What to expect from Tennessee’s freshman class this season
Tennessee football signed a 2023 recruiting class that ranked 12th nationally and No. 4 in the Southeastern Conference, according to the On3 ratings. The 26 signees included a pair of five-stars in Nico Iamaleava and Daevin Hobbs and 10 more four-star prospects.
With the new season kicking off against Virginia on Saturday (Noon Eastern Time, TV: ABC) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, what should fans expect from the Tennessee freshmen when they make their debuts this season?
Below, Volquest attempts to set the expectations for the 2023 class, dividing the group between players that could get meaningful snaps on offense and defense versus those that will make their impact more on special teams and in mop-up duty.
Meaningful Snaps/In The Rotation
LB Arion Carter
The former four-star in-state prospect, out of Smyrna, Tenn., showed up on campus looking the part and has generated plenty of buzz during fall camp. He’ll get plenty of snaps in Tennessee’s talented group of linebackers.
“The kid is a worker, first and foremost,” defensive coordinator Tim Banks said last week. “He has a great, a tremendous amount of confidence. And he believes in himself and he believes in what we’re teaching. I love this kid. He’s gonna play a ton for us. The steps and the growth that he’s shown coming from spring to our fall camp, he’s been tremendous.
“But again, I think it’s a testimony to just how hard the kid works and how committed he is to being great. We’re excited about him. We think he’s right where he needs to be as he continues to grow as a freshman.”
DL Daevin Hobbs
He was the biggest name in Tennessee’s 2023 signing class not named Nico Iamaleava. He was a five-star prospect and ranked No. 29 overall in the On3 ratings and is another player Tim Banks was praising last week.
“We’re excited about Hobbs,” Banks said. “We already talked about guys with versatility. (He’s) a guy that can play inside, can play outside for us. He is a freshman, but he’s extremely talented. He’s light on his feet for a big guy.
“Is there a learning curve for a freshman? No doubt about it. No different than Josh (Josephs) and James (Pearce) from last year. We’ll obviously work with him and work through some of the growing pains, but we feel like he has an extremely high ceiling and we’re super excited to watch him perform as well this season.”
DL Caleb Herring
The former four-star in-state prospect out of Murfreesboro, Tenn., was the No. 85 overall player in the On3 ratings in 2023 and, according to Tim Banks, is a freshman that will be in the mix with Tennessee’s other edge rushers.
“When we start talking about our edge guys,” Banks said, “you’ve already mentioned the usual suspects from Roman (Harrison) to Josh (Josephs) to James Pearce. And Caleb Herring as well, so we feel like we have some guys that have a chance to affect the quarterback.”
TE Ethan Davis
Tennessee has two veterans atop the tight end depth chart in Jacob Warren and UC Davis transfer McCallan Castles, but the ceiling is high for 6-foot-5, 232-pound freshman Ethan Davis, who should be in the rotation at tight end this season.
“He’s still got some growth to do in (blocking),” Tennessee offensive coordinator Joey Halzle said last week, “but the best thing that you see with a young tight end that hasn’t done it a lot is he’s not scared.”
LB Jeremiah Telander
There’s a ton of upside for the former three-star prospect out of Gainesville, Ga., who joined a crowded and experienced linebacker room at Tennessee. But he could still help the Vols early.
DB Rickey Gibson
He was a four-star prospect out of Trussville, Ala., in the 2023 class, ranked No. 116 overall in the On3 ratings. He joins a defensive back groups that has plenty of veterans and plenty of bodies entering the season, but who exactly plays where and how the snaps will be shared is still to be determined. Gibson is a freshman who could help the Vols in the secondary.
Mop-Up Duty/Special Teams
QB Nico Iamaleava: He’s the future of the Tennessee football program at quarterback, but the present belongs to Joe Milton III. It’s safe to assume that Iamaleava, the former five-star prospect and No. 1 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class, will play the same role Milton played last season behind Hendon Hooker, getting reps late in games with lopsided scores.
RB Cameron Seldon: The former four-star athlete out of Virginia is talented and versatile. He should help the Vols more on special teams as a freshman, with Jaylen Wright, Jabari Small and Dylan Sampson leading a talented, experienced and productive group of running backs.
RB Khalifa Keith: Tennessee coaches during fall camp praised the big-bodied former three-star prospect, who is listed 6-foot-1, 230 pounds on Tennessee’s official roster. But, like Seldon, he’s behind the Vols’ three veteran running backs on the depth chart.
RB DeSean Bishop: The former three-star running back out of Knoxville’s Karns High School will likely be a redshirt candidate after suffering an injury in the middle of fall camp.
WR Nate Spillman: The former in-state three-star wide receiver prospect out of Franklin, Tenn., joined a crowded wide receiver room led by veterans Bru McCoy and Ramel Keyton, Oregon transfer Dont’e Thornton and sophomore Squirrel White. Redshirt freshmen Kaleb Webb and Chas Nimrod made names for themselves during fall camp, too.
TE Emmanuel Okoye: The former four-star athlete is as physically gifted as they come, but he’s raw after playing football for the first time only a couple years ago. He’s a freaky mix of size, speed and athletic ability, but it will take time for his impact to be felt on the field.
OL Vysen Lang: He was a three-star prospect out of Pike Road, Ala., ranked as the No. 67 overall interior offensive lineman in the 2023 class according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
OL Ayden Bussell: He was an in-state three-star interior offensive lineman out of Mount Juliet, Tenn., ranked as the No. 19 overall prospect in the state of Tennessee.
OL Shamurad Umarov: Another three-star interior offensive lineman prospect, out of Alpharetta, Ga. He was a ranked last eh No. 28 overall prospect in Georgia in the On3 Industry Ranking.
LB Jalen Smith: The former four-star linebacker out of Grayson High School in Loganville, Ga., was the No. 42 overall linebacker in the 2023 class and the No. 44 overall player in the state of Georgia.
DB Cristian Conyer: The former three-star cornerback prospect out of South Warren High School in Bowling Green, Ky., was the No. 3 overall prospect in the state of Kentucky according to the On3 ratings.
DB Jordan Matthews: The former four-star cornerback was a big addition in the 2023 class out of Woodlawn High School in Baton Rouge, La. He was ranked as the No. 122 overall prospect in the class in the On3 ratings, was the No. 14 corner and the No. 6 overall player in Louisiana.
DB John Slaughter: The former three-star safety prospect out of Southhaven High School in Southaven, Miss., was the No. 33 safety in the On3 ratings and the No. 12 prospect in the state of Mississippi.
DB Jack Luttrell: The former three-star safety out of Colquitt County High School in Moultrie, Ga., was the No. 81 safety in the class and No. 82 overall prospect in Georgia.
DL Chandavian Bradley: The former four-star edge rusher was ranked No. 17 at his position and No. 5 in the state of Missouri, out of Platte County High School, in the On3 Industry Ranking.
DL Tyree Weatersby: The former four-star defensive line prospect was ranked No. 108 overall in the On3 ratings. He was the No. 13 defensive lineman in the 2023 class and the No. 7 overall player in the state of Georgia, out of New Manchester High School in Douglasville.
DL Nathan Robinson: The former three-star prospect out of Greenbrier, Tenn., was the No. 16 overall in-state prospect in 2023.
DL Trevor Duncan: The former three-star offensive tackle prospect out of Knoxville’ Catholic High School was ranked as the No. 13 overall prospect in the state of Tennessee in the On3 ratings.
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