Matt Johnson
Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel is on a heater right now on the recruiting trail, adding multiple 2027 commitments this week. With the class growing substantially in recent days, another pull could be on the horizon.
Chad Simmons of On3.com wrote in his latest colelge football recruiting predictions that they feel even stronger about Tennessee flipping Florida State commit Dayon Cooper to keep the South Pittsburg star in-state. It would be the second big flip for the Volunteers this summer.
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Entering Sunday, the 2027 Volunteers’ class ranked 28th in the On3 recruiting rankings. The program has jumped up several spots after it received a commitment from offensive tackle Q’Mari Hudson and flipped legacy recruit Kenneth Simon II away from the Alabama Crimson Tide.
While Florida State received Cooper’s commitment back in April, Heupel and the Volunteers coaching staff reportedly kept pushing to flip him. The time and effort have paid off, as Cooper announced his decommitment from Florida State on Sunday morning following his official visit to Tennessee.
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Cooper, rated by 247Sports as a three-star recruit, has taken recent visits to Oklahoma State (May 29), Florida State (June 5), and Tennessee (June 12). The South Pittsburg native seemed to feel right at home in Knoxville, and Heupel is clearly on the verge of keeping another Tennessee high school standout at home.
As noted by Andrew Ivins of 247Sports, programs are split on whether Cooper will be an offensive weapon at the next level or if he profiles better as a defensive back. It appears to be only a matter of time before he commits to Tennessee, but it seems safe to say that other programs will keep trying to poach him away.
