Can Tennessee football build roster like Ohio State? It takes more than just NIL

Posted by author January 27, 2025 Football

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Tennessee football must sign consecutive top-five recruiting classes, retain those players and splurge for a top-dollar transfer to build a national championship roster like Ohio State did.

Granted, there are numerous ways to win a national title. And football programs with the biggest purse in terms of NIL money usually rise to the top.

But Ohio State presented a template for roster building in this new era of college football during its College Football Playoff title run.

The plan is very difficult and expensive to replicate, but not impossible.

Tennessee’s plan isn’t far behind, but there were obvious shortcomings when comparing their active rosters at the end of the 2024 season.

More importantly, examining Ohio State’s template could inform Tennessee’s roster building for the 2025 season and beyond.

So we looked at the lineups of each team’s final game of the 2024 season to see how those players were acquired and their recruit rating when they arrived on campus. It doesn’t tell the whole story, but it says a lot.

Ohio State played 52 players, excluding specialists, in its CFP title game win over Notre Dame. Tennessee played 58 players, excluding specialists, in its CFP first-round loss to Ohio State.

Here’s the breakdown of those season-ending lineups and what it reveals about how each roster was built.

Ohio State built its roster through recruiting. Did Tennessee?

Players signed by Ohio State out of high school made up 85% of its final CFP lineup. There were only eight transfers on the field for the Buckeyes at the end of the season, including one walk-on.

Players signed by Tennessee out of high school made up 74% of its final CFP lineup. There were 14 transfers from the portal and another junior college transfer on the field for the Vols at the end of the season.

Ohio State was believed to have the highest paid roster in college football at around $20 million in NIL deals. That helped the Buckeyes land coveted transfers, but it appears that most of their money was spent on retaining their roster to develop players over multiple years.

Tennessee seems to be leaning this way, as well. It signed 25 high school players in its 2025 class and added only four transfers. And there were indications that UT spent much of its NIL money on retaining promising young players for the 2025 season.

Ohio State splurged to get the best transfer

Ohio State relied on fewer transfers than Tennessee, but it probably paid more for its top-dollar additions.

In 2024, the Buckeyes landed three top-10 transfers, according to 247Sports portal rankings.

Safety Caleb Downs, the No. 1 ranked transfer, was a difference-maker in the Buckeyes’ national title run. But they likely paid a lot to get him. NIL deals are not made public, but On3.com set Downs’ NIL valuation at $2.3 million.

In 2024, Tennessee landed two top-50 transfers, offensive tackle Lance Heard and tight end Holden Staes. They were contributors but not stars.

The takeaway: Perhaps there’s more value in splurging for one elite transfer rather than multiple transfers rated slightly below that.

Counterpoint: UT added Oregon State transfer cornerback Jermod McCoy. He was only a three-star transfer, but he turned into an All-American for the Vols. So there are different ways to win in the portal.

Ohio State recruits top-five classes. Tennessee recruits top 15.

Tennessee recruiting under coach Josh Heupel has steadily improved. His last four classes have had an average ranking of No. 13, according to 247Sports Composite. And the Vols reached the top 10 once under Heupel.

Ohio State has signed a top-five class in six consecutive years.

The difference between a top-five class and a top-15 class may seem small, especially among 134 FBS teams. But remember that Ohio State relied heavily on those recruits in the CFP, where its depth of talent made a big impact.

In Ohio State’s final game, these former high school recruits were on the field: nine five-stars, 28 four-stars, three three-stars and four walk-ons.

In Tennessee’s final game, these former high school recruits were on the field: three five-stars, 21 four-stars, 12 three-stars and seven walk-ons.

Most of the talent gap was a result of recruiting rather than the quick fix of the transfer portal.

NIL money wasn’t only reason Ohio State won title

Of course, these improvements are easier said than done. And virtually every program is chasing Ohio State.

In some ways, elite roster building in this era is the same as past eras. Teams must recruit high school players at a high level, develop them and retain them. And team chemistry is still a key to building a championship roster.

NIL and the transfer portal add layers of complexity that teams must master.

Ohio State has a significant NIL war chest, which helps it retain players and attract elite transfers. But coaches also have made good player evaluations, so a high percentage of recruits and transfers panned out.

Tennessee appears to be on the right track. The Vols have finished in the top 10 in the two of the past three seasons, and they made the first 12-team CFP.

But there are more steps ahead to build a championship roster.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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