Why Tennessee football signing day still matters. It's just not the same

Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel was more upbeat than usual when he came to the podium to introduce a top 10 recruiting class featuring a five-star quarterback. “It’s an extremely important day,” Heupel said. “It’s a great day for the future of Tennessee football.” That was Dec. 21, 2022, when Heupel signed quarterback Nico Iamaleava as the centerpiece of a promising 2023 recruiting class. Optimism was high. Iamaleava was going to throw passes to highly touted receivers Nathan Leacock and Cam Seldon. Edge rusher Chandavian Bradley was going to lead UT’s pass rush. And Jordan Matthews would be a lockdown cornerback after choosing the Vols over Texas, Michigan and LSU, his hometown school....