4-star WR Travis Smith Jr. made the decision for Tennessee on Saturday.
Smith, the No. 27-rated broad receiver within the Rivals250 WR for the 2025 recruiting cycle out of Atlanta (Ga.) Westlake Excessive Faculty, picked the Vols over Alabama, Georgia and Auburn after a gauntlet of visits over the previous month and alter.
SEC contenders like Georgia and Alabama every had momentum in Smith’s recruitment for various components of the low season main into his July 13 reveal. Tennessee had been trending up with the 6-foot-4, 200-plus-pound pass-catcher after making his ultimate go to to Rocky Prime on June 21-23 weekend.
“They wish to make the most of me wherever on the sector creating area and so they let me know persistently they need me and so they want me. I felt like a precedence down there,” Smith advised Rivals.
“The whole lot they’ve been speaking about on the cellphone since again in-season, they’ve persistently proven it,” Smith continued. “They actually confirmed out for the official go to, it was loopy.”
The in-state Dawgs and the Crimson Tide completed simply behind the Volunteers for Smith, who was excessive on Tennessee’s teaching employees and the blueprint in place on the offensive aspect of the ball. That features the depth at quarterback and up to date success of growing broad receivers.
“My finest official go to, personally, was Tennessee,” he defined. “Bringing us out to the river, tubing, having these comfy visits. It was nice.”
“It comes right down to visualizing myself making performs. I do know I could make performs wherever I am going; it is the place I can see myself going up high and past at.”
The Volunteers have maintained a gradual place in Smith’s recruitment. Josh Heupel and receivers coach Kelsey Pope have performed large roles on this one.
“They’ve been so, so, so in line with communication, protecting me aligned inside the program and what’s taking place there, protecting me within the loop on every part,” Smith stated.
“They’ve been actually excessive on the listing, emphasizing how vital I might be for his or her program and it has been spectacular. I have been up there just a few instances and was in a position to construct a great relationship with the employees. Coach Heuepel and Coach Pope have touched based mostly with my household, and that is been an enormous a part of my recruitment. How a lot I might slot in with that offense can be an enormous plus.”
