Coach: Vols Getting ‘Ultimate Competitor’ in LB Telander

Tennessee landed the commitment of Jeremiah Telander moments ago. The Gainesville (Ga.) standout committed to the Vols coming off his official visit weekend to Rocky. Gainesville High School Special Teams Coordinator and Recruiting Coordinator Riley Niblett shares insight on what Tennessee is getting in Telander as a player. 

“Tennessee is getting someone who will lay it on the line every play for the guys next to him,” Niblett said of the standout linebacker. “Jeremiah not only has the talent to go as far as he wants, but the work ethic to go with it. He is the ultimate competitor and he makes everyone on the field around him better.”

Niblett and Telander both came to Gainesville around the same time earlier this year, but even in their short time together, Tennessee’s newest commitment has impressed his coaches off the field. 

“Servant leadership is something that is becoming more rare,” Niblett said. “I think what is most refreshing about Jeremiah is how willing he is to help other people. Regardless of football, he just wants to help others succeed. That’s why he goes and picks up teammates who can’t find a ride. That’s why he stays after to make sure trash is picked up. His teammates respect him not because of what he says or does, but because of who he is. He embodies everything you want your program to be about.”

Telander will get this upcoming season with the staff at Gainesville before heading north to Knoxville. Like any prospect, there is always plenty to work on with the transition to the next level, but Niblett believes the sky is the limit for the standout linebacker. 

“Jeremiah is someone who is a fierce competitor between the lines, but off the field likes to stay out of the spotlight,” Niblett said of what Telander will have to work on between now and college. “The way he will play on Saturdays and the way he will represent the Volunteers in the community will make it hard for him to avoid that spotlight. The great thing for him is he’s coming from a really good family, his father coached college football for over a decade, he will be leaving a program that demands a similar day-to-day commitment that will be expected from him there, and he’s always eager to learn. I honestly think the bigger challenge will be Tennessee having to keep Jeremiah Telander jerseys in stock over the next few years!”

For more on Telander’s commitment, return to the recruiting tab.