Vols signing class sees plenty of movement in final On3 class of '23 rankings

Tennessee’s 2023 signing class looks a bit different following Tuesday’s release of the final class rankings by On3.

The Vols now have 11 players ranked inside the top 200 with 8 inside the top 134 including the move by defensive back Jordan Matthews who jumped 100 spots.

“The cornerback position is really a stopwatch traits position,” On3 director of scouting Charles Power said of Matthews. “You look at Jordan Matthews’s combination of size and speed; it sticks out. A guy that continued to get faster and really made a jump in maturing physically over the past year. He is younger for the class, so it is not hard to see why he made that jump. He is a smooth corner. Plays well against top competition. We saw him lock horns with LSU signee Shelton Sampson in back-to-back seasons and really perform well in that matchup. I think he is going to have to continue to be more consistent, but just the upside, given his physical ability and how he has continued to improve, makes you feel pretty good about his projections.” 

Wide receiver Nathan Leacock was another Tennessee signee who jumped in the rankings following a senior season that saw him log over 1300 receiving yards.

“Nathan Leacock, in terms of the size and speed, is as good of combination that we have seen among this receiver group,” Power offered. “I think when you combine the size at 6-3, around 195, 200-pounds, long arms, this guy runs a 10.8 100-meter. Then you look at what he did as a senior—just a dominant senior year—really one of the best senior season’s we have seen among this receiver group with his ability to win in multiple ways. He can go up and win at the catch point with contested catches in traffic. He can pick up yards after the catch. He is a good route runner. He just projects, to us, as a pure outside receiver with the ability to take the top off of defenses, win in jump ball situations, and really a kind of complete skillset there. I think when stacking up the receivers, we really liked how he matched up with everybody else with his resume and physical ability.”

The other most notable move was Nico Iamaleava moving into the top spot overall. The nation’s top ranked player at all positions is in Hawaii for the Polynesian Bowl before returning to Tennessee for classes next week. Nico’s move from #2 to #1 came in large part because of the tool box of skills he brings to the college level.

“The race for the overall #1 spot was a tight one and was a tough decision,” Power told Volquest. “It’s something have thought about for the entire cycle. Nico Iamaleava to us, has the edge in large part because he is the most physically gifted quarterback and it’s a deep cycle at quarterback. I think when you look at both he and Arch Manning, neither of them are truly dominant high school players. You have to kind of project a little bit. In projecting, we opted to side with the quarterback with the most physical upside and that’s Nico.

“I think what sticks out about Nico is his combination of a big league arm and his twitchy athleticism. That kind of sets him apart among the quarterbacks. He has the arm talent to make any throw on the field. We have seen him do that in multiple settings. His ability to quickly react, escape from pressure and pick up yards on the ground separates him among the top quarterbacks. Just his natural tool set with his arm and burst sets him a part.” 

Volquest’s Brent Hubbs and Matt Ray discuss Tennessee’s move in the final On3 rankings release.