It’s probably the only reason UT gets Some recruits
As is the case with just about any school
UT used to perennially recruit top 5. Unfortunately, some upstart programs usurped our spot in the last 20 years (LSU, Clemson, Oregon, A&M, Auburn, etc and I definitely wouldn’t call UGA or Bama upstarts but their recruiting dominance is unprecedented).
The amount of times we have finished second or third for top recruits to those programs is mind-boggling. People are just butthurt we have that extra gear now to put us over the top. Knoxville has always been an attractive place for recruits.