War Room: Recruiting, transfer portal notes, stadium news, and much more

We begin this edition of the War Room as we always do. The War Room is a collective effort of Tennessee notes and news gathered throughout the week by the Volquest staff. And now, it’s on with the news.

Tennessee as they have in the Josh Heupel era, found their way to the baseball field on Monday, to officially end spring ball with a little fun game action. It’s a yearly evening following the Orange and White game. Some of the Vols are in Nashville for a gathering with business leaders as a part of the players’ leadership development. On Sunday many of the Vols will spend much of the day in Gatlinburg hanging out taking in sights and sounds. That’s something they have done every spring as well whether it’s a trip to Gatlinburg or Dollywood. 

The Vols leave spring feeling pretty good about the direction of things with the 2024 team. In some spots there is real depth. Like all teams they are thin in a couple of spots but overall it’s pretty clear there’s a lot to like about this team. Offensively, Nico Iamaleava had a really nice spring and has a lot of weapons to work with which is why Heupel called it the deepest receiver room they have had. There is plenty to like about that group.

‘I love the competitiveness of that group,” Heupel said. “They’ve made plays. Fundamentally they’re getting so much better. Releases, (when) the ball (is) not in their hands, how they’re blocking, understanding how to stem and work second-, third-level defenders. It’s been been really good to see how they’ve grown and a lot left out there for them.” 

While there is plenty of excitement in a lot of areas with the team and coaches are hitting the recruiting trail, plenty of focus remains on the transfer portal. Will anyone leave? Will Tennessee pursue anyone? 

Elijah Herring has declared he is going in the portal. But to this point that’s been it and frankly on the national scale, portal movement this week has been somewhat slow. It’s almost a given that the Vols will have someone else go in the portal, but it’s pretty clear no one is rushing out of the program. 

As for bringing someone in, Heupel obviously didn’t close the door on it but noted chemistry and how the transfer fits in takes on a different level of importance in this portal cycle.  

“I think the culture piece is extremely important in particular at this time of the year ’cause there’s not a lot of time with them before you get to training camp,” Heupel said. “So it’s gotta be mature guys that you’re bringing into your program, too.”

So we will see what happens over the next 11 days. The biggest question is what will they do at running back, if anything? Peyton Lewis should be full speed when fall camp opens, so how quickly can he get up to speed and be able to play. 

Cam Seldon won’t be available until mid-September. We don’t expect them to take a guy just to take a guy and it seems pretty clear that Dylan Sampson is RB1 for this team.

The good news for the current team is that outside of Seldon they came through spring with no significant injuries that should slow down anyone’s development over the summer. 

We noted in the Neyland Stadium facility update on Thursday that Gate Four is being completely re-done. It will be much different than it has looked as the south end zone is changing weekly with the erection of more steel and expanded width of the concourse. 

There are no events schedule from now until the season opener against Chattanooga, which by the way we are told will be on Saturday, so there will be no interruptions in work.

There had been some chatter of possibly moving the game to different day like the previous Thursday but it’s going to remain on Saturday. So with nothing scheduled, it is on with work in the north end zone upper concourse, the facade around the scissor ramp in the southwest corner area near gate 14 and obviously all the work in the south end. 

Here’s a rendering of what the area near gate 14 will look like. The elevator shafts will be bricked. There will be an area to the right of gate four which will be for the visiting buses and equipment truck. It will also be an off loading area for the commissary for food prep which will be in the south end. 

New signage is going up at Thompson Boling arena as a part of the agreement with Food City for the naming rights. 

On the Lady Vol hoops front, Kim Caldwell has her staff in place with a blend of SEC experience and her key staffers from Marshall. Now it’s about the transfer portal and assembling a roster that can handle Caldwell’s style, something she went through this time a year ago at Marshall.

“It helps tremendously,” Caldwell said. “I have done it. I know this storm is going to pass. I know the sense of urgency we are in right now to get a great staff and great players. I also know that you have to be selective. Just because it moves quick doesn’t mean you need to take someone that’s not right for your program. Having done it less than a year ago might be my biggest advantage right now because I know the timeline.” 

Caldwell and her staff will host potential transfers throughout the week and weekend. Meanwhile AD Danny continues to gush about his hire. 

“Kim is a star,” White said Saturday in a Vol Network interview. “We have a superstar. I’m really excited. I think she is the most talented up and coming coach in the country. She’s going to be great for us.”

RECRUITING:

Tennessee picked up its 8th commitment for the 2025 class on Thursday when Sidney Walton jumped in the boat. Walton’s junior tape really caught the eye of the staff and they went to work to get him in the boat before he truly blows up. The Vols like him at safety and that’s where he projects at the next level. 

So where does Tennessee go from here? It definitely feels like Radarius Jackson is close to a decision as he remains on his ‘visit high’ from his trip to Tennessee two weeks back. Kelsey Pope and Josh Heupel have spent a ton of time working on him and he is uber important to this staff as they have him extremely high on the board. 

Las Vegas offensive lineman Douglas Utu continues to talk with the Vols after his visit two weeks back. He is more of an interior lineman and the Vols have shifted to recruiting him as such. 

Tennessee seems to have a nice hit rate on kids who have made it to the 865Live event on Memorial Day weekend followed by a June official visit. It will be interesting to see who makes it to town at the end of May that is subsequently set up to be back on campus the next month. Would Jaime French or David Sanders be back then? It’s certainly possible and something Tennessee is pushing to have happen.

Tennessee has looked north for several defensive line prospects in this cycle. Ohio product Brandon Caesar was just in town. Indiana product Mariyon Dye was as well and Tennessee is working on trying to become more of a factor for Damion Shanklin. Then over in Illinois there is Nate Marshall, who the Vols want to get back into town as quick as possible.

Elite 2026 quarterback Faizon Brandon is nearing a list cut ahead of his junior season, and it is safe to say the Vols will be featured there and in this recruitment for the duration. Brandon is well aware George MacIntrye sits in the class ahead of him, but that hasn’t dissuaded his interest in Josh Heupel’s program. He sees a clear fit for his skill set and the relationship with the staff on Rocky Top is his best. Coming out of busy spring for the 2026 signal-caller, Tennessee has positioned themselves well. 

Since he visited earlier this month, in-state RB Shekai Mills-Knight has continued to like what he has heard from the staff at Tennessee. He has locked in a June 14th official visit to Knoxville, as his recruitment continues to pick up steam. Miami, Auburn, and several others are heavy in this one right now as well. 

More schools continue to work hard after Shaedy Hayward but the Vols’ early interest, consistent pursuit and his relationship with the staff continues to outweigh everything else coming out of the spring. He continues to publicly relay that the Vols are his top choice, and this has been the case for some time. Florida State is likely second in this recruitment right now, and the Seminoles continue to swing hard here. 

Charles House has set a commitment date for June 22nd which is roughly a week after he officially visits Tennessee. The only other visit scheduled for that month is to Georgia, the week before he comes to Knoxville.  We do not believe there will be room for another visit after Tennessee, as the family has a scheduled vacation, so this one continues to feel like a battle between the two SEC East programs with the Vols having the slightest of edges coming out of the spring. 

Ohio Defensive Back Trey McNutt continues to hear from Tennessee routinely, and tells us this week the Vols are recruiting him as hard as anyone in the mix for his services. He also says Tennessee will get an official visit from him. He is weighing the option of coming to town in June vs coming for a game day as he wants to see the atmosphere around Neyland Stadium. He has hit it off with Willie Martinez and Tim Banks both, and obviously, he will be a tough pull from the Midwest, but Tennessee continues to be actively involved in this one.

Hoops

Portal season is in full swing and Tennessee is at the plate taking its cuts.

The Vols picked up a potentially pivotal piece of the puzzle earlier this week when Hofstra transfer Darlinstone Dubar committed to Tennessee immediately after his official visit last weekend. 

Dubar is a long wing with a solid three-point stroke. No one is suggesting that he’s going to replace the production that Tennessee is losing from Dalton Knecht, but it’s a step in the right direction. 

Dubar had tons of options on the table, but shut down his recruitment after seeing Tennessee. USC and new head coach Eric Musselman in particular were pushing extremely hard to get Dubar to delay his decision and visit the Trojans first, but Tennessee got him locked down. 

Cade Tyson is from the Charlotte area, so understandably there’s some thought out there that the Tar Heels may be tough to beat. They may indeed end up being the pick, it wouldn’t be a shock, but the feeling we’ve picked up is that Tennessee made a strong impression on Tyson and his family during his visit and certainly gave them something to think about. 

Someone from the Tar Heel side of things we spoke with this week indicated that North Carolina definitely viewed Tennessee as a threat in the chase for Tyson. 

Stay tuned for this one. Again, it won’t surprise anyone if UNC ends up being the pick, but the Vols are probably more in this one now than some would have thought prior to his visit.

Now moving on to Charlotte transfer Igor Milicic who made a midweek official visit from Monday night until Wednesday afternoon. 

Milicic is a legit 6-foot-10 and he’s got the physique to be more than just a ‘pick-and-pop’ four. He did make 38% from long range last year, but Tennessee wouldn’t be pursuing him if the staff didn’t also feel he has the necessary physicality to hold up inside in the SEC. 

He isn’t a brute in a physical sense, but he’s a tough kid whose father is the coach of the Polish national team. He has a lot of the intangibles that are associated with the new breed of ‘tougher’ European guys and also has that stereotypical ‘coach’s kid’ head for the game. 

Rick Barnes and Milicic’s father have had lengthy phone conversations during this (brief) process and our impression is that one reason the Vols are even under consideration here is because of Barnes’ reputation in the worldwide coaching community juxtaposed with what kind of coaching Milicic’s father wants him to receive. 

Milicic visited Nebraska prior to coming to Knoxville and is finishing up an official visit to Baylor today. 

Based on our conversation with Milicic on Wednesday we would expect a decision to come pretty quickly assuming he doesn’t add any more trips to his itinerary. 

As of right now we don’t have any visitors slated to be on campus this weekend. Now, things are absolutely crazy in the portal, I mean bananas, so something could change before you read this on Friday. But as of right now we don’t have anyone on the docket. 

So what about Tobe Awaka? 

As we’ve said on the board numerous times, the door for him to return is open, but the longer this thing drags out the less likely that seems—or at least that’s the opinion here. 

Awaka is going through the process of being recruited, taking zoom calls with other coaches, etc. Meanwhile, Tennessee is moving at full speed to build a team. 

This is just speculation on our part, let’s be clear on that, but it just seems that if Awaka wanted to be at Tennessee it would have been easy to have already made that decision rather than continuing to entertain recruiting pitches from other programs as he’s doing. 

Looking down the road, 2025 big man Dewayne Brown from Hoover, Al. has indicated he’s going to make his college announcement on Saturday (efforts to contact Brown and nail down a time were not successful).

With all the portal noise out there at the moment the 2025 class seems like a complete afterthought, but Brown is a prospect that the staff has liked since last summer. He’s not a ‘high-profile’ guy, but he’s someone with the frame and skill set that this staff pretty clearly feels like they can develop into an SEC big man. 

Brown is picking between Tennessee and Mississippi State. He hasn’t really tipped his hand in any direction, but if forced to make a pick right now we’d lean Tennessee, but wouldn’t bet the house on it.

Baseball

Tennessee baseball is set for its toughest matchup to date this weekend as it’ll be a top-five showdown in Lexington for the Vols against Kentucky.

Across the board, the Wildcats are extremely average on paper. Nothing really pops out about their offensive or their pitching staff. However, Kentucky runs at an elite level. They have stolen 79 bases in 99 attempts this season. UK has stolen two more bags than Vanderbilt has even attempted on the season (77) and the Commodores have attempted the second-most steals in the conference.

Three players in the everyday lineup have logged at least 13 steals, but one of them is catcher Devin Burkes and he’s questionable with a hamstring injury. Kentucky has given up the fewest home runs of any SEC team, but the Vols lead the nation with 101 homers. Something will give there this weekend.

Top-to-bottom, the Wildcats have just been super consistent this season and that’s a huge reason why they are 14-1 at the midway point in conference play.

As is usually the case with this series, the weather report will be something to keep an eye on in Lexington this weekend. Showers are expected Friday morning, but they should clear by game time and stay away for the weekend. But temperatures will drop some and it will be chilly by the end of game one on Friday. High of 66, low of 42 on Friday. High of 62, low of 38 on Saturday and high of 58, low of 37 on Sunday. Luckily, the final two games of the series will be played in the afternoon, but it will still be cooler than normal.

For your weekly Blake Burke Tracker, the first baseman has recaptured the program career home run lead over Christian Moore with 43 homers. Moore tied him at 42 on Sunday but had the day off on Tuesday when Burke hit another one. Burke has tied Condredge Holloway for the program’s longest hit-streak at 27 games. With a hit on Friday, he’ll own the record at 28-straight games. He’s also up to 35 games for his on-base streak and is tied with Northwestern’s Tyler MacGregor for the nation-lead with 20 doubles.

Tennessee enters the weekend with 101 home runs, which leads the country. The Vols have seven more than Georgia, who sits in second place with 94. UT also leads the nation in doubles (100), slugging percentage (.665) and are second in runs (390) and scoring (10.5 runs/game) while fourth in on-base percentage (.442).  

Pitcher AJ Russell has been throwing some this week but is still considered a few weeks away from returning. Barring a setback, the expectation is that he returns and will be used in short stints for the Vols the rest of the way. His return target date is obviously fluid, but expect mid-to-early May. 

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