As it turns out, Tennessee had a couple of surprises in store for us on early signing day. We had a good feeling that four-star running back Justin Williams would pick Tennessee, but the additions of four-star defensive tackle Tyre West and four-star pass rusher James Pearce really gave the class a boost.
Per the 247Sports Composite, Pearce and West gave Tennessee their sixth and seventh four-star commitment, solidifying a first class for Josh Heupel that not many had very high hopes for. Not only did Heupel and his staff arrive in January, but they were forced to play catch-up initially with COVID restrictions still prohibiting prospects from visiting campus.