Hooker revealed that he talked to Payton extensively while trying to make a decision.
And Payton told Hooker that he wished he could come back to Tennessee for one more season.
[. . .]
Ultimately, this just shows the amazing culture that Heupel and his staff have built over the last 11 months. Players aren’t in a hurry to leave Tennessee. They enjoy playing for Heupel and it seems they don’t want their time on Rocky Top to end.
Not only is that a good thing for the current state of the program, but it’s also a good thing for recruiting.
Recruits are going to see the vibe at Tennessee and want to be part of it.
Maybe that’s why the Vols were able to pull in an unexpected top 15 recruiting class this week.