Tennessee keeps elite in-state ATH Joel Wyatt home: 'It was always like being around family'

Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Oakland athlete Joel Wyatt has been a top target for Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols since they offered well over a year ago. After close to double-digit visits to Knoxville, the No. 58 in the Rivals Industry Ranking has committed to the in-state school.

Tennessee beat out schools like LSU, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt.

“Tennessee made me feel like a top guy from the beginning,” Wyatt told Rivals. “Coach Heupel, Coach Chop (Levorn Harbin) and a lot of the coaches recruited me hard and showed me I was a top guy for them. That always meant a lot to me. They made me feel wanted and that never changed.”

He visited Rocky Top too many times to count.

It is a school he grew up following, he got familiar with the staff and the feeling he had on campus factored into this commitment too.

“It was always like being around family. The little things at Tennessee that always stand out. The people, the culture, how they treat me and what it is like to be there make it different for me. The culture at Tennessee always made me comfortable.”

The Vols started off recruiting Wyatt more as a linebacker (LEO position in their scheme), but have recently changed their approach and talked to the elite athlete about playing safety. That change, the relationships, the chance to stay home and the NIL offer all helped Tennessee keep the No. 2 prospect in their home state home.

“There is a lot I like about Tennessee,” Wyatt said. “One of the biggest things is the coaches. How they treat me and my family is different.”