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Amari Jefferson gives Vols 12 Mr. Football players from Tennessee. Here’s the list
Portrait of Adam Sparks
It takes more than homegrown Tennessee players for the Vols to win at a championship level.
UT must recruit well in Georgia, North Carolina and other talent-rich neighboring states.
But snagging the best players from the Volunteer State is a prerequisite for team success, and UT took a notable step in the past month.
During the early signing period in December, UT added four Tennessee Mr. Football winners or finalists. And on Tuesday, UT got 2023 Tennessee Mr. Football winner Amari Jefferson out of the transfer portal.
Jefferson signed with Alabama out of high school, choosing the Crimson Tide over the Vols. But after taking a redshirt as a freshman, the wide receiver will transfer to UT with four seasons of eligibility remaining.
So UT added five Tennessee Mr. Football winners and finalists this offseason and lost one. Defensive lineman Omari Thomas, who won the 2019 Mr. Football award at Briarcrest Christian, declared for the NFL Draft.
UT now has 12 Tennessee Mr. Football winners and finalists on its 2025 roster.
Mr. Football players from every Tennessee region
UT has pulled in Mr. Football talent from all three regions of the state: Three from West Tennessee, five from Middle Tennessee and four from East Tennessee.
Here are the 12 Tennessee Mr. Football winners and finalists on UT’s 2025 roster.
Division II Class AAA Mr. Football Award winner Amari Jefferson, center, poses for a photo with finalists Kaleb Beasley, left, and Cason Gentle, right, during the Mr. Football Awards at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023.
Some elite recruits didn’t make Mr. Football list
Of course, a Mr. Football award isn’t the only measure of an elite high school player or college prospect.
The Vols have 13 scholarship players from Tennessee who were not Mr. Football winners or finalists on their 2025 roster. But they were among the best recruits in the state.
For example, edge rusher Caleb Herring was the state’s No. 1 recruit in the 2023 class, but he didn’t make the Mr. Football finalist list out of Riverdale.
And safety Andre Turrentine was the state’s No. 4 recruit in the 2021 class out of Ensworth when he signed with Ohio State, but he also didn’t make the Mr. Football cut. He transferred to UT after his freshman seaso
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