Tennessee football utilized its defense to defeat Texas A&M on Saturday. A top 2025 defensive prospect was in attendance to watch the gritty win.
Jaboree Antoine, a class of 2025 five-star cornerback, took his first look at Tennessee on Saturday. It left a good impression on the prospect.
“Tennessee was amazing, me and the family had a great time, their fan base and the atmosphere around and inside the stadium is crazy,” Antoine told Off The Hook Sports. “About time the game started I had a head(ache) from how loud it got. I wasn’t expecting that but it was definitely worth it.”
Antoine ranks as the No. 26 player nationally according to 247Sports Composite rankings. Out of Westgate High School in New Iberia, Louisiana, he is the No. 2 prospect out of the Boot.
Tennessee’s roster holds several Louisiana natives, like Dylan Sampson. The visit allowed Antoine an opportunity to talk to Sampson about his move to Knoxville.
“He was just telling me how Tennessee was from a player perspective and to make the right decision for me and the fam,” Antoine said.
On top of meeting current players, Antoine got to spend one-on-one time with head coach Josh Heupel and defensive backs coach Willie Martinez.
Both coaches echoed that Antoine is a “high priority” in the 2025 class and he could be a lockdown corner in the secondary.
“Me and coach Heupel have been in contact almost every day,” Antoine said. “I could say he is the most down-to-earth head coach I’ve talked to, great guy.”
The Tim Banks defense relies on man-to-man coverage often. That interests Antoine, who said he likes the “you vs. him” type of defense. He saw Kamal Hadden and Gabe Jeudy-Lally get interceptions on Saturday.
The environment around Neyland Stadium, along with the defense on the field, impressed Antoine on his visit. He called that his favorite part of the visit.
Antoine currently holds 13 scholarship offers, including Tennessee, Florida and Georgia.
The Vols were already high on his list, but the visit solidified their spot near the top.
“Tennessee was already high in my recruitment,” Antoine said. “But I could say after visiting and getting to see them in action and talking with the coaches, they just took a step up.”
One Response
It’s amazing how much the defense has been improved in the short time Heupel has been there. This kid would be a great pickup for an already improving defense.