Josh Heupel and company started behind the eight-ball in recruiting the class of 2022 when arriving on Rocky Top in January.

To ensure that’s never the case again moving forward, the staff has aggressively offered several high school rising juniors and even sophomores for the class of 2023 & 2024. Quarterback Jadyn Davis was one of those prospects this week, a 6-foot-0, 185-pound pro-style quarterback.

“Tennessee called my coach when I was with him and I was able to talk to coach [Joey] Halzle,” Davis told Volquest. “He wanted me to know Tennessee was serious about me and they gave me an offer. He said the staff believes that I can lead the program to a national championship one day.”

The Vols join an impressive list of offers that already includes Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Oregon, Penn State and Maryland. The Fort Mill, S.C. native was named a 2020 Max Preps Freshman All-American and has already been invited to the 2024 Adidas All-American Bowl Game.

“Tennessee is a perfect fit offensively for me,” the quarterback said. “We didn’t dive into anything too deep with the playbook or anything, but we throw it around a lot at my school right now.

“We run a spread offense with four or five wideouts at a time. I feel like my mobility is great. I stay in the pocket for as long as I can looking to throw, but I use my legs to extend plays and I can certainly tuck it and run if I need to.”

Originally from Georgia, Davis now resides in the Palmetto Sate playing for Catawba Ridge High School. The rising sophomore never grew up rooting for a particular team – instead he’s always watched players, trying to mold his game after them.

Cam Newton and Aaron Rodgers are two of his favorites.

“I feel like they see the maturation in my game because I’ve been told I play beyond my years,” Davis said of the Vols. “I feel like I read defenses well and fit the ball in tight spaces. I read the RPO game well and I have leadership skills.

“As a freshman, I helped lead guys who were older than me to a semifinal in the state playoffs. I think they see how I was as a freshman and see the potential in how hard I’ve been working.”

The dead period didn’t affect the 2024 prospect as much as it has his classmates, but Davis plans to be on the move this summer. Mostly, he’ll be camping and checking out campuses unofficially with scheduled stops at Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, South Carolina, Oklahoma and Penn State.

The Tennessee target is now trying to find a way to Knoxville as well over the next few months.

With all the attention in recruiting starting at an early age for the quarterback, it can be a lot to handle. Davis is taking it all in stride while also relying on those closest to him for guidance.

“It’s a whole lot of fun, but it can be very stressful at times. People started judging me at an early age and feel like I can’t ever make a mistake in my performances,” Davis concluded. “My family keeps me humble. We are all very competitive and all of us play sports. They tell me to be 15 and to make mistakes.

“I’m loving this process because I’ve grown up watching these programs. To be able to play for one of them will be a blessing.”