Tennessee Football Answers Questions During Visit with 2027 ATH Dylan Haley

Anthony Poindexter visits 2027 Cherokee Bluff (GA) ATH Dylan Haley.

Tennessee football connects with Dylan Haley | Dylan Haley/X

There have been many changes around Rocky Top over the last few months.

Everything from players entering the transfer portal, players committing and signing with Tennessee, players declaring for the draft, along with coaches leaving and coming in.

A big number of the defensive coaches are new and have made their way to Tennessee over the last month.

Now that the college football season has ended, it has all shifted gears to roster management, and a big piece of that puzzle is the recruiting of high school players.

February is a dead period on the recruiting calendar, and many coaches are connecting with prospects just before the no limitations are enforced by the NCAA.

Coaches have been on the roads hitting schools and catching up with prospects. It's a fine time to begin setting up visits once the dead period concludes, or at the very least, plants the idea of a visit.

One of the new additions to the Tennessee football staff hit the road and was able to smooth some things out with a talented junior.

2027 Cherokee Bluff (GA) ATH Dylan Haley has seen a spike in coaches taking notice. A few January offers have been extended and quite a few coaches have made their way to Flowery Branch to catch up with Haley.

The (recruiting) process is going great. It can be overwhelming at times, but it has taught me a lot, and I’m learning to take it a day at a time and just enjoy it," Haley said.

Although a nice wave of attention has showered the Peach State product, it is very much still a level playing field as there has yet to be a school to begin leading the pack. Instead, a few schools have been in communication with Haley.

"At this point there isn’t just one school that talks to me the most. There are a group of schools that I’m always in contact with and constantly growing relationships there and Tennessee is one of those schools I’m always in contact with," explained Haley.

The Vols have validated the claims of Haley as Tennessee being one of the schools that are in contact with the Georgia native as it was revealed that more than one trip to see the junior athlete has been made.

"In the past 2 weeks, they have come by twice and both times were great. With all the new changes on staff I didn’t know what was going to happen, but they made it clear that I was still a priority and the relationship has only gotten stronger," Haley said.

The Vols extended an offer to the Cherokee Bluff student-athlete a few months ago.

I’m blessed to receive an offer from the University of Tennessee @ColemanMinnis @Vol_Football @CoachDPena @AndrewDyer1628 @BluffRecruits pic.twitter.com/mJGW9zPvrj

— Dylan Haley (@DylancHaley) October 16, 2025

"The offer meant the world to me. I remember how exciting it was getting off the phone and celebrating with my teammates and coaches. It was a dream offer and a huge honor," Haley reflected.

As mentioned earlier, a lot has taken place on Rocky Top and most notable is the staff changes. Those specific changes can truly impact the recruitment for many kids as they have fit a scheme for one coach but may not be what the next coach is looking for. That does not appear to be the case as Anthony Poindexter seems to have interest in the underclassman, as does Tennessee as a whole.

Anthony Poindexter

Anthony Poindexter speaks during the annual Joe Tiller Chapter of Northwest Indiana National Football Foundation honors dinner, Sunday, July 26, 2020 in Lafayette. Nff Honors Dinner | Nikos Frazier | Journal & Courier via Imagn Content Services, LLC

"First time meeting coach (Anthony Poindexter) was awesome. It was very easy to talk to him. He was very genuine towards me and made me feel very comfortable around him. My biggest take away from being with coach Dex was just how easy it was being around him. The conversation just flowed from the start and we just lost track of time and really got to spend a lot of time together. I could definitely see our personalities meshing well together," Haley detailed.

Poindexter was able to deliver a message that appeared to line up with what was already given during the time of staff changes.

"His overall message to me was the staff’s belief in me and my abilities on the field. Like I said when the changes happened, I didn’t know what was going to happen next. Tennessee reached out to me during the change and made sure I knew that the feelings weren’t changing on their end and it was a relief. So, now getting to meet Coach Dex and talking with Coach Hunter a bunch on the phone and building this relationship is really special to me," Haley explained.

Although the coaches that are now in place seem to like Haley and what he brings to the table, the 2027 prospect did have a few concerns about the visions for his future. Multiple coaches can like a prospect, and all have a different plan for the player, so Haley was interested if there was a new development along those lines.

"The biggest question I had is where the new staff saw me fit within the defense. Some schools like me at safety, some think I’m a nickel and can split time between both, and others show strong belief in me as a true corner, which I have experience in all, but it's always a big question for me. Coach Dex answered that question in his visit with me. They still have high beliefs in my ability as a corner and think my ceiling in that position is very high and are very excited about my development there," Haley echoed.

The next few months will be very busy and demanding for Haley as the process will move a bit quicker as junior year is wrapping up. As the next stages of the recruiting process take shape, what are some of the important things to the talented prospect?

"The biggest factors to me are development, relationships, and being around good people. I want to be developed in the best way possible and put in the position to play this game as long as I can. Relationships is big for me. I want to be part of a family and have a true home at the school I choose as well as just be surrounded by good people on and off the field," Haley answers.

There you have it from the mouth of Haley himself on what is going to be most important coming down the line, and it seems that the Vols are positioning themselves to be a true contender for the 2027 defender.

Follow Our Social Media Pages and YouTube

• Follow us on X HERE
• Follow us on Facebook HERE
• Follow us on Instagram HERE
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel HERE

Follow Our Staff:

• Follow Caleb Sisk on Twitter: @CalebSisk_
• Follow Dale Dowden on Twitter: @Dale_Dowden

---