Tennessee coverage is read by millions. They’ll keep you locked in on everything happening in Tennessee athletics and provide you with premium updates you won’t find anywhere else. It’s all available at your fingertips on any device here.
The team at GoVols247 has extensive coverage of Tennessee’s recruiting efforts, including information about a pair of four-star players who are being recruited by Heupel’s staff. Head to GoVols247 and join now to see who they are and how they could change the face of Tennessee football.
Josh Heupel Tennessee recruiting updates
One player from the 2025 class that Heupel’s staff is targeting in is four-star linebacker Dante McClellan. Tennessee is one of the top schools in the mix for McClellan, who plays for McKinley High School in Canton, Ohio. He announced his top eight college choices on his social media accounts, with Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Minnesota and Rutgers joining the Vols.
McClellan was offered by Tennessee last August and he traveled to Knoxville in October for the Vols’ game against Texas A&M. He is the No. 273 overall player in the 247Sports Composite, and he is the No. 31 linebacker in the 2025 class. McClellan has visited several other schools on his list, and he has already revealed when he plans to announce his commitment. Join GoVols247 for the latest on McClellan’s recruitment.
Another player that Tennessee’s staff is interested in for 2025 is three-star defensive back Sidney Walton. Tennessee has already hosted Walton for multiple visits, beginning with the Vols’ home opener against Austin Peay last season. He returned for games against Texas A&M in October and Georgia in November before attending junior day earlier this month.
Walton is the No. 61 safety in the 2025 class and the No. 35 junior from Alabama. He has received offers from at least 14 schools, including Kentucky, Arkansas and Missouri. The Vols and Wildcats have been recruiting him the longest among SEC programs, but he also has plans to visit another team’s junior day within the conference. Join GoVols247 to read the latest VIP article regarding Walton’s travel plans.
Former Michigan commit Chris Ewald, a four-star cornerback in the 2025 class, is planning to visit Tennessee again this spring. Ewald initially committed to Michigan at the end of 2022 and was part of the Wolverines’ class for more than a year. He reopened his recruitment in January of 2024 due to uncertainty around the future of head coach Jim Harbaugh, who wound up leaving for the NFL.
Ewald was offered by Tennessee in January of 2023 and made his first visit to Knoxville last June. He is planning to visit multiple schools this spring, including Rocky Top in April. Ewald is the No. 93 overall prospect in the 2025 class and is the No. 12 junior from Florida, according to the 247Sports Composite, and he has received offers from more than 30 schools. See more about Ewald’s spring travel schedule here.
Other recent highlights include a four-star linebacker from Georgia planning to visit Knoxville, a game-changing edge-rusher who loves everything about the Volunteers, and a four-star receiver who is about to make his final call.
How to get Tennessee 247Sports updates
The Vols are also pursuing a four-star wide receiver for the 2025 cycle, who has narrowed his focus to two SEC schools. Join GoVols247 to see who it is and get all the latest Tennessee football news.
Who are the top players for 2025 that Tennessee’s coaching staff is targeting right now, and which four-star wide receiver could change the game? Join GoVols247 to see all the latest Tennessee recruiting news, all from a team of reporters with decades of experience covering the Vols, and find out.
