Four-star cornerback Kaleb Beasley committing to the Vols is another sign that the Tennessee football program is finally turning the corner under second-year head coach Josh Heupel.
Not since the peak Phillip Fulmer days in Knoxville has Tennessee been in this good of shape.
The Vols are the No. 3 team in the nation and upset cross-divisional rival Alabama last Saturday for the first time in 16 years. Although they still have to play the likes of SEC East foes Kentucky and Georgia before thinking about getting back to Atlanta, you can see signs that things are different now for Rocky Top. Just look at four-star cornerback Kaleb Beasley committing to them.
You can clearly see Lipscomb Academy head coach Trent Dilfer get so excited for his player here.
Four-star cornerback Kaleb Beasley commits to Tennessee after Vols’ hot start
According to the 247Sports Composite, Beasley is the No. 2 player from Tennessee, the No. 19 cornerback in his class and the No. 171 player nationally for 2024. The 6-foot, 179-pound defensive back from Nashville may have another high school season after this, but you can tell how excited everyone surrounding him was to see him commit to Tennessee on Friday night.
This goes a little bit deeper than getting a four-star junior cornerback in-state to commit. Keep in mind where Beasley goes to school and who his head coach is. Lipscomb Academy is in Nashville, the capital of The Volunteer State and its biggest city. It may be the home of SEC East division rival Vanderbilt, but Nashville is a huge recruiting base Heupel and his staff have to win going forward.
Furthermore, Dilfer is a Super Bowl champion and a former Pro Bowl quarterback. He may hail from Santa Cruz, California originally, but he was a top-10 pick out of Fresno State in the mid-1990s. Dilfer is respected by coaches everywhere from his NFL days and in the media. He has also transformed Lipscomb Academy’s football program from an afterthought into a national power…
What this comes down to is it is cool to play for the Vols again. All things equal, a top-flight defensive back from Nashville should want to go play his college football in Knoxville. This is a player other SEC teams would love to have in their secondary. While Heupel has his offense humming, it will be how well his staff recruits on the defense that will bring the Volunteers back.
Don’t look now, but Tennessee is not just winning on the football field, but on the recruiting trails.
For more College Football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.
