Leyton Nelson recently received his first scholarship offer from former UCF coach
Josh Heupel’s staff, starting a string of a dozen offers in a little more than two weeks. After leaving for Tennessee, Heupel’s staff didn’t wait long to start recruiting Nelson to play for the Vols.
Nelson, a Class of 2022 offensive tackle from Boone High School in Orlando, Fla., said he was “very surprised” to get an offer from Tennessee on Friday during a conversation with
Alex Golesh, who’s set to be part of the Vols’ staff under Heupel. Tennessee hasn’t announced the hirings of any assistant coaches, but Golesh previously served as UCF’s co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach under Heupel and is already recruiting for the Vols.
Heupel’s staff with the Knights jump-started Nelson’s recruitment by giving him his first offer on Jan. 22. He said he “finally put out film” from his junior season recently, “and it kinda blew up very quickly.”
The 6-foot-6, 275-pound Nelson said Heupel and his staff were plenty familiar with him from their time at UCF. But he still was caught off guard when Golesh contacted him on Friday.
“I had been talking to them for a bit, and the last time I had talked to them was the day Heupel accepted the (Tennessee) job,” Nelson told GoVols247. “But they had a good relationship with me, and then I didn’t follow for a bit. And then, out of nowhere, I get a text saying he would like to call me, and I didn’t know he was up at Tennessee with Heupel.”
Nelson told 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins that Golesh was one of the first college coaches to express some interest in him. "They saw me last spring, so they have really seen the transformation that I have had," Nelson told Ivins.
Nelson said Heupel’s staff being at Tennessee “most definitely adds” to his interest in the Vols. Nelson said he also knows that Tennessee has “a nice tradition,” and while he hasn’t “really followed them,” he added that having the opportunity to play in the SEC “will always be a factor.”
He said Tennessee is one of a handful of schools standing out to him among his 12 current offers, along with Pittsburgh, Oregon, Arizona State and Miami.
“They have a great relationship with me (right now),” said Nelson, who has added offers from Mississippi State, South Carolina, Miami, Connecticut and Tennessee since Sunday.
The Vols have told Nelson, he said, that “they like my speed and balance in the open field and think that they can do much more with me up at Tennessee.”
While he’s in the early stages of his recruitment, he said he’s hoping to find a school that has “great programs to offer me in academics and facilities.”
Nelson said he doesn’t “really” have a specific timeline in mind for when he would like to decide on a college. But he said he “most definitely” expects to announce his choice sometime during the “fall season.”
