Five Tennessee freshmen to watch in fall camp
We’re less than a week away from the start of fall camp and Josh Heupel’s third season at the head of the Tennessee program. There will be any number of story lines to capture fan’s attention in the coming weeks, but one topic that’s always popular is what freshmen are turning heads.
You never want to be in a position where you’re relying heavily on freshmen, especially in the SEC, but that won’t stop fans for clamoring for the latest on what last year’s coveted recruits look like on the practice field.
As Heupel moves into his third season in Knoxville he has the Vols’ program in a spot where no first year players are going to be relied on to shoulder a heavy burden, but the head coach and his staff have shown in the past that if a freshman is ready, they’ll find a role for him on the field.
Who are some members of the recruiting class of 2023 who might find their way onto the field this fall? Here are five guys we’ll be watching in camp who may have a crack at it.
Nico Iamaleava — Quarterback
If everything goes according to plan fans will only see Iamaleava in mop-up duty this fall as Joe Milton goes out in style after waiting for his turn as the starting quarterback.
While that may be the ideal scenario, that’s not going to stop the hype surrounding Iamaleava, the No. 1 overall prospect in the nation in the 2023 class according to the on3 rankings.
We got a small sample size of Iamaleava in the spring, but his arm talent looked as good as advertised, though most of what everyone saw came in ‘routes on air’ situations.
He was solid in the spring game in a vanilla format, but still dazzled with a couple of throws that showcased his ability.
WHY HE COULD PLAY: The obvious answer is injury. Iamaleava and his family chose Tennessee with the knowledge that this would be a ‘sit and learn’ year behind a veteran.
Ideally that’s exactly what happens. Tennessee will continue to score points at an astronomical rate and Iamaleava will have plenty of chances to get some seasoning in low pressure situations during blowouts as a freshman.
Milton played in seven of the Vols first eight games last year before taking over for good at South Carolina after Hendon Hooker’s injury. Getting Iamaleava similar action as a freshman would be a nice jump start on his development.
Cam Seldon — Running back
Tennessee had a solid looking running back room before the addition of Seldon as a mid-term enrollee.
The Vols have a trio of backs; Jabari Small, Jaylen Wright and Dylan Sampson, who have all shown they can be productive SEC tailbacks.
Seldon (6-foot-2, 222 pounds) brings a little something different to the table though with his size and sprinter’s speed. He’s also raw though, having played all over the field in high school and splitting time at receiver and running back on offense.
Simply learning the position and honing in on the details of playing tailback at this level are the immediate challenges facing Seldon. He flashed enough ability and athleticism in the spring to suggest he’s going to make an impact at some point, it seems like it’s just a matter of when.
WHY HE COULD PLAY: Obviously an injury or two to the trio of returning veterans could open up a pathway to playing time for Seldon, and that’s certainly a position where injuries happen.
He could also simply play his way into a role a freshman because of his ability. You don’t want to make too much of a spring game, but Seldon did make a splash with 88 yards of total offense, 45 rushing and 43 receiving.
Tennessee has three proven SEC tailbacks, so carries are going to be hard for a freshman to come by. Don’t rule out Seldon finding a way to carve himself out a niche this fall though similar to what Sampson did a year ago.
Jordan Matthews/Rickey Gibson — cornerback
We’re admittedly cheating a little here by going with two names, but that’s a reflection of both guys creating a little buzz and the ongoing discussion about the need for the secondary to improve.
Will a freshman, whether it’s Matthews or Gibson or someone else, actually supplant a veteran on the depth chart or (gasp) in the starting line-up? That remains a ‘have to see it to believe it’ type of thing for most, but the possibility is in the air.
The possibility is in the air because Tennessee really struggled against the pass last fall. The Vols gave up 289 yards per game through air in 2022, 13th in the SEC. They were one of only five SEC defenses to give up more than 7.0 yards per completion.
Plenty of experience returns in the secondary, but there are also plenty of young faces, whether freshmen or sophomores, who look ready to push for playing time.
Both Matthews and Gibson have generated some buzz in the offseason and that buzz is coming at a position even casual fans would like to see some marked improvement at.
WHY THEY COULD PLAY: As noted above, Tennessee clearly needs to get better in the secondary, that’s why any youngster may have a chance to get on the field. The staff brought in an influx of young talent to compliment a host of returning veterans.
Will the veterans—some of whom have played a ton of football—take a step forward collectively or as individuals? Maybe the bigger question is will the coaching staff roll the dice with a freshman if he’s obviously more talented and live with some of the inevitable mistakes?
It’s a story line everyone will be following closely in fall camp.
Caleb Herring — Edge
Among all of the early enrollees in spring practice, perhaps no one looked more SEC ready than Herring. He arrived on campus last December for bowl practice needed to add some bulk to his 6-foot-5 frame and he’s done just that.
Herring is currently listed at 226 pounds on the Vols’ roster but the buzz is that he’s north of 240 and could be closing in on 250.
In the spring he flashed the kind of quick twitch and initial burst that could make him a force off the edge when combined with his length and athleticism. Herring looks like an SEC edge player, and he also looks like he’ll have a chance to be a really good one.
WHY HE COULD PLAY: Simple, Tennessee desperately needs pass rushers after losing Byron Young off last year’s team.
The defensive staff showed last year with Joshua Josephs that if a youngster is ready to help as a pass rusher, they’ll find a way to get him on the field in sub-packages if nothing else.
Given the Vols’ needs and Herring’s obvious physical tools it will be a surprise if he doesn’t end up at least with some kind of niche role like Joseph’s had last fall.
Arion Carter — linebacker
Carter, after moving to linebacker, came out of nowhere as a senior in high school to be one of the most coveted in-state recruits for the Vols in the 2023 cycle. The Vols held off Alabama to keep Carter at home in the end.
He enrolled early and was a guy you started hearing about pretty frequently in spring practice simply because of his athleticism and football instincts.
Carter quickly earned a rep in the spring as a linebacker who can cover a lot of ground and as a young player who takes learning his craft seriously.
He looks like a lock to be a special teams contributor this fall, but with Brian Jean-Mary’s penchant for playing a rotation at linebacker he could potentially work his way into some meaningful snaps on defense.
WHY HE COULD PLAY: Tennessee is deeper at linebacker than they have been in the first two years under Heupel, but it’s not like there’s an embarrassment of riches.
Aaron Beasley is a known commodity and is coming off a big year. BYU transfer Keenan Pili looks like a ‘plug and play’ guy at one linebacker spot after being a team captain and multi-year starter in Provo.
Behind that duo though there isn’t much in the way of proven performers. Elijah Herring worked himself into a part time role last fall as a freshman and made some plays here and there. Kalib Beasley got most of his action on special teams last fall, playing in all 12 games as a freshman.
If Carter is going to get serious playing time there has either been an injury or he’s going to supplant Beasley or Herring on the depth chart. That’s not a given by any means, but he created enough buzz in the spring to at least open up the possibility.
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