Breaking: Tennessee New Comers, Jersey Numbers And Status…

Tennessee released its updated football roster on Monday morning ahead of the Vols taking to Haslam Field for its first spring of their fourth spring under head coach Josh Heupel and his staff. The program released a pre-spring roster reflecting the departures and additions from the team last month, but the revised edition included the jersey numbers and updated heights and weight for nearly two dozen newcomers who have joined the program this offseason. There are 14 players from Tennessee’s No. 13-ranked 2024 recruiting class and eight transfer additions as the Vols used the portal to bolster several positions on offense and defense.

The Vols signed 21 players during the Early Signing Period back in December and many of the dozen early enrollees joined the team for their Citrus Bowl practices in both Knoxville and Orlando. All of the transfers – four committed in December and four more in January – joined the early enrollees in formally joining the program when spring-semester classes and offseason workouts began in January. Two more signees were slated to arrive at Tennessee this month.

Tennessee’s incoming class of newcomers is ranked 13th overall and eighth in the SEC in the 247Sports rankings combining recruiting and transfer classes, and 17 of the 29 incoming players were rated as four-star prospects or transfers.

The freshman class is headlined by a pair of touted wide receivers in Mike Matthews (No. 40 overall and No. 9 among receivers per 247Sports) and Braylon Staley (No. 78 and No. 15), but includes seven other blue-chip recruits. The offensive line is bolstered by the four-star duo of Max Anderson and William Satterwhite, and the skill positions added Top247 players in quarterback Jake Merklinger and running back Peyton Lewis. Top247 in-state athlete and Tennessee Mr. Football winner Boo Carter, who is starting out as a defensive back, is the headlining addition on defense, but the Vols also were slated to add two more in-state four-stars in defensive back Kaleb Beasley and linebacker Edwin Spillman.