Tennessee Lands Elite Texas QB Prospect Kaidon Salter: 'You Can't Beat That'
The Tennessee football recruiting roll hit an important point Sunday. Not long after landing elite linebacker Aaron Willis, the Volunteers appear to have a contender for their quarterback of the future in the fold.
Kaidon Salter, who broke out as a junior at Cedar Hill (Texas) High School in 2019, went public with a verbal commitment to Tennessee over Auburn and several others. Knoxville was one of the last trips he was able to make before the COVID-19 pandemic shut recruiting down in March.
"Tennessee stood out a lot, being able to watch their practice and having one-on-one time with the coaching staff," he said. "Coach (Chris) Weinke, CoachPruitt, Coach (Jim) Chaney, it was really great sitting down and talking to those three coaches right there.
"Just the relationship that we had, since the day that they offered, was real strong. The love for Tennessee is real great."
The Mother's Day declaration was a full circle moment for the rising senior recruit. Pruitt and the UT staff made the entire Salter family a priority and it paid off.
"I told them on my little sister's birthday that I would like to commit," he said. "After a great time talking to my family, it was the best time to commit to the University of Tennessee coaches. They were real excited, they said they weren't going to be able to sleep that night. They had their wives jumping around, their kids jumping around, it was a real big moment.
"It was probably a few weeks after I visited campus when I realized Tennessee felt like home when I was there. Me and my family loved it. Everything was great. I really had to sit down and think and the love I had for Tennessee was real strong. I'm in touch with the coaches every day. Coaches are even sending my mom and dad good morning texts in the morning and even made a post for my little sister on her birthday that was really special. It blew up on Twitter."
Celebrating the public decision on Sunday with four generations of mothers, Salter had long felt like a clear priority for the program's quarterback position in the 2021 cycle.
"Coach Weinke and Coach Chaney told me that I was the only quarterback that they wanted in the 2021 class," he said. "People were trying to commit. They wouldn't let them commit to see where I was going. That's just real love, it just shows that they wanted me. It was real love."
Having always wanted to play in the SEC, there is about as much tangible recruiting momentum for UT as any program has enjoyed since the 2019 season ended. The Vols are the only program north of 20 verbal commitments to date.
"Tennessee has turned around this 2021 class," Salter said. "Most definitely bringing in some fire. The program that they have, being coached by those type of coaches, will be a great experience. They'll be able to work you and get you ready for the next level, which is the NFL. They know what it takes to get there.
"The coaching staff has turned it up a notch. They're showing a lot of love to these players, being straight forward with us and the love the Tennessee coaching staff has for their players is great. The Tennessee love is real, the fan base it lit, the coaching staff is lit, the campus is beautiful, you can't beat that."
Registering 38 touchdowns in helping Cedar Hill to a solid playoff run in 2019, there is also some track and field in the 6-foot-1, 185-pounder's background.
"Coach told me I'm a pro-style quarterback that can use my legs whenever I need them," Salter said. "I feel like I can fit inside their offense, that under the center offense, the pistol, whatever the type of offense they need me to run. Coach Weinke can just develop me to be that type of player.
"Coach Weinke, Coach Pruitt and Coach Chaney, I talk to those three coaches the same amount. Every day. That bond that we have...it's just all connected."
For more on Tennessee football and recruiting coverage, visit VolunteerCountry.com.
--
Follow SI All-American's college football and basketball recruiting coverage here on SIAllAmerican.com as well as on social media, @SIAllAmerican on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.