Everything Josh Heupel said during Tennessee's National Signing Day press conference

What Tennessee Football coach Josh Heupel said during his National Signing Day press conference on Wednesday afternoon in Knoxville:

Opening Statement 

“Good afternoon. This is always a huge day for the future of our program. So excited about the guys that we have signed. I want to thank all of our organization. There’s so many people that go into it. It starts with our personnel department, our coaches, developing relationships, being out on the road. It takes our administration support, it’s professors on campus, certainly our content team, everybody that goes into such a pivotal role in the recruiting process. 

So I want to thank them, but I really should have started with, I want to thank the families, the coaches and the recruits themselves for entrusting us with their future, their son’s future, one of their players’ futures. The chance that we have an opportunity to place such a vital role in them chasing their goals and dreams, want to thank them for all their efforts, but also just entrusting us with them. 

“I think our staff did a great job here in state. From the moment I got here, I said it was important for us to go recruit it the right way. It doesn’t mean that we take every player, but that we recruit it the right way. Able to sign the top defensive player in the state, Joel Wyatt, top offensive lineman and Gabe Osenda. Thought our staff did a great job here inside of the state of Tennessee and the bordering states as well. Again, went into North Carolina, got the top player there. Just really proud of, of what we did. 

“The ability to add great length athleticism on the defensive side of the ball, I think 13 guys that are public at this point. Hopefully we’ll have some good news here as the afternoon continues to go on. But adding any lead trades dynamic, playmakers on that side of the football, couldn’t be more excited about what we’ve done there. This afternoon has a chance to trickle in and bring in some more guys. Hopefully you guys stay tuned, but really excited about what we did in this class.”

Tennessee getting Legend Bey back in the signing class

“Yeah, Legend on the video, he is dynamic. Special playmaker, ball in his hands. Got a chance to watch him live and in person too. And he is such a unique tool. The skill set, having played quarterback, the command, the presence that he has back there. Throws the ball really extremely well in person. As a playmaker, man, the ability to be involved out in space, perimeter screen, the ability to go up and high point balls, he’s extremely loose. He’s a guy that can be used in the return game as well. So just a dynamic tool that we have an opportunity to add to, to the offensive arsenal.” 

What Tennessee wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope was able to do with the wide receiver talent in this class

“Early on our personnel department, researching (Bey) and then Kelsey got a chance to watch him really early in the process. We got on him extremely early and I think that’s one of the keys of ultimately getting him. Kelsey did a great job developing a relationship with, with Legend his family. They had a great experience up here and through the stretch run right here, we were hoping to get some good news. And Kelsey certainly did a great job of flipping him back.”

Five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon being the first commitment in Tennessee’s class, how that got things started

“First of all, Faizon’s a great player. We had an opportunity to watch him on the basketball court, extremely explosive, great touch, had great presence. And bodies in motion, you see that on the football tape, obviously as well. He’s played an elite level for a long time. His body continued to develop. He’s got a great mind. He’s extremely quick-minded. You combine all those factors, really excited about having him in the quarterback room and competing next fall. Anytime you’re able to get a quarterback that’s at that level and is made of the right things, he’s able to develop relationships with guys and help attract them. And he certainly did that in this recruiting class, really on both sides of the football.” 

Tennessee getting on Brayden Rouse early, what he brings to the Vols 

“A long athlete that is continuing to physically develop. We recognized all the traits really are on in the process. Unbelievable family. Dad is coaching. And his football IQ has continued to grow. Really unique skill set. You look at him playing on the offensive side of the ball, wide receiver, tight end. Physically he has continued to develop. He’s played on all three levels of the defense as well. 

And every time that we’re talking to him on a given game week, he’s moving somewhere else. And the structure of it, he’s got great athleticism, change of direction. I think his body’s going to explode when he gets to college and is focused on one sport and in the weight room every single day. Just a high character, highly athletic individual that’s, I think, going to develop into a really special player.”

Tennessee signing three players originally from Canada in this class, if he has learned the words to ‘Oh Canada’ yet

“South Dakota was annexed by Canada a few years back, so it was part of our curriculum in school actually. Didn’t get much of a laugh on that one.

“I do think you’ve seen more and more guys come down from Canada, typically to private schools chasing their dreams of, of playing American football at this level and the three guys that you talked about, you think about the road, the journey that they have to be on to ultimately get to this point. There’s so much sacrifice from the families, from the kid moving away from home I think that in some ways it eases a transition to college for those guys, that they’re hungry and desperate to go accomplish their goals and dreams. And at the end of the day, that’s what you need inside of your locker room, inside of your position rooms. All those guys are athletic at their position, have really good traits. And guys that have adjusted and grown inside of the landscape of football really quickly.”

Tennessee commits like David Sanders (2025) and Tristen Keys (2026) singing Rocky Top in the stands and loving Tennessee before getting here

“I think it starts with who we are, our consistency throughout the recruitment. I think it then parlays itself into who we are every single day into the building with our guys. Because our guys are going to, our recruits are going to find that out from our players. And you put all those factors together and then our fanbase, this campus, but our fan base – the experiences that they have with them that can be at a game, it can be while they’re here going to a basketball game. It can be a fan that’s at one of their high school games that’s just passionate about Tennessee and knows that the local player is getting recruited by us. But then the game days experiences that they have, they know this is college football at its best and recognize who we are and what we’re about and the continued growth of where we’re going. You put all those factors together, we’ve been able to recruit the right type of player, the right type of kid here at Rocky Top.”

If the factors of revenue share, NIL and more are settling down and relationships are becoming as important than ever in recruiting

“I think it is about all of the things that you just talked about. All the old historical things that were a part of recruiting. When the NIL era began, I don’t know five years ago, whatever – it might have been – it changed it. I think things have slowed down a little bit. They’re not as many dramatic changes inside the landscape of it. There’s certainly still some things that college football is navigating, but certainly, I think the relationships, who you are, the product that you have and what they’re going to play and how they’re going to develop is really important.”

Kelsey Pope flipping Tristen Keys earlier in the cycle

“Kelsey did a great job with him. Our staff did with TK. His family, dynamic wide receiver, super loose at the line of scrimmage. He has the ability to stretch it vertically but it has ball in hand value as well. He has the ability to go attack the football. Dynamic player that is really excited about being here at Tennessee and we’re excited to have him for sure.”

Tennessee signing local prospects like Tyreek King out of Catholic

“Tyreek is another one at the wide receiver position that’s explosive and dynamic. 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.”

Balancing the NCAA Transfer Portal vs. traditional recruiting

“It’s different this cycle. Just the timing of the portal in general. I think it’s a positive for us. We’ll look at what we signed in this class, what we have coming back and then attack the portal. How we continue to grow our roster to be ready to go compete and win a championship.” 

Tennessee’s needs in the NCAA Transfer Portal

“I wouldn’t say anything as of right now, but certainly here over the coming days and weeks, we will look hard at that. We’re finishing up exit interviews with our current players now and then be ready to attack that when it comes.”

Tennessee flipping Hezekiah Harris earlier in the cycle

“Just scratching the surface of what he’s going to be. Super athletic. Long-ranging and can play in space, can rush the passer. Chop (Levorn Harbin) did a great job. Just continuing to be consistent with Hezekiah and his family. They were able to get up here multiple times, had a great official visit. All of his experiences. We got him up in May for our May event. Just super excited to get Hezekiah here. He is just beginning his football journey. I say that in a positive way. Like, when he gets in the weight room consistently and isn’t on the basketball court or running around in the spring, I think his body is going to really take off. Couldn’t be more excited about having him. Coach Chop and our staff doing a good job with him.”

Former Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh being named the head coach at Auburn

“Excited for him. Obviously, did a great job here and did a great job at USF. It’ll be like playing Mississippi State where you got one of your former guys (Jeff Lebby) that’s up on the other side of us. Got a couple of them inside of this league. Excited for both of those guys.”