At the time, the Christmas Day phone call didn't carry all that much weight.
Eighteen days after being introduced as Tennessee's next football coach, Butch Jones got a call and a commitment from Nashville wide receiver Vic Wharton on Dec. 25, 2012.
It was the first name of the 2014 class, but it was the snow ball that started down the hill and the gift that kept on giving, all in the form of a 6-foot, 190-pound four-star prospect from Independence High School.
"I think me being the first commit," Wharton said Friday, with an understated tone, "I guess I started our class.
"But everyone had a huge role in getting players to come."
What started with Wharton's commitment grew - through friendships, through friends of friends and, maybe most importantly, through group text messages - to a list of 31 names by the time National Signing Day 2014 rolled around, the No. 5 class in the country according to Rivals.com.
Wharton knew four-star athlete Todd Kelly Jr. He knew four-star Nashville safety Rashaan Gaulden, too. The connections continued to five-star running back Jalen Hurd and five-star wide receiver Josh Malone, two more Nashville products that turned heads towards Knoxville.
Wharton, too, was the first legacy of what would eventually become known as the 'Legacy Class.' His uncle, Brandon Wharton, played basketball at Tennessee.
Todd Kelly Jr.'s dad, of the same name, played football for the Vols. So did Andre Creamer, the father of three-star athlete Neiko Creamer. Eric Berry's younger twin brothers, Evan and Elliot, were also part of the class of 2014. As was four-star linebacker Dillon Bates, the son of former Vol Bill Bates.
"I can't believe we're all finally here," a seemingly relieved Wharton said. "This class we all dreamed of having - me communicating with Coach Jones, being the first commit - we're finally here."
Wharton was the starting point. And if this class has any say, so are they - the starting point of the rebirth of Tennessee football.
"I think our impact can come from how hard we want to work," Wharton said. "We're just going to try to do what the older guys say on the team, what Coach Jones says.
"Our impact can come from as bad as we want it."
As much credit as Jones has gotten for his recruiting overhaul since taking over at Tennessee, the 'Legacy Class' has gotten plenty of its own.
Jones and his staff recruited day and night. So did Wharton and his friends - and the peer-recruiting was just as successful.
"I've always been excited to just think about Tennessee football," Kelly said. "When I committed, I told myself I wanted to play with great guys.
"That's when I took the idea of finding these guys and making sure they at least get here on campus."
That was March 2013. Bates followed in July, Hurd committed in November, Malone and Creamer followed in December and the Berry twins made it official in January.
"When TK committed, he started recruiting," Wharton said. "Jalen Hurd started recruiting. I don't think there was anyone selfish, per say, on not getting some player because that's the position they play."
"You would notice that, a lot of guys, if we can get them here, we can basically get them (to play here)," Kelly added, "because Tennessee football speaks for itself."
But Wharton wasn't letting his future head coach forget how much they were speaking for Tennessee football.
"Sometimes I would tell him we'd get these players and he'd be like, 'Alright, let's see,'" Wharton said. "Then they'd commit and I'd have to hit him up and let him know."
But he's eased up on the ribbing since he got to campus.
"I don't remind him of that," Wharton said. "I just let him do his job. I'm here now, our class is here, so there's nothing else to do with it now."
Now, two weeks until the start of fall camp and going on two years since the first commitment, it's time for the class Wharton started to get to work.
"We're just trying to come in and do exactly what the coaches say," he said. "We know we can't take time off, we have to pick up on things quickly."
And there's plenty of work to be done.
"I'm a local guy, I've seen the fans struggle," Kelly said. "It's been four losing seasons in a row. You can see just the determination the guys have in workouts, meetings, just staying so honed in, that they want to win ball games.
"I want to be a part of that."
