Photo from Google Images
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| All I’m Thinking About! (Jalen Hurd Instagram post) |
The University of Tennessee football, team 117, ended their season 5-7 and will not play in a bowl game. The seniors won their final SEC game on the road and left a small spark of what it feels like to win on the road in the SEC.
This program, University, fan base, and all of Vol Nation have witnessed the crash to rock bottom over the past six years. A program that was once revered in the world of college football had now become a somber, stagnant team in the SEC.
But that tiny spark from a win on the road is all team 118 will need to carry the torch and revive one the most hollowed programs in all of college football.
Following recruiting classes hasn’t been one of my focus points. Mostly, because I think high school kids have commitment issues and they can change their decision daily. With enough disappointment in Knoxville, I just wait it out and see who makes it to the first game of the season. But this year has been different.
In March, I got a text alert that Todd Kelly Jr. had followed in his father’s’ footsteps and committed to be a Vol For Life (VFL). My twin brother sent me text a few minutes later that said this is only the beginning; magic is about to be restored in Knoxville. Byron (my twin) treats National Signing Day like a national holiday and takes off work to witness the letters of intent. If there was going to be year to follow recruiting, he assured me that this was the year. So I’ve committed to following the recruiting class of 2014.
Byron was right. This recruiting class has already changed the future without even stepping in Neyland stadium.
The momentum of this recruiting class is astonishing. A program that is 14-34 in SEC games over the last six seasons is also the program with the second best recruiting class in the country. Clearly, recruits are not committing based on the win-loss record. These recruits are recruiting each other. After TKJr, UT signed Rivals 5-star RB (ranked #1 in the state of Tennessee) Jalen Hurd. Maybe it’s all the highlight videos I’ve watched of this stud, but I’ve got my eye on this gem. Based on his athletic ability alone, he is going to be something special.
Hurd received offers from some of the best programs in country (Alabama, Florida, Stanford, Ohio State, LSU, and Georgia just to name a few), but he was only interested in playing for the Orange and White.
If you haven’t Hurd of the UT Legacy Class 14’ here’s a shot list of the caliber of talent the future holds: Vic Wharton*, Dillon Bates*, Evan Berry*, Elliott Berry*, Orlando Brown, D’Andre Payne have all committed and Neiko Creamer*, Josh Malone and Jarran Reed (JUCO) have all declared early enrollment. The (*) = the recruit is a Vol legacy.
Most top recruits are still young kids. And coming out of high school the easiest way to a career in the NFL is by choosing a powerhouse university where the road has already been paved for them. But these kids who are committing to be a VFL are the athletes who are determined to pave their own route from scratch, brick-by-brick. Together, they share a vision and a bond that will forever make them teammates and brothers. These young men are leaders who embody the foundation of teamwork and success. Choosing to wear Orange isn’t just making a statement. It’s committing to working harder. It’s dedicating their collegiate career with a passion to win as a team and inscribe champion back in the Power T.
They have coined themselves as the UT Legacy Class 14’. But their legacy will not be who their father is. Their legacy will be written as the class who laid the foundation to rise to the top and restore a dynasty back in college football.