Prospect Fits: Why Amari Jefferson Is The Right Fit For Tennessee's 2024 Class
The Tennessee Volunteers lost four-star wide receiver pledge JJ Harrell on Monday. The Mississippi native is trending toward the Ole Miss Rebels, and his decommitment wasn't a big surprise. The Vols only have one pass catcher in the 2024 class, tight end Jonathan Echols. The coaching staff intends to take four wide receivers in the class and is currently sitting at zero.
They have several key targets at the position. Five-star wide receivers Mike Matthews and Ryan Wingo have Tennessee at the top of their recruitments, as wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope has invested a lot of time into developing relationships. Four-star wideout Freddie Dubose Jr. is growing increasingly hot on the Vols after attending the 865 Live Event in late May. Their fourth target is an in-state commodity that has seen his stock skyrocket after his junior season. Baylor High School wide receiver Amari Jefferson is committed to the University of Tennessee to play baseball - he's a high-major prospect in the outfield and sports a .278 batting average. However, he's also made a name for himself on the gridiron. He's keeping his recruitment open though he made the baseball pledge - Jefferson intends to play both sports in college. He recently released a top six of Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Miami.
He logged 1,370 yards and 17 touchdowns on a Baylor team littered with Power-5 talent. Jefferson's long speed gave him the potential for monster gains each time he touched the ball. When Baylor needed a big play in a crucial moment, they looked to Jefferson to create in the open field. He doesn't have a super-defined route tree coming out of high school but has proved that he can come back to the football at a high level. Jefferson attacks the ball out of the air and uses his 6-1 and 190-pound frame to box out defensive backs.
The Vols just lost a dynamic downfield threat in Harrell. They need to land someone who can break a game open from the outside. Echols will do his work over the middle of the field, but part of why Tennessee's offense was so dynamic was because they operated well outside of the numbers.
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