Tennessee picked up its second commitment of the weekend when linebacker Jeremiah Telander publicly announced his decision following his official visit to Knoxville, which concluded on Sunday. Telander was part of a group of 13 official visitors that the Vols hosted this weekend.
Telander made his announcement on Twitter:
The Vols also received a commitment from three-star running back John Slaughter on Saturday. Slaughter’s commitment was a bit surprising from Tennessee’s standpoint. The three-star safety from Southaven (Miss.) High School has not been heavily recruited by Power Five programs. Tennessee’s coaches apparently saw something they liked by offering Slaughter a scholarship.
Telander had much stronger college interest than Slaughter to this point in their respective recruitments. The three-star prospect has already taken official visits to Louisville and North Carolina and has seen considerable interest from Florida. The 6-foot-2, 217-pound linebacker from Gainesville (Ga.) High School could help the Vols in a number of ways.
Here are three:
Depth/Immediate Help
Time will determine if Telander is ready to make an impact next season. However, there should be plenty of opportunity. The Vols struggled on defense mightily last season. Even though Tennessee will be bolstered by their 2022 class, the Vols could use all of the defensive help they can get in 2023. Telander’s rating wouldn’t make one think he could step in and play immediately. However, he’ll have the chance. If not, he should be able to at least provide depth as a freshman.
Georgia Connection
Let’s be frank: pulling prospects from Georgia is not easy, even if the Bulldogs aren’t interested, which seems to be the case with Telander. The entire state of Georgia and the area around and in Atlanta, in particular, is fertile recruiting ground, which makes it very competitive. Tennessee isn’t the only school trying to pull a prospect out of the Peach State. Having another connection in the area can only help the Vols. Throughout history, the Vols have been at their best when they have had success recruiting in Georgia and Atlanta.
Momentum
Before this weekend, The Vols had only had one commitment go public since Tennessee’s flurry of verbal pledges in April. Now, the Vols have two public commitments in two days and more will likely be on the way. It’s probably not a coincidence that Tennessee picked up its April haul after five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava from Long Beach (Calif.) Poly Tech announced his decision to commit to Tennessee. It’s probably not a coincidence that the Vols picked up two more commitments after both prospects were around Iamaleava during their visits this weekend.
Tennessee currently has 13 commitments for the 2023 class.
