Heart breaking news: Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel and wife was just confirmed dead in…..

The Tennessee Volunteers have been on a bit of a tear on the recruitment trail as of late.

The Vols have landed 4-star wide receiver Travis Smith Jr and 4-star linebacker Christian Gass in just the last few weeks on the trail.

The Vols have yet another target, 4-star safety LaGonza Hayward is set to make his college announcement Saturday, July 27th as well.

The Vols appear to be the leader at the moment for Hayward as well alongside South Carolina and Georgia.

Though as Volunteer fans wait to see the announcement from Hayward, several current commits have alluded to a “surprise commitment” prior to the 27th potentially from Hayward.

The Tennessee Volunteers have one of the biggest defensive stars in the SEC.

However, it’s not James Pearce Jr. who could have the biggest impact on the program in 2024.

ESPN laid out the biggest x-factors for every top-25 college football team heading into the season.

For the Volunteers, they laid out what makes defensive tackle Bryson Eason such a key part of the team’s defense.

“The Volunteers figure to have one of the better defensive lines in the SEC in 2024,” ESPN’s Mark Schlabach wrote.

“One player that teammates and coaches have raved about since spring practice is senior Eason.

Defensive line coach Rodney Garner has helped transform Eason into an interior lineman.

Now 6-foot-3 and 303 pounds, Garner says Eason is just scratching the surface of the player he can be.

He could be more than a complementary player to the Vols’ more established pass-rushers.”