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Tennessee football fans can get a sneak preview of the newest Vols on national TV.
Five UT signees in the 2024 class will play in the Polynesian Bowl on Friday (9 p.m. ET) in Hawaii. The high school all-star game will be televised on the NFL Network.
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This is the same game where UT quarterback Nico Iamaleava won MVP honors a year ago.
In this year’s Polynesian Bowl, the Vols will be represented on both sides of the football.
Quarterback Jake Merklinger, wide receiver Mike Matthews and offensive tackle Bennett Warren will be on offense. Edge rusher Jordan Ross and linebacker Edwin Spillman will line up defense.
Matthews and Ross were already on campus as UT early enrollees, and they participated in the Vols’ practices for the Citrus Bowl. The other three are finishing high school and then joining the Vols in the summer.
All five players will be freshmen in the 2024 season.
What to watch from Vols football at Polynesian Bowl
Merklinger is a four-star signee and ranked the No. 9 quarterback in the 2024 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. He will compete with veteran Gaston Moore for the backup job behind Iamaleava in the 2024 season.
Matthews is a five-star signee and ranked the No. 5 wide receiver in the 2024 class. If he has a strong spring practice, he could challenge for playing time as a freshman.
Warren is a four-star signee and ranked the No. 11 offensive tackle in the 2024 class. Usually offensive linemen develop as freshmen, but Warren already has the size (6-foot-7, 342 pounds) to compete at the SEC level.
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Ross is a five-star signee and ranked the No. 3 edge rusher in the 2024 class. The Vols have stacked dynamic edge rushers in recent seasons, led by All-SEC performer James Pearce. But if Ross flashes as a freshman, there’s always room for another pass rusher.
Spillman is a four-star signee and ranked the No. 28 linebacker in the 2024 class. The Lipscomb Academy standout was one of the top recruits in Tennessee. As a freshman, he’ll likely be a contributor on special teams while he develops in UT’s linebacking corps.
