Tennessee is dipping deep into one of the most talent-rich areas of the country in order to secure one of the top receivers in the nation. That’s a lot. Wait, it gets even more interesting. The prospect mentioned is currently committed to Miami.
Four-star prospect Waden Charles from Palm Beach Central High School in West Palm Beach, Fla., is set to visit Tennessee this weekend, along with a slew of other visitors, despite being committed to Miami since September. Certainly, Charles is no slouch.
Charles is rated the 11th best athlete prospect in the nation in an area, South Florida, in which it’s difficult to stand out. Overcoming the stiff competition, Charles has scholarship offers from LSU, Auburn, Florida, Central Florida, Louisville, Tennessee and, of course, Miami. So what stands out about the Vols all the way from South Beach?
“What interests me most about Tennessee is that they have a great young quarterback and great success with wide receivers,” the 6-foot-2, 185-pound prospect told Off The Hook Sports.
That makes sense. The Vols are soon to be led by redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who is widely anticipated to be one of the top young quarterbacks in the nation. However, there are more questions that the Vols must answer to land Charles.
“How can I fit in your system?” Charles said when asked about the questions he would be asking Tennessee’s staff. “Life after football? Education? How will I be used?”
Charles has every intention of playing receiver in college and that surely is just fine with Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel. Charles looks to be the perfect fit at wide receiver for the Vols.
“His offense is very exciting to watch because it consists of the receivers making very big plays,” Charles said.
Charles said he is still committed to Miami, but is “waiting to see how the season plays out to make my decision” when asked if an announcement was forthcoming.
Charles certainly has strong interest in Tennessee, which has been reciprocated. It’s not often that a program turns down one of the top prospects from one of the top college football recruiting areas in the nation.
