Josh Heupel, the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers, hasn’t had the best recruiting week. IMG Academy offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, who committed to the Colorado Buffaloes on Thursday, was a swing and a miss for the Vols.

The Vols have lost another recruit, this one a long-time member of their camp.

TEL On Friday, Jonathan Echols switched his commitment from the Vols to USF Bulls and Alex Golesh. According to 247 Sports’ composite rankings, Echols is a four-star commit from Bradenton’s IMG Academy and is ranked as the 13th overall tight end. Since July 2022, he had dedicated himself to Tennessee.

Logistically speaking, the move isn’t entirely unexpected. Just like Seaton, Echols was a player for the IMG Academy in neighboring Bradenton, so it’s plausible he chose to remain at home. The Vols have been actively looking for tight end assistance through the portal, so it’s possible that this loss hasn’t completely caught them off guard.

The Vols have a major roster need at tight end after losing their top two tight ends, McCallan Castles and Jacob Warren, to graduation. Tennessee will host Notre Dame transfer tight end Holden Staes this weekend, one of the top tight ends in the transfer portal. Still, it’s not a good look for Heupel to lose out on a recruit to a former assistant at a Group of Five program.

All things considered, Golesh has achieved a significant recruiting victory as he continues to transform USF into a reputable program from a fading afterthought in the college football landscape. Making a bowl game in his first year is a significant first step that he has already taken. Acquiring a player with Echols’ caliber is an additional indication of the first-year head coach’s development.