Tennessee Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello just sent a loud message to every recruit in the nation whether he meant to or not
Tennessee Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello sent a loud message to recruits on Tuesday evening whether he meant to or not.
After Tennessee’s 22-9 win against Radford on Tuesday, Vitello was asked about North Carolina transfer Alberto Osuna and his ongoing battle to gain an extra year of eligibility.
Osuna, who transferred to Tennessee just before the start of the 2025 season, was denied a preliminary injunction by a judge on Monday that would’ve made him immediately eligible to play for the Volunteers.
At this point, it’s possible that Osuna won’t be able to play at all for Tennessee in 2025.
Vitello made it clear on Tuesday that the program is going to make Osuna’s decision to transfer to Tennessee “worth his while”.
“I don’t have a reaction,” said Vitello when asked about the ruling. “I would like you guys’ (reporters) reaction. I’d like to know what that is because all I have gotten out of you guys is it is straightforward….I don’t see how it is straightforward. I can’t do anything other than I can tell you this — we will make sure it is worth his while being at this place.”
Vitello, presumably, is referring to NIL compensation with his comments.
NIL, of course, is one of the primary factors when it comes to the decision-making process for recruits these days.
Vitello’s comments indicate that recruits/transfers are going to be taken care of at Tennessee regardless of what kind of situations arise. Trust can be hard to earn when it comes to recruiting and NIL deals. But Tennessee, at this point, has earned that trust. And that’s a big reason why Rocky Top is such an attractive destination for elite recruits in all sports.
