The 6-foot-5, 284-pound Kutas said he “mostly” stayed in contact with Elarbee, but he has spoken with new Tennessee running backs coach
Jerry Mack “a couple times over the phone.” Kutas said he has also exchanged some text messages with Heupel.
A two-way lineman who’s being recruited by the Vols to play on the offensive line, Kutas said Tennessee is one of the teams recruiting him hardest, along with Virginia Tech, Oregon, Illinois and Arkansas. He admitted he’s pleasantly surprised that the Vols’ new staff is talking with him so frequently.
“It’s pretty crazy to me,” Kutas said. “I mean, it’s good to know that I am a priority to them and that they think highly of me.”
He said he had a Zoom conference with Tennessee last week that included a virtual tour of UT’s campus and allowed him and his parents to get to know Heupel’s staff.
“We did (the virtual tour), and then I talked to a couple of the coaches for a while,” Kutas said. “I just got to see the facilities, the ins and outs of it — the weight room, the locker room, even the little restaurant they have at the bottom. That was pretty neat to me, just to get a feel for it, even if it’s not in person.
“They got to talk to my parents a lot and get to know them pretty well — which, I liked that, too.”
Elarbee in particular has made a good impression on Kutas so far.
“I mean, he’s a guy that wants to help me get better,” Kutas said. “We’ve watched some film together. He’s just a down-to-earth guy.
“They think I’ve got a high ceiling, and he likes the athletic guys, like D-ends or tight ends, that can move to offensive tackle because they can just move so much better.”
