How the firing of Jimbo Fisher could affect Tennessee football
Jimbo Fisher was recently fired by Texas A&M after another disappointing season. The coach will receive a record buyout to not coach for the school. What does this have to do with the Vols? Well, potentially a lot.
For starters, the Aggies currently have the No. 10 recruiting class in the country. The team has 2 5-stars and 15 4-stars committed for 2024. Not all of these players will leave because of Fisher, but some of them definitely will. For example, it would be worth seeing if 5-star WR Cameron Coleman from Alabama would be interested in flipping. Tristan Jernigan from Tupelo, MS and Debron Gatling from Alpharetta, GA should also be targets due to their proximity.
Now, moving on from the 2024 class, let’s dive into the current A&M roster. The name everybody will think of is Walter Nolen. The 5-star d-lineman from Powell, TN would be a dream transfer portal target. Another big get would be WR Evan Stewart from Memphis. If either player enters the portal, Heupel & Co. should be on the phone immediately.
Finally, this move will affect the Vols depending on who A&M hires to replace Fisher. While I seriously doubt any Vols’ assistant coach would be a candidate, whoever does get hired could poach from Heupel’s staff. The 2 names I’d be most worried about losing are Mike Ekeler and Jerry Mack. Both have been fantastic position coaches and it wouldn’t be surprising to see either land a promotion or more money from another school.