In covering every National Signing Day since 1995, sans a one-year break for "a vacation" at the Cleveland Clinic, the two constant deciding factors that I have heard and continue to hear from prospects, their families and coaches regard "relationships" and "a family atmosphere". If I had a nickel for every time that I have heard those two things, I would spend National Signing Day taking a real vacation in a place much warmer than Cleveland.

But recruiting is changing and changing a lot due to the transfer portal and NIL deals. It’s left some college coaches openly expressing disgust and frustration, while others say it’s now just legal to do what’s been going on for years. Regardless of your stance, everyone who follows, covers and works in recruiting wonders what’s next.

After all, who would have ever thought the #1 ranked player in the country would flip his commitment from Florida State to Jackson State. Hello new era.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel, whose first recruiting class at Tennessee is ranked 11th by rivals.com and is a consensus Top 15 class by all services, acknowledges recruiting is vastly different these days, but believes the roots of HOW you recruit and WHO you recruit remain as true as ever.

“The core of how you are going to recruit is not going to change here under me,” Heupel said. “I believe in relationships. I think that matters in the short term and the long term. The culture that you build is hugely important to me and you have to add the right pieces. All of those things have to be right. I believe that kids are looking for that as well. It’s a different era than it was 20 years ago. The transfer portal is here. It’s not going anywhere. Some of that’s beneficial to coaches and recruits. In some ways there are some things that probably aren’t as beneficial, but it’s here. I believe in building a really strong culture, one that players want to be a part of and in that you are going to have the right players inside the locker room.”

Those relationships were big in the Vols' success on Wednesday. That was especially the case with Tyre West, who has known Rodney Garner since he was a 9th grader and admitted that was key in his decision.

The bottom line for Heupel and his staff is that their core values in recruiting must continue to win because as good of a close as the last 24 days have been (8 signees, 6 defensive, 2 offensive), the Vols must recruit even better for the class of ’23.

Tennessee is far from arriving. That’s right, the Vols aren’t BACK yet---but the progression is tangible to see. It’s not just in the success on the field, but in belief in the locker room in each other and in the coaching staff. It’s evident in the fact that Hendon Hooker is returning. Cedric Tillman is expected to return. Cade Mays is at least giving it consideration and no one to date has entered the transfer portal since the end of the season.

You can credit that to the culture in the program---also known as "relationships" and "a family atmosphere".

Those are values that Josh Heupel is banking on building off of from Year One to Year Two and values that Heupel’s program must continue to find success with in an ever-changing recruiting world.

Rebuilding is all about landing more Jimmy’s and Joe’s. But as a coach once told me, those Jimmy’s and Joe’s have to legitimately want to be here.

Right now, guys want to be at Tennessee. And for now, that's real progress.