This article breaks down an eventful week of recruiting for Tennessee football on the recruiting trail. Monday was a big day for Josh Heupel in the transfer portal. He continued to fill important needs for his roster with the additions of tackle John Campbell, receiver Dont’e Thornton, and defensive lineman Omar Norman-Lott.
Heupel loves long speed and size at receiver and he is getting both of those things with Dont’e Thornton. Thornton stands at 6’5 and has the speed to be a vertical threat for the Vols. In a passing game based around screens and deep shots, Thornton is a great fit. He has two years of eligibility left and will be a contributor for Tennessee immediately.
With Darnell Wright moving on to the NFL, the right tackle position needed to be addressed. While freshman Shamurad Umarov and junior college transfer Larry Johnson III are coming in as potential long-term replacements, the Volunteers were looking for a veteran who could start immediately. Insert Miami transfer, John Campbell. Campbell has known Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III for a while and now looks to keep his long-time friend upright. Campbell has one year left and adds a nice veteran presence to the offensive line.
Defensive line coach Rodney Garner is looking for big, athletic players on the interior of the defensive line and added another one in Omar Norman-Lott. He entered the transfer portal last offseason after recording 30 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks on an eight-win Sun Devil team, but ultimately decided to return to Arizona State. After a year with a lot of question marks inside the Arizona State program, Norman-Lott remembered who wanted him the first time in the portal. That was none other than Coach Garner. The genuineness of Garner’s interest convinced Norman-Lott to use his last two years of eligibility in Knoxville.
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While Josh Heupel prefers the high school recruiting and development route to build his program, he has quietly filled some important needs in the transfer portal. These three commits add to offensive guard Andrej Karic, tight end McCallan Castles, linebacker Kennan Pili, and kicker Charlie Campbell. A cornerback is expected to be added and the staff would like to add a defensive end that can put pressure on the quarterback as well.
