The commit train keeps on rolling for Tennessee and head coach Josh Heupel as the Vols continue their July recruiting surge in landing wide receiver Nathan Leacock. The three-star decided to make the call weeks after his official visit to Knoxville and a lot of credit goes to position coach Kelsey Pope for closing the deal.

The 6-foot-4, 200 pound wideout chose the Big Orange over a final grouping of Michigan, Mississippi State, Florida, North Carolina State, North Carolina and West Virginia. Leacock becomes Tennessee’s 19th commit for the 2023 cycle, the eighth offensive pledge and third wide receiver to join the class..

A native of Raleigh, N.C., Leacock joins an offensive class comprised of five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava, four-star tight end Ethan Davis, four-star athlete Cam Seldon, three-star wide receiver Nate Spillman, three-star running back Will Stallings and three-star offensive linemen Ayden Bussell and Shamurad Umarov.

Here’s a detailed look at what Leacock’s commitment means for Tennessee.

“The one word that describes Nathan is dynamic. That’s with his personality and style of play – he’s a very personable kid with great energy. When you get him on the field, he’s a dynamic play-maker. We have used him in a verity of ways. Regardless of how you get the ball in his hands, he’s just dynamic. He finds a way to use all his gifts. He can jump out of the gym and turn on the jets. He has great body control. He’s just a dynamic player all the way around.

Right off the get-go, he’s a very intelligent young man. He obviously gets it done in the classroom with a 4.0 GPA. He’s extremely intelligent. As he’s gone through learning the game of football – with limited experience in middle school – his ability to process really well has helped his ability to grow as a player. He’s a social kid with great energy in any setting he’s in – whether it’s inside in the classroom, on the field or out in the community. He has a great energy about himself.”

-- Chris Buntin, Millbrook head football coach

Tennessee is getting a big wide receiver with the addition of Leacock. The three-star is tall and physical – the perfect fit for an outside guy in Josh Heupel’s offense. As a junior in 2021, the All-State recipient hauled in 42 catches for over 1,000 yards – scoring 15 touchdowns in the process. He primarily lined up in the slot but has experience playing all over in bunch and trip-sets as well.

“One thing they like about me is my speed and ability to track the ball,” Leacock told Volquest in the spring. “They pulled up my film and then showed me how I would fit in the offense. I think they like how I’m versatile because I’m a tall dude who is fast. Most of the time, those guys can only catch fades or jump balls on the outside. I think I can do a lot more than that. That’s why they like me a lot.”

The film backs up that notion. Leacock has long strides to get behind the defensive secondary and speed to breakaway from defenders after the catch. He easily takes the top of the defense at the prep level, but has shown the ability to run crisp routes inside the red zone as well.

He’s an unselfish player who blocks for his teammates in both the pass and the run. Leacock is also active on screens – both bubble and tunnel – and makes the most of it with defenders close in space. On plays that break down, the receiver shows his intelligence by rolling field side to come back and help his quarterback.

Additionally, he’s a tough tackle when the ball is in his hands. With added fuel in a collegiate strength and conditioning program, Leacock could turn into a threat in this offense down the line.

Finally, he’s a big fan of Kelsey Pope and the role he played in Tennessee’s passing game and development last season.

“Coach Pope is a young guy, so he can kind of relate to me. He actually played a year in the NFL, so he has some good experience playing wise,” Leacock previously told Volquest. “I believe his plan has been working. He literally showed me how their plan turned a receiver who had about five receptions for 100 yards to a guy with 40 receptions for 1,000 yards. I think him being there is really good for Tennessee.”

It’s the third committed receiver in the class, joining Nate Spillman and athlete Cam Seldon, and the eighth pledge on the offensive side. Tennessee will want to bring in multiple receivers in this class, so getting another to join now was important. All eyes on the offensive side will continue to point towards the trench play as offensive tackle priority target Stanton Ramil has yet to make his move.

The Vols will likely say goodbye to play-making wide receiver Cedric Tillman following the 2022 campaign but are set to return what should be some experience in Jalin Hyatt and Bru McCoy. Behind those projected starters, there’s a lot of youth who will be looking to crack the rotation with a new quarterback in 2023.

Look for Leacock to come in and work to be a part of that rotation. There isn't an immediate rush for playing time as the freshman can learn from those in front of him. But there will be snaps to be earned and with his physical make up, the Vols would love to utilize that sooner rather than later.