Lots of talent descended on Knoxville for another busy recruiting weekend. Five-star prospect Jadon Perlotte highlighted the class of 2025 visitors.
The Georgia commitment was in town with his 7-on-7 team, but the Vols rolled out the red carpet for him.
Getting a chance to walk on the field, Perlotte called Neyland Stadium “top-five.”
“Spending time on the field, it’s different,” Perlotte told Off The Hook Sports on Saturday. “I could see myself playing on that big field. All the fans out there, I heard their fans get crazy. I’m excited to get down to a game.”
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel has been hard after Perlotte since he was in eighth grade. Ranked as the No. 22 prospect nationally, he has formed a great relationship with Tennessee’s staff.
“I’m really close to coach Heupel, coach Banks and coach Brian,” Perlotte said. “I talk to them all the time, they’re always coming up to my spring practices to watch me.”
Perlotte said he doesn’t really focus on the rankings or offers he holds. Instead, the Buford High School prospect looks at what relationships he is forming in the recruiting process.
“I really don’t even pay attention to that stuff, what I really pay attention to is relationships,” he said. “Relationships are what is going to get me to stay at Georgia or maybe flip, just a possibility. I really pay attention to relationships, see how coaches stay in contact with me, see how they’re pushing to get me.”
Heupel has stayed in constant contact with Perlotte through his recruitment. The linebacker out of Buford, Georgia will be hard to pry away from the Bulldogs.
“Every day,” Perlotte said when asked how often he talks to Kirby Smart. “It’s different.”
Perlotte expects to be back in Athens next week, he will also see Oregon’s spring game, an Ohio State practice and visit Alabama again.
Perlotte said he talks with Alabama head coach Nick Saban very often as well and has remained in contact with Ohio State and Clemson. As for the Vols, they made a lasting impression on Saturday.
“Tennessee just hopped on with them, I really liked what I saw today,” Perlotte said.
Perlotte got a chance to look at the planned renovations and the amount of investment Tennessee is putting in its football facilities. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound linebacker was pleased.
“They’re always constantly changing something,” he said. “I went into the coach’s building and I haven’t seen anything like it. They put a lot of money in the schools too. The schools are huge. The coach’s office though, I haven’t seen anything like that.”
Despite being listed as a linebacker, and ranked as the No. 2 linebacker in his class, Perlotte boasts versatility for whatever school lands him.
“I like to classify myself as a defensive player,” Perlotte said. “I can go back and play safety I can come up and play defensive end. I just like to bring the impact.”
