With National Signing Day fast approaching, Tennessee is on the verge of securing its second consecutive top-ten recruiting class for the first time since 2010.

While many fans laud Butch Jones and his coaching staff for convincing top high school players to play football for the Volunteers in the midst of the roughest stretch of football in their history, most fans are unaware of the efforts of the individuals who work behind the scenes in recruiting.

One such individual is Tennessee senior Trey Johnson.

Johnson, who lists his position on the professional website LinkedIn as a student worker for recruiting operations, assists in the organization of official and unofficial visits for recruits and helps with summer camps.

The Chattanooga native’s path towards a student position in recruiting began with his childhood fandom.

“I was a big time Vol fan,” Johnson said. “My granddad was a walk-on here back in the day, he only played about two years. His rooming arrangement was actually in Neyland Stadium. So ever since I was a little kid, I have been coming to football games.

“I have always been a big Vol fan, so my dream was always to get into sports.”

Football was also an important part of Johnson’s childhood.

Johnson began playing the sport when he was in the sixth grade and continued to play throughout high school at the linebacker position, only missing his junior season due to an injury.

However, it was when he was sitting out due to the aforementioned injury that he became interested in the behind-the-scenes operations in football.

“Just seeing how my coach did logistics and he kind of taught me how he meets other coaches for film,” Johnson said. “Our athletic director was the defensive coordinator and I was really, really good friends with him. He told me how he gets buses, and meal times, and everything like that.

“That kind of got me involved in the sports’ side of thing and let me have a taste of it before I got to college.”

Despite the doctor informing him that he would never play football again, Johnson willed himself back onto the football field for his senior season. He received several offers from smaller schools, including a walk-on offer from Chattanooga.

Johnson ultimately turned down these offers to attend Tennessee.

He cited familiarity with Tennessee’s campus, his own physical limitations and his status as a Tennessee fan as reasons for his decision to go to UT.

Johnson, a sports management major, primarily focused on coursework his freshman year. His one-year stint with the Tennessee Fund was what eventually directed him to his current job.

While working at a recruiting celebration event in Knoxville for the Tennessee Fund, Johnson met Scott Altizer, who was then the director of high-school relations and walk-on coordinator.

Altizer proved to be an invaluable connection as he referred Johnson via email to Brad Pendergrass, the director of football operations.

Pendergrass would shortly leave the football program, but he forwarded an email containing Johnson’s resume to Bob Welton, the former scouting director for the Cleveland Browns and current director of player personnel for Tennessee.

After a phone call and a 30-minute interview, Welton offered the job to Johnson.

“I was his first student worker that he hired, so that was kind of cool,” Johnson said.

While organizing official visits and participating in game-day activities, Johnson has experienced many memorable moments during his time working with recruiting. He pinpointed the 2013 Georgia game as his favorite memory.

“I know we lost that game, but that was my first time being on the field for the game,” Johnson said. “It was just packed, first time wearing the smokey greys, absolutely unbelievable atmosphere. That game was perfect besides we lost.”

Johnson graduates in the spring and hopes to continue to have a role in the athletic department after he walks across the stage in Thompson-Boling arena in May.

While he may be uncertain of what role he will play for the athletic department in the future, Johnson will enter his post college years with fierce determination.

“Everything you do is a building block,” Johnson said, “you can’t be afraid to take the next step.”