3-star wide receiver Nate Spillman commits to Tennessee

Fresh off a visit to Knoxville as part of Tennessee’s Junior Day, 3-star wide receiver Nate Spillman announced his commitment on Twitter.

Spillman is a 2023 prospect out of Lipscomb Academy in nearby Nashville. He had some early offers from the likes of Marshall and Arkansas State, but his recruitment only recently started to take off. Tennessee was the first Power-5 school to extend an offer, and Spillman wasted no time in committing. The 247Sports Composite Rankings currently have him as the 786th overall player and 115th ranked wide receiver nationally. Spillman comes in at 6-foot-1 and 194 pounds.

Spillman’s 2021 stats don’t jump off the page—just 348 yards and five touchdowns—but the tape gives a hint as to why Tennessee’s coaches felt confident enough to extend a committable offer. Spillman is a lengthy prospect with a long stride, who shows explosive ability as an outside receiver. If it’s him vs. a defender in a downfield run, Spillman wins every time. He looks like he could still put more weight on his frame as well. That being said, Spillman is clearly just a deep threat right now, and the tape highlights how raw of a prospect he is. There’s a lot to clean up when it comes to his actual technique and ability to run a route tree. But as the old saying goes, you can’t teach speed. Spillman has loads of it, and he’s just now tapping into his potential.

Tennessee’s 2023 class now has four commitments. Two are from Georgia, and two are from Tennessee. Spillman is the first receiver to join the class, and the Volunteers will likely add 3-4 more before the cycle concludes.