More than two years in, we now know Tennessee head coach Butch Jones can recruit with the best of them. One top 25 recruiting class could be chalked up to luck. Two in a row, including a top 10 class, might be a coincidence. But three in a row, including two straight top 10 classes, marks a trend that appears bound to continue.

No coach in the SEC other than Alabama’s Nick Saban has attracted as much talent during the last three recruiting cycles as Jones, who has used Tennessee’s illustrious football tradition and the need for new blood in the lineup as selling points to gather those classes. He was able to sell prospects with early playing time as the program was being rebuilt, and the prospects responded just as he and the UT fan base hoped they would.

But now those prospects are starting to develop into a crop of pretty darn good football players. This is, of course, a great thing for the Tennessee program. But there’s a growing fear that Jones will have to adjust his approach on the recruiting trail because he’ll be unable to use the same sales pitch involving early playing time.

Rest assured, Tennessee fans, that’s simply not true.

No, the NCAA did not amend the rules to allow more players onto the field at one time. But just because Jones can only play 11 at once doesn’t mean he can only play 11 on that side of the ball all game.

Take Mississippi State head man Dan Mullen for example. He’s mastered the art of rotating his entire two-deep onto the field throughout his non-conference games (which, admittedly, are often against some rather unimpressive opponents) in an effort to get more players playing time and to develop experience along the second-team as injury insurance for conference play.

Jones may not be able to employ this system against a non-conference foe like Oklahoma, but he can in games against teams like Bowling Green, Western Carolina and North Texas. So right there you just doubled the number of players who will play in a game, which can allow Jones to promise more players early playing time as freshmen.

I already know what you’re thinking: But that only accounts for three of Tennessee’s 12 games! What about the other nine?

You make a great point, anonymous reader. This is where special teams comes into play. SEC teams use more first-string talent on special teams than many realize, so building depth in the form of boatloads of four- and five-star recruits can allow Tennessee to put a star-studded lineup on the field in special teams situations without risking injury to an established starter.

This method gets a young player’s feet wet at the college level. It allows him to fill a role and become a true member of the team, which will only elevate his play as opposed to a season of watching and waiting from the bench. And it allows him to begin his development as soon as he arrives on campus, increasing the likelihood he’ll be an impactful starter sooner than later.

It’s not a glamorous role, but it’s a role that involves consistent playing time as a true freshman. Jones can sell that role and he can sell the chance to break into the lineup in non-conference games or when the injury bug rears its ugly head.

And as his top-10 classes continue to develop, the Tennessee program will only grow more successful. At that point, Jones may have to sell less playing time than he can now, but he’ll still be pitching playing time, tradition and the chance to latch on to a program rising fast in the nation’s highest-profile conference.

Tell a kid he can suit up and play as a freshman for a team with a genuine chance to win the SEC East as soon as 2015, and you’ll at least grab his attention. Jones’ success on the recruiting trail and the depth it creates in Knoxville may force him to alter his approach in recruiting, but there should always be opportunities for newcomers to begin leaving their mark on his Tennessee program.