First-year Tennessee coach
Josh Heupel's staff joined the race for Patton on Feb. 28. He said he has continued to talk with the Vols' coaches on a regular basis, led by Heupel himself.
"I hear from them often," said Patton, who's ranked the No. 661 overall prospect and No. 43 outside linebacker in the 2022 class, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. "I mainly hear from Coach Heupel. They call a couple times a week."
Patton said he hasn't scheduled a trip to Tennessee to this point, and he has "not yet" decided whether he will visit the Vols. But he said he likes what he has seen and heard from them so far.
"I just like the vibe and the culture of Tennessee," he said.
Tennessee's coaches have told him, he said, that "they want me to come play (linebacker)."
