KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Byron Young was on his manner again from a exercise at Planet Fitness in January 2019 when he observed a flyer that modified his life, and finally, helped change the trajectory of Tennessee’s soccer program.

It was a flyer publicizing open tryouts for the Georgia Military School soccer group. At the time, Young was working lengthy hours as an assistant supervisor at Dollar General in Columbus, Georgia. He’d additionally carried out some moonlighting at Burger King and later labored some night time shifts at a Circle Ok comfort retailer.

“I wasn’t on anyone’s radar, at the very least not on anyone’s soccer radar. But I stayed in form and by no means gave up on my dream of enjoying school soccer,” Mentioned Young, a 24-year-old senior exterior linebacker and the Vols’ high pass-rusher. “It wasn’t a simple path, however lots of guys on this group did not have straightforward paths. That’s an enormous a part of what’s made us who we’re.”

So simply who’re these Vols, apart from a group that has risen from the soccer ashes over the previous decade and a half to seize the No. 1 spot within the first College Football Playoff rankings heading into Saturday’s showdown with No. 3 Georgia at Sanford Stadium?

Put merely, it is a group with much more five-star tales than five-star recruits.

“A variety of guys on this group had been advised what they weren’t or what they could not do,” mentioned junior receiver Jalin Hyatt, who leads the nation with 14 landing catches. “That has a manner of bringing a group collectively as a result of you recognize what the man beside you needed to do exactly to get right here.”

Up and down Tennessee’s roster, there are castoffs, transfers who got up on by their earlier colleges, breakout gamers who’ve seemingly come out of nowhere, gamers who’ve battled via adversity or had been spurned throughout the highschool recruiting course of and coaches who had been fired.

“I feel every part that everyone’s gone via earlier than they bought right here or whereas they had been right here is part of the material of who they’re,” mentioned Tennessee coach Josh Heupel, himself a castoff from Oklahoma, his alma mater. “I feel it reveals the character and the competitiveness of these people too. I do not know if there is a chip on their shoulder essentially, but it surely’s part of the rationale why we proceed to get higher.”

No participant personifies the id of this Tennessee group greater than quarterback Hendon Hooker, the odds-on Heisman Trophy favourite. It was made clear to Hooker following the 2020 season that his days as a quarterback at Virginia Tech had been over and he wanted to discover a new place to play. He discovered that place in Tennessee.

Hyatt is on the form of tear receivers dream about with 11 landing receptions in his previous 4 video games, after catching a complete of 4 TDs in his first two seasons on campus. As a highschool recruit, Hyatt was advised he was too skinny and too frail to play at both of the Power 5 colleges (Clemson and South Carolina) in his house state of South Carolina. That was regardless of catching 57 landing passes throughout his highschool profession at powerhouse Dutch Fork, which is positioned about 20 miles from South Carolina’s Williams-Brice Stadium.

Kicker Chase McGrath began his profession as a walk-on at USC earlier than tearing a ligament in his knee as a sophomore, sitting out all the COVID-19 season in 2020, then transferring to Tennessee.

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His knuckleball 40-yard discipline purpose was the game-winner towards Alabama, snapping the Vols’ 15-game dropping streak within the sequence and setting off a wild celebration at Neyland Stadium.

Cedric Tillman, the Vols’ All-SEC receiver from a 12 months in the past, got here to Tennessee from Las Vegas as a two-star recruit. His different affords had been from Hawai’i, UNLV and Weber State. Tillman has missed most of this season after present process ankle surgical procedure. He returned final week towards Kentucky, however the Vols restricted his snaps. Heupel mentioned Tillman is “able to roll” towards Georgia.

There are related tales on the teaching workers.

Rodney Garner, one of many high defensive position coaches and recruiters within the nation, was part of Gus Malzahn’s Auburn workers that was fired following the 2020 season.

Even Heupel was unceremoniously dumped in 2014 as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, the college he helped result in a nationwide championship in 2000 as its QB and the Heisman Trophy runner-up. Heupel initially landed in Oklahoma by means of Weber State and Snow College, a junior school in Ephraim, Utah, and solely after then-OU offensive coordinator Mike Leach satisfied the remainder of the Sooners’ workers that Heupel was price a scholarship.

“We all have some cool tales, and you recognize, we’re not carried out writing them,” Hooker mentioned. “We all have the identical purpose.”

That purpose — step one, attending to Atlanta and successful an SEC championship — was unimaginable lower than two years in the past when Heupel took over a program that was in shambles with 30-plus gamers transferring out and an NCAA investigation looming. The college had launched its personal inside probe into recruiting improprieties that led to the firing of former coach Jeremy Pruitt for trigger.

But now that purpose seems throughout the Vols’ attain, and so they can take a significant step towards it Saturday if they will snap a five-game dropping streak to Georgia in solely the third AP No. 1 vs. No. 2 regular-season matchup in SEC historical past.

Tennessee final received the nationwide championship in 1998, and Garner, who was on the workers in 1996 and 1997, helped recruit a number of of the core gamers of that group, together with Tee Martin, Jamal Lewis, Cosey Coleman and Deon Grant.

When Garner (who performed at Auburn underneath Pat Dye) had an opportunity to come back again to Tennessee underneath Heupel, it was a no brainer for Garner, his spouse Kim and their six daughters.

“Back then, you can stroll anyplace with that ‘T’ in your chest, and it commanded respect,” Garner mentioned of his earlier stint on the college. “Even although I did not play right here, this has all the time been a particular place to me, and to play even a small half in its resurgence means rather a lot. I’m happy with the way in which these guys have performed for one another, similar to these groups within the ’90s. It was all the time extra about Tennessee than it was in regards to the people. That’s the factor we needed to get again to when Coach Heupel and all of us bought right here.

“Everybody wanted to grasp how blessed they had been to be at Tennessee versus that Tennessee was blessed to have you ever. It’s been superior to see these guys come collectively and play for one thing larger than themselves.”

It by no means hurts if you’re chasing a championship to have your finest gamers on offense (Hooker) and protection (Young) even be two of your finest leaders. They’re each 24 and have seen just a little little bit of every part.

Hooker began 15 video games at Virginia Tech over three seasons, however by no means bought the sensation that he was actually then-coach Justin Fuente’s man. After a recreation towards Clemson in 2020, Hooker started shivering and shaking on the sideline after dropping a fumbled snap within the third quarter. Hooker walked again to the locker room with a coach.

Fuente advised reporters afterward that Hooker was “chilly.” Hooker mentioned he had a response to some remedy he was taking for a coronary heart situation he had in 2019. Either manner, he by no means performed one other snap at quarterback for Virginia Tech.

“I do not wish to make assumptions, however I had a sense one thing was occurring at first of that season. Hendon received the job, however they mentioned the opposite child [Braxton Burmeister] deserved to play,” mentioned Hooker’s father, Alan Hooker, who was a North Carolina A&T Hall of Fame quarterback.

“Somehow, a way, they only determined Hendon wasn’t their man. They did not have full belief in him, and he wasn’t going to be invited again. It was just about that straightforward.”

Hooker’s regular demeanor is unchanged whether or not he is attempting to elude a 250-pound defensive finish, speaking to a reporter or rallying his teammates. But his eyes slim at any point out that Virginia Tech gave up on him following that Clemson recreation as a result of the coaches there made it seem to be he was tender.

“I’m certain you possibly can ask my opponents, and so they’d let you know I’m not tender in any respect,” Hooker mentioned. “And I do not get the entire ‘chilly’ factor both. In 2019, we performed in pouring-down rain towards Pittsburgh, and I threw three touchdowns with brief sleeves on. I did not hear something then about being chilly or tender.”

Once he arrived at Tennessee, Hooker needed to show himself yet again. There was additionally a twist. Less than three weeks after he bought on campus, Pruitt was fired as Tennessee’s coach, that means Hooker had an entire new offensive system to study, a system that could not have been a greater match.

But even then, Hooker nonetheless hadn’t received the beginning job after his first spring apply underneath Heupel. The Vols introduced in Michigan switch Joe Milton proper after the spring, and Milton was named the starter for the primary two video games of the 2021 season.

But since shifting in because the starter in Week 3 in 2021, Hooker has accounted for 59 touchdowns, accomplished 69.2% of his passes and thrown simply three interceptions.

“We had seen him on tape and knew he was dynamic doubtlessly together with his ft,” Heupel mentioned. “Now, did we envision that first spring that he was going to be enjoying like this? I can not say that. But the man has made such strides. It’s loopy, simply basically, the psychological a part of the sport and being fully assured and cozy in himself and being relaxed on the market.

“He understands that he would not should play excellent, and you place all that collectively, and he is enjoying at such an elite degree. It’s actually enjoyable to observe.”

As nice as he is been on the sphere, Hooker’s precedence is to be a very good teammate. He was the primary one to volunteer to choose up his proper guard, Javontez Spraggins, each morning at 5:30 after Spraggins’ automotive died.

For the Kentucky recreation final week, Hooker had a number of of his outdated teammates from Virginia Tech come to city after the Hokies had performed Thursday night time.

“They had been all at Hendon’s condominium, sleeping on couches and the ground,” Alan Hooker mentioned.

Young has been the defensive equal of Hooker for the Vols. He’s performed his manner into being a possible early-round NFL draft decide in his second season and leads the group with 13 quarterback pressures. More importantly, he is one of the vital revered voices within the locker room, and his story resonates with all the group.

After graduating from tiny Carvers Bay High School in Hemingway, South Carolina, in 2017, Young was small for an edge rusher (213 kilos) and did not have the grades to get right into a four-year school. He wound up at Gulf Coast Prep Sports Academy in Mt. Vernon, Alabama, performed two video games throughout the 2017 season, solely to have the college abruptly fold.

“The complete factor was a sham, and Byron got here again house,” mentioned Ike Young, Byron’s oldest brother. “But he wasn’t about to surrender. That’s not how he was raised.”

Young moved to Columbus, Georgia, the place Ike and a few of his brothers lived. There had been 13 youngsters within the household, and Ike is retired from the navy. He has a son who’s a 12 months older than Byron.

“Byron wasn’t afraid of handbook labor. None of us had been,” Ike Young mentioned. “We had a wood-burning range and went out and chopped up wooden and dragged it again house.”

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That similar work ethic saved Young going for almost a 12 months and a half, whether or not he was stocking cabinets at Dollar General or opening and shutting the shop.

“I nonetheless take into consideration these days and what it taught me,” Young mentioned. “In reality, generally after we’re about to run again on the sphere, [teammate] Roman Harrison will have a look at me and say, ‘Remember Dollar General. Remember the place you got here from.'”

Young tried out for and made the Georgia Military School group and blossomed in 2019 as one of many extra extremely recruited junior school prospects within the nation. He bought larger and stronger and was a terror chasing down quarterbacks. The 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19, however his 2019 tape was ok that a number of SEC colleges pursued him.

One of these colleges was Auburn, and Garner was the purpose man in recruiting Young. At the time, Young was near selecting the Tigers, however as destiny would have it, he and Garner ended up collectively at Tennessee.

“I’m simply glad it labored out the way in which it did as a result of I actually wished him after I was at Auburn earlier than we bought fired there,” Garner mentioned. “That’s the way in which it goes generally. I nearly got here again right here to Tennessee when Lane [Kiffin] bought the job. I got here up right here and interviewed and every part. I really took the job earlier than I got here. But I bought up right here and issues simply did not really feel proper.”

Sure sufficient, Kiffin left Tennessee lower than a 12 months later for USC.

Young seems to be again on his journey and has that very same “it was meant to be” feeling. He jokes that he has a “senior citizen” on the group in Hooker, who he can relate to amid all of the youthful gamers in this system.

“I went the lengthy path to get right here and so did Hendon. We weren’t the one ones,” Young mentioned. “A variety of guys needed to discover new locations to play. We’ve discovered that place, and we’re not near being carried out.”

Hyatt thought he had discovered his place at Virginia Tech when he dedicated to the Hokies in February 2019. Both Clemson and South Carolina handed on him, primarily as a result of he was 153 kilos popping out of highschool and so they thought he wasn’t sturdy sufficient to play at a excessive degree.

“I went to camps at Clemson and South Carolina simply to showcase my expertise,” Hyatt mentioned. “They simply saved saying, ‘We’ll see. We’ll see.’ But nothing ever got here of it.”

It will not be misplaced on Hyatt that two of the individuals who did not assume he might lower it at South Carolina might be on the Georgia sideline Saturday. Will Muschamp, the Dawgs’ defensive coordinator, was South Carolina’s head coach throughout Hyatt’s recruitment, whereas Bryan McClendon, Georgia’s receivers coach, was the Gamecocks’ offensive coordinator and receivers coach.

“It sucked not getting a proposal out of your hometown college as a result of I really feel like they need to be the primary ones to supply,” Hyatt mentioned. “But they by no means did, and I do know why. Things work out the way in which they’re presupposed to, and I’m glad they thought I used to be too small. It helped lead me right here, and have a look at what all I’d have missed.”

Hyatt had affords from different FBS colleges and all the time believed his pace would set him aside regardless of how skinny he was. His father, Jamie, felt the identical manner.

Jamie remembers a dialog that they had with Muschamp the summer time earlier than Jalin’s junior 12 months in highschool. Jamie mentioned Jalin ran a scorching 40-yard sprint and that Muschamp even referred to as Jalin’s highschool coach at Dutch Fork, Tom Knotts, to inform him it was one of many quickest 40 instances he’d ever seen.

When they met afterward, Jamie mentioned Muschamp checked out Jalin and mentioned, “Man, you are quick, however it is advisable to eat extra peanut butter.”

At that time, nothing else wanted to be mentioned.

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“I nonetheless speak to Coach Muschamp and we chop it up. [Georgia] is recruiting my youthful son,” mentioned Jamie, whose son Devin is attending IMG Academy. “But I can let you know — and I do not assume Coach Muschamp meant it personally — that our enterprise was carried out with South Carolina after that. We wanted to maneuver on, and I do know Jalin has used it for motivation.”

Hyatt’s dedication to Virginia Tech did not final. Former Tennessee nationwide championship-winning quarterback Martin was one of many coaches on Pruitt’s workers who closed the deal on getting Hyatt to flip to the Vols.

“I’d all the time wished to play within the SEC too, since you wish to play towards one of the best,” Hyatt mentioned.

One of the primary individuals Hooker texted when he bought to campus was Hyatt. They met when Hyatt was on a recruiting go to to Virginia Tech.

“Where can we meet? Let’s go throw,” Hooker’s textual content learn.

And as Hyatt would get to the soccer complicated on daily basis, the primary automotive he would see was Hooker’s.

“His automotive was the final one there too,” Hyatt mentioned. “I assumed, ‘Does he ever depart?'”

Hooker’s focus, demeanor and work ethic all wore off on Hyatt, to not point out nearly everyone else on the group. Hyatt admitted he wanted to mature his first couple of years on campus.

But now, there’s not a extra dynamic mixture in school soccer than Hooker and Hyatt; the pair has been on the core of an offense that leads the nation in scoring (49.4 factors per recreation).

“It’s all of our confidence, actually, that is grown, and that goes straight to Coach Heup,” Hyatt mentioned. “As an offense, I really feel like after we step on the sphere there’s no person that may cease us. The solely individuals who can cease us are ourselves.”

One of the favourite traditions of the Hooker household is watching Christmas specials yearly. A staple is “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

Alan Hooker seems to be at this Tennessee group, a group that has surpassed even the wildest expectations, and can not help however take into consideration Rudolph’s go to to the Land of the Misfit Toys.

“That’s form of what you may have with Tennessee,” Alan Hooker mentioned. “All these guys have totally different tales, a few of them tales of rejection. But in the best setting, they’re an ideal match.”

And if the Vols have their manner, that excellent match will result in an ideal season.