Josh Heupel: Tennessee getting 'explosive, dynamic' wide receiver in Tyreek King

Tennessee signed a top-ten recruiting class with the 2026 cycle, and a vital part of that crop of talent was local Knoxville Catholic standout wide receiver Tyreek King. Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel is excited about the No.86 overall prospect in the Rivals recruiting rankings.

“Tyreek is another one at the wide receiver position that’s explosive and dynamic,” Heupel said of King on Wednesday during his annual signing day press conference.” His short area of acceleration is really rare and unique. (With) Tyreek, it’s been a long recruitment. I was talking with him last night, and man, two years ago he came by the hotel on a Friday night where he was off. It feels like it was just yesterday and it feels like it was a decade ago all at the same time. Tyreek is a great player, great family. Being local, (he) understood what it’s like inside of that stadium. But I think also it’s different for the local kid in that man, all of his classmates at his high school, all of his extended family, everybody that he’s grown up with, (are) super fans of Tennessee. I think that’s important that you have those guys inside of your locker room because they feel that they live it 365 days out of the year. I can’t wait to get Tyreek here in the late spring and start going to work with him. I think he’s got a great future in front him.”

Heupel also made his weekly appearance on the Mike Keith Show, and he continued to have high praise about King.

“Yeah, he’s got unbelievable short-area burst,” Heupel said during this appearance. “Like his 0-60 happens right now. He’s able to run laterally, stick a foot in the ground and get vertical and hit high speed right now. He’s got really natural hands. He plays long over the middle of the football field. Longterm will have a ability to play inside and outside. It’s been a fun recruitment. It’s been a long one with him just being local. He showed up in one of our camps going into his sophomore year. Just couldn’t be more excited about getting the player, the person and the family here.”

Tennessee has had impressive success in the last two cycles with the guys they have landed at the wide receiver position, and he is excited about the future of the position group on Rocky Top.

“This has been Wide Receiver U historically,” he said. “We’re getting back to that, for sure. You look at the development of the wide receivers that we’ve had, their ability to grow in what we’re doing offensively. All the things that they get exposed to. The fundamental and technique work that Coach Pope does with them. Their football IQ and understanding, and then the productivity that they’ve had. That’s why we continue to put out wide receivers at an elite clip.”