FIVE-STAR DL WALTER NOLEN
Nolen, a senior at nearby Powell (Tenn.) High School who's ranked the nation's No. 2 overall prospect in the industry-generated 247Sports Composite for the 2022 class, is set to arrive at Tennessee on Saturday morning to begin his official visit with the Vols after playing in Tennessee's Class 5A championship game Friday night in Chattanooga, Tenn. The 6-foot-4.5, 325-pound Nolen, who moved to the Knoxville area this summer going into his senior season, has been committed to Texas A&M for almost a month. But he returned to Tennessee on Nov. 13 for its home game against Georgia, and the Vols now will get another chance to host him leading up to the start of the Early Signing Period.
A Memphis-area native, Nolen received his first offer more than two years ago from Tennessee's former staff. He named a top three of Texas A&M, Tennessee and Georgia in August coming off his first trip to Texas A&M in late July, and he visited the Aggies three more times this fall before committing to them on Nov. 6. He hasn't shown any signs of wavering on his decision to this point. But there have been plenty of twists and turns throughout his recruitment, and this weekend might offer Tennessee one more opportunity to make a move before he finalizes his choice. There's reason to believe the door is still open for the Vols, but his plans beyond this weekend remain unclear for now. It's not out of the question that he could return to Texas A&M on another unofficial visit next weekend.
FOUR-STAR DL JEFFREY M'BA
M'ba, the nation's No. 1 overall junior-college prospect in the 247Sports Composite for the 2022 class, finally will get to take his first look at Tennessee this weekend. He received an offer from the Vols' former staff coming out of high school, when he was part of the 2019 recruiting class after moving from France to the United States in hopes of improving his chances of playing major college football. He picked up an offer from Heupel's staff in October, and Tennessee has made him a priority over the past several weeks and now appears to be one of the top contenders for him going into this weekend.
The 6-foot-6, 305-pound M'ba, who's originally from Congo, is coming off an official visit to Auburn that ended Wednesday. The Tigers also hosted him on an unofficial visit Saturday for their home game against rival Alabama leading up to his official visit to Auburn. He went to Miami in October on his first official visit, and he still plans to take official visits to Missouri beginning Monday and Oregon on Wednesday through Friday before working toward a decision. The Ducks are believed to be among Tennessee's main competition for M'ba, who knows at least one of the Vols' current players — freshman linebacker
Aaron Willis — and has known Tennessee defensive coordinator
Tim Banks since his previous stint at Penn State.
FOUR-STAR WR CHANDLER SMITH
Smith, a Florida commitment from Mount Dora (Fla.) High School, received an offer from Tennessee in March and included the Vols in the top 10 he announced in late March. He finally will get a chance to visit them for the first time this weekend after getting a visit from Tennessee wide receivers coach Kodi Burns on Monday. A two-sport standout who's planning to play football and run track in college, Smith hasn't indicated that he's wavering on his commitment to the Gators despite their recent coaching change, and he's still planning to take another visit to Florida next week leading up to Early Signing Day.
But the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Smith — who recently transferred from Bishop Moore Catholic High School in Orlando, Fla., to Mount Dora in hopes of graduating this month and arriving at Florida in January as an early enrollee. He has been timed at 10.28 seconds in the 100 meters and 20.62 seconds in the 200 meters, and he has received offers from more than 25 schools. Smith sat out a large portion of his senior season after undergoing surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus. He's rated a four-star prospect in the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, where he's ranked the No. 220 overall prospect and No. 32 wide receiver in the 2022 class.
FOUR-STAR WR KALEB WEBB
Webb, an East Carolina commitment from McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Ga., who vaulted into the Top247 on Wednesday coming off an impressive senior season, has been a priority target for Tennessee since getting an offer from the Vols in August. They're one of several major programs that have joined the race for him since the start of his senior season, but Tennessee emerged weeks ago as one of the main contenders for the 6-foot-2.5, 185-pound Webb, who has been committed to the Pirates since late June. The Vols now are believed to be the biggest threat to East Carolina, and they appear to have plenty of momentum with him going into this weekend.
Webb has remained committed to East Carolina for more than five months at least in part because of his strong relationships with the Pirates' coaches, so Tennessee still might have some work to do down the stretch if it wants to steal him away. But his trip to Knoxville this weekend is currently expected to be his final stop before he announces his final decision. He attended two of the Vols' home games in October and has been high on them for the past few months, and the lone prediction on the 247Sports Crystal Ball currently points to Tennessee as the favorite to land him.
DB JOURDAN THOMAS
The safety from Montgomery (Ala.) Catholic Preparatory School decommitted from Mississippi State on Wednesday afternoon after being committed to the Bulldogs for more than seven months. He has been one of Tennessee's top defensive-back targets for months after getting an offer from the Vols in May and visiting them for the first time in late June. He most recently attended their home game Oct. 9 against South Carolina. Tennessee appeared to be a serious threat to Mississippi State even before he officially reopened his recruitment this week. Now that he's back on the market, the Vols are believed to be the team to beat, with all four predictions on the 247Sports Crystal Ball pointing to Tennessee as the favorite to land him.
EDGE DARREN AGU
Agu, a Vanderbilt commitment from Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in Rabun Gap, Ga., picked up a Tennessee offer in March and has stayed in contact with the Vols in recent months. He attended their home game Sept. 11 against Pittsburgh, and he's now set to take a closer look at Tennessee leading up to Early Signing Day. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Agu plans to return to Vanderbilt for an official visit with the Commodores next week following his trip to Knoxville, but the former Notre Dame commitment seems to have legitimate interest in the Vols going into this weekend. He received a visit Tuesday from Tennessee defensive line coach
Rodney Garner and
Mike Ekeler, the Vols' outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator.
CB DESMOND WILLIAMS
Williams, a sophomore at East Central Community College in Decatur, Miss., received his first SEC offer Nov. 3 from Tennessee and has heard plenty from the Vols over the past month, with Tennessee searching for junior-college help in the secondary. The Vols now will get to host the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Williams on his first official visit. He's already scheduled to take an official visit to Mississippi State next weekend before making his decision. But Tennessee has been recruiting him harder than any other team over the past few weeks and appears to be in good shape with the Forsyth, Ga., native going into his weekend stay in Knoxville.
LB ELIJAH HERRING
Herring gave Tennessee its first commitment for the 2022 class in April, choosing the Vols over offers from several other major programs at the time. Tennessee's former staff gave him one of his first offers in June 2019, and he visited the Vols a few times during former coach
Jeremy Pruitt's tenure before emerging as an early in-state priority for Heupel's staff. Herring returned to Tennessee twice in June, going through a private workout with some of the Vols' coaches during his unofficial visit on June 4, and he attended multiple games at Tennessee this season. His official visit to Knoxville this weekend likely will be his final stop before he signs on Dec. 15 and joins the Vols next month as an early enrollee.
️ DL Walter Nolen
