The top 100 college football players according to ESPN as of the 2024 season was just announced. With no players on the list, the Vols stood out from the competition even after finishing with a 9-4 record and a convincing victory against the Iowa Hawkeyes, a team that advanced to the Big Ten Championship Game and had a top-5 defence.
Even though Tennessee’s season ended well short of their potential, they still have a lot of momentum going into next year. James Pearce Jr., an edge rusher, was among the Vols who made the list based on strong arguments. Pearce was one of the best SEC defenders in 2022 with 27 tackles and 9.5 sacks.
Candidates from Volunteer Country for ESPN’s Top-100 List QB Dylan Sampson, RB Bru McCoy, WR Cooper Mays, C Nico Iamaleava EDGE, James Pearce Jr.
The Tennessee football team is currently in its offseason. After finishing the season, the Vols are concentrating on building their roster for 2023. With all of the most recent NFL Draft announcements and portal entries, Volunteer Country has the fans covered. The portal window is open from January 2 to December 4. Players will have to wait until May after spring practice to access the transfer portal if they do not transfer within that time.
Glen Elarbee, the offensive line coach at Tennessee, faced criticism on social media earlier this week when some resentment erupted. Throughout this portal cycle, the Vols have been linked to a number of elite offensive lineman, but none of them have signed contracts. Although depth is a concern for Tennessee going into the 2024 season, they are still recruiting a few elite prospects.
The recruitment process and portal addictions, two factors that assistant coaches may not always have control over, are directly related to the discontent of Tennessee’s fan base. Even so, Elarbee led Tennessee in recruiting this cycle, bringing in a number of skilled offensive linemen who will likely contribute to the Vols in the future. All rankings are from the Composite of 247Sports.
Elarbee has demonstrated his ability to go out and get huge and high school bodies. Additionally, he was a key player on the field as Tennessee’s offensive line finished the season as a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, which is presented to the best offensive line in the country. The Vols had a couple bad pass protection games, but overall they were the best rushing assault in the SEC.
