Josh Heupel made a move in the winter that Kirby Smart wasn't ready to make, and it's paying off for the Tennessee Vols this summer
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Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel made a move earlier this offseason that Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart wasn’t quite ready to make yet, and it’s paying off this summer for UT football.
Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols made a move in February that Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs weren’t quite ready to make at the time.
We’re seeing this summer why Heupel was more aggressive than Smart as the move is paying off in a big way for the Volunteers.
Josh Heupel was more aggressive than Kirby Smart in pursuing three-star quarterback Derrick Baker
Tennessee landed a commitment from 2027 three-star quarterback Derrick Baker in February.
At the time, many college football fans wondered why Tennessee was taking a commitment so early in the recruiting cycle from a three-star quarterback.
On paper, three-star quarterbacks are a dime a dozen.
But Heupel saw a star quarterback when he looked at Baker, who is from Alpharetta, GA.
Baker missed basically his entire junior season, which left many teams — including the home state Bulldogs — wanting to see more before going all-in on the under-the-radar passer.
“They definitely want to see me throw again and everything,” said Baker to 247Sports after visiting Athens in January. “So they’re coming out for spring and want me to come out for one of their spring practices too.”
Georgia didn’t offer Baker until May.
Heupel’s early aggressiveness in going after Baker is paying off as the Georgia native is turning heads this summer while earning a reputation as “one of the most gifted players at the (QB) position.”
Rivals.com’s Cody Bellaire was impressed by Baker after watching him this past weekend at the Overtime OT7 Finals in Los Angeles.
“His ability to generate velocity and complete passes in tight windows while also having the ability to throw with touch and layer the football makes it to where he can complete any pass on the field,” said Bellaire of Baker. “He needs to continue developing his ability to process and scan the field more efficiently, but in terms of physical and athletic traits, Baker is one of the most gifted players at the position.”
Bellaire also noted that Baker threw for over 1,000 yards with 36 touchdowns and only two interceptions during the event.
Baker, who is built like a linebacker, will almost certainly be elevated to four-star status in the not-too-distant future.
Now the Vols just have to fend off the programs that will come after Baker as his recruiting stock skyrockets this summer.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Josh Heupel made a move in the winter that Kirby Smart wasn’t ready to make, and it’s paying off for the Tennessee Vols this summer
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