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These 10 Tennessee football recruits are already in Citrus Bowl practice ahead of signing day

Adam Sparks, Knoxville News Sentinel
·2 min read
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Ten recruits set to sign with Tennessee football on Wednesday are already participating in the Vols' Citrus Bowl practice on campus.

Five-star wide receiver Mike Matthews, four-star quarterback Jake Merklinger and four-star athlete Boo Carter are among them.

It takes the suspense out of the early signing period. But it provides an early sigh of relief for Tennessee.

Recruits already enrolled for the 2024 spring semester can participate in bowl practices, even before they sign their national letter on intent. They will travel with the team to Orlando, Florida, but they can't play in the game.

Quarterback Jake Merklinger is a 4-star prospect from Calvary Day School in Savannah, Georgia.
Quarterback Jake Merklinger is a 4-star prospect from Calvary Day School in Savannah, Georgia.

No. 21 Tennessee (8-4) will play No. 17 Iowa (10-2) in the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1 (1 p.m. ET, ABC).

The Vols have 20 commitments in their 2024 class, and they can begin signing on Wednesday. The early enrollees will begin classes in January, and the remaining signees will join the team in the summer after their high school graduation.

Five-star Nico Iamaleava and other 2023 signees took advantage of enrolling early when they participated in Orange Bowl practices a year ago.

Here are the 2024 recruits participating in Tennessee's Citrus Bowl practice, along with their hometown and star rating, per 247Sports Composite:

  • WR Mike Matthews (Lilburn, Georgia; five stars)

  • WR Braylon Staley (Johnston, South Carolina; four stars)

  • ATH Boo Carter (Cleveland, Tennessee; four stars)

  • QB Jake Merklinger (Savannah, Georgia; four stars)

  • OL Max Anderson (Frisco, Texas; four stars)

  • OL William Satterwhite (Akron, Ohio; four stars)

  • DB Marcus Goree (Cleveland, Tennessee; three stars)

  • OL Jesse Perry (Murfreesboro, Tennessee; three stars)

  • S Edrees Farooq (Baltimore, Maryland; three stars)

  • OL Gage Ginther (Fort Collins, Colorado; three stars)

  • DL Kellen Lindstrom (Springfield, Missouri; three stars) is not on campus yet. But he is expected to join the team for practice in Orlando.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: These 10 recruits for Tennessee football already in Citrus Bowl practice