Josh Heupel has more troubles coming his way after the Nico Iamaleava fiasco. The coach could never have imagined that his offseason would turn out to be this way. Not only is his set QB gone, but he’s busy redesigning his entire strategy for the season from scratch. And amidst this, Heupel also has to attend recruiting matters. Two important recruiting events unfolded at Rocky Top. One seems to go the good way, and the other brings more woe to Heupel.

Knoxville received a surprise visit yesterday from Savion Hiter, the 5-star RB from Louisa County. His gameday visit last season during the Kentucky game more or less sealed the deal for him. “It was electric,” he told Volquest. “I expected big out of Tennessee, and I got what I expected.” He last visited Tennessee in April, during spring ball, and will follow up with this surprise visit. On3 says that Heupel still has only a 17.4% chance of landing Hiter. The top contender, according to On3, is Ohio State, with a 27% shot.

Hiter comes with an impressive junior season record of 1,698 yards and 26 touchdowns. But that’s not all. The prime advantage Heupel is hoping to make use of is his running game. Because boy, can Hiter run. He is his school’s track star, already recording 11.11 seconds for his 100 meters as a freshman. His recruitment becomes even more important as Heupel missed out on securing Tristan Keys, the No. 1 WR of the 2026 class.

Tennessee is among the top schools that Hiter has narrowed down as his favorites. Heupel is still competing for him with Ohio State, Michigan, and Georgia. Even though Heupel seems to be nearly there in succeeding with Hiter, he will be missing a key commitment. And a key SEC player is already sweeping in to make the most of this opportunity.

Josh Heupel losing decommit to SEC powerhouse

Heupel lost promising DL Tyson Bacon in April when he decommitted from the program. Just like Hiter, the Kentucky game made a mark on Bacon and arrived in spring for another unofficial visit. But, he is now planning to give other schools some thought. “After careful consideration, I want to open back up my recruiting. I want to make sure I’m making the best decision for my future,” Bacon wrote when he announced his decommitment.

This renewed opportunity is giving Heupel’s former competitors a second chance. And making a run for Bacon’s commitment is Georgia’s Kirby Smart and Co. hosted him for a visit from May 16-18, and it seemed to leave an impression on Bacon. He said Georgia is making a solid “team effort” to have him on board. Georgia seems to be on a recruiting roll this offseason. Other players lined up for Bacon are Florida, Alabama, Miami, and more. His rating has dropped slightly on On3, but he remains a promising candidate. He recorded 33 tackles last year.

Josh Heupel still has some hope in getting Bacon to recommit, since he’s still on for an official visit lined up for Tennessee in June. Coincidentally, it’s the same date when Savion Hiter will also be dropping by campus officially. What’s in store for the HC, as the recruiting campaigns for these two prospects take drastically different turns?