2021 Peach State OL Breaks Down Latest Offer From Tennessee, Recruitment Surge

Amari McNeill had 20 plus offers to continue his football career before this week started, but he did not have any at the Power Five level. On Tuesday, that changed for the Peachtree Ridge (Ga.) prospect. Washington State entered the race, and Tennessee followed suit on Thursday morning.

Mcneill said on picking up the offer from Washington State, "Washington State came in, I was excited. It happened at like 11:30 too, because you know, they are on the other side of the country. I was excited, I was ready for more to come because when you get a Power 5 for the first time, more come. I was ready to see who was ready next to take a chance on me." 

That team was Tennessee, and the next call came from Jeremy Pruitt. McNeill said, "hen Tennessee called my coach this morning, I was there, and talked to coach Pruitt. He told me he wanted me and was giving me an offer to Tennessee. It was crazy."

The Vols are the first SEC team to enter the mix for McNeill, and they are also the only school recruiting him as a defensive lineman. 

"Every school is recruiting me as an offensive lineman, besides Tennessee. "

McNeill said on the conversation with Pruitt, "He said I played good and physical, and he asked what I wanted to play in college. I told him D-line because I've been liking d-line a lot more. He said he was offering me a scholarship." 

McNeill added on the Vols, "I have never been to Tennessee, but I do know coach Pruitt is trying to build something over there right now and make a change over there. 

With offers at all different levels and now from across the country like Washington State, McNeill said on potentially making a big jump, "I would rather stay in the Southeast, but if it ever comes to it, and I wanted to go there, I would go. It's all about a forty-year decision, not just a four-year decision."

McNeil;'s recruitment has started to surge of late, and he said on what he thinks makes his game standout, "I have very good hands, a very good get-off, and a lot of people don't have both. I listen, and I do everything coaches tell me."

McNeill said on the major factors around making a decision, "what would impact my decision the most would be my relationship with coaches, playing time, and if they have my degree."

He plans to major in Business Management with an emphasis in Real Estate. 

He said on when a commitment could come, "Since things are starting to pick up late, I will probably commit around signing day in December, and I will probably sign in February."

McNeills said when he does make a decision, one of these schools, " are getting a hard-worker, someone that listens, wants to get better, and give everything they have every single play."