Fast-Rising OL Valen Erickson Talks Vols Offer, Upcoming Trip, and More

Chicago (Ill.) St. Rita Offensive Lineman Valen Erickson has been a part of a recruitment explosion since late March. The midwest offensive lineman has picked up nine offers since March 30th, and Tennessee joined the fray earlier this week. Erickson talks about the Vols offer, his connection with the staff, a current player, and more here.

"I actually had been in contact for a while with the assistant o-line coach, Coach (Alex) Abeln," Erickson said of the Tennessee offer. "I was in contact with him when he was at Ole Miss, and we just stayed talking and built a really good relationship. Once Coach (Alex) Golesh and that staff got their hands on my film, they offered me the day after watching my film. Coach Golesh gave me a call, and then he offered me."

"It was really good," Erickson said of his conversation with Golesh. "He is definitely passionate. They want to do really big things at Tennessee, and I think they will get the job done there. The day after I got the offer, I got a zoom call with the entire coaching staff. On there, I just love the family vibe, and Elarbee, Heup, I love all of those guys. I was really impressed."

"With the zoom call, I introduced myself to the entire staff," Erickson said. "I talked to Coach Heup and Coach Burns; then, at the end, I spent about 25 minutes talking to Coach Elarbee."

"He definitely thinks I am a fit," he said about his takeaway from Elarbee. "He could see me kicking in or staying out at tackle; we will see. He has had a lot of success where he has been, and he has produced a lot of NFL talent where he has been, which is good. We are going to set up another zoom call with just me and him and go over how they play and stuff like that."

While the offer and zoom call served as a formal introduction to the Tennessee staff, Erickson was more than familiar with them and one player on the current roster.

"I know a lot about them with them being from UCF," he explained. "I lived in Ocala, Florida, for about six years before I moved up here. So, I know all about them, and actually, my quarterback when I was living in Florida was Brian Maurer."

"I have been in contact with Brian a lot," he added. "He said the staff is awesome, and he loves the new staff. He thinks it would be a really good fit for me."

"It is a big deal," Erickson said of the Vols giving him his first SEC offer. "I grew up watching SEC football, and there isn't anything better, so it has been great."

While the recruiting process is surging for Erickson, he knows what he is looking for in a school.

"I am looking for the culture of a program, how I fit, and the feel for the campus, Erickson said. "I am actually going to drive up to Tennessee in a couple of weeks and check it out."

There is not a firm decision timeline in place, but Erickson has a plan in place as visits are about to start.

"Really, if I had to make a choice right now, I am going to make three officials in the summer and maybe take two officials on game day in week one or two, then decide off of that," he said.

Recent offers from Tennessee and Nebraska have pushed those schools into a battle for the top spot in his recruitment as he continues to weigh all offers.

Whenever the time comes, Erickson knows what a program is getting in him.

"They are going to get an overall player that wants to win championships and just a gritty player that wants to be a big part of a program."