It may have been his birthday, but 2025 4-star safety Lagonza “Shaedy” Hayward gave Volunteer fans the best present on Saturday when he announced his commitment to the University of Tennessee. After narrowing down his options to three schools, Hayward selected Tennessee over Georgia and Florida.
This marks the third consecutive Saturday that the Vols have landed a big prospect – all three hailing from Georgia. Hayward joined previous commitments linebacker Christian Gass (announced 7/20) and wide receiver Travis Smith Jr. (announced 7/13). The Vols now have three of the top 15 prospects from the Peach State.
Per 247sports.com, the 6’1” 200lb. Toombs County High School (Lyons, GA) athlete is ranked as the 95th overall prospect, the 11th best safety and 12th overall from the state of Georgia. Hayward is a two-way player, excelling on both sides of the ball. In 2023, he made 48 tackles as a defensive back and as a wide receiver he caught 26 passes for 727 yards and seven touchdowns.
Toombs County coach Buddy Martin told on3.com, “We like to say that Lagonza plays with a hot motor. He’s just one of those special players that can do it all.” Hudson Standish with 247sports.com says of Hayward, “Intriguing combination of ready-to-play football instincts and long-term athletic upside make Hayward one of the more compelling prospects in the state of Georgia.”
Tennessee was the first program to offer Hayward a scholarship and was the most recent school he officially visited, having travelled to Knoxville on June 21st. His recruitment journey was filled with many ups and downs – at least for Vol fans. After Hayward paid some unofficial visits to Rocky Top, many thought he was a lock, but once the official school visits began, it seemed Tennessee fell to the wayside. However, scoring that last official visit may have been key in Hayward’s decision.
July 27th, 2024 is a birthday Shaedy Hayward will never forget. Not only the joy of celebrating another trip around the sun, but also the excitement marking the beginning of an illustrious collegiate career.
