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Tennessee recruiting billboards, explained: Why Vols are putting players' faces up in Southeast

Kevin Skiver, USA TODAY NETWORK
·2 min read

The holidays are going to be a bit more orange in the Southeast.

Through Dec. 26, Tennessee football is showcasing the players who committed to the Vols in the region, using digital billboards to highlight the class of 27 players (21 of whom signed National Letters of Intent when the early signing period began on Dec. 20). While many of the players will be featured in-state, other billboards will appear in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri, Texas, Virginia, and go as high north as Ohio, according to a UT news release Thursday.

Tennessee joins a few other schools who have used billboards to highlight their commits and show their appreciation for the new signees.

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This past season, Tennessee went 8-4 (4-4 SEC), and is gearing up to play Iowa in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida, on Jan. 1 (1 p.m., ABC). The Vols' new class is joining in time to be part of the new SEC, which will welcome in Oklahoma and Texas next season and abolish divisions.

Tennessee posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, to showcase the new signage.

Top Tennessee recruits

Tennessee finished with a characteristically strong class for 2024, featuring a pair of five stars and 11 four-star players, per 247Sports Composite.

The five-stars include:

  • Jordan Ross, EDGE (Birmingham, Alabama)

  • Mike Matthews, WR (Lilburn, Georgia)

Ross' billboard will appear in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, whereas Matthews' will be near Atlanta, according to a news release. The Vols' four-star commits include:

  • Jake Merklinger, QB (Savannah, Georgia)

  • Braylon Staley, WR (Johnston, South Carolina)

  • Boo Carter, S (Cleveland, Tennessee)

  • Bennett Warren, T (Sugar Land, Texas)

  • Kaleb Beasley, CB (Nashville)

  • Peyton Lewis, RB (Salem, Virginia)

  • William Satterwhite, IOL (Akron, Ohio)

  • Max Anderson, T (Frisco, Texas)

  • Edwin Spillman, LB (Nashville)

  • Kellen Lindstrom, DL (Springfield, Missouri)

  • Jordan Burns, LB (Atlanta)

In-state recruits in bold.

Per the release, the billboards will be shown near the players' respective towns.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee recruiting billboards: Why Vols are putting players signage up