Breaking: Vols Land Commitment from In-State Offensive Tackle, Details Decision Here

It ultimately came down to Alabama and Tennessee for William Griffin-Parker, but in the end, the Vols won out. He just announced his decision to the public, but before the announcement, he broke down the decision with VR2 on SI.

Parker said on what ultimately led to him choosing Tennessee, "it was just the relationship with the coaches."

Parker previously told VR2 on SI, "that is the craziest group of coaches that recruited me. They are a funny group of guys."

Parker told Jeremy Pruitt on Thursday, and he said about the Vols head coach, "he was excited. He broke out into a song."

"When him and Coach (Will) Friend played at Bama, they said Friend would get on the bus last and everybody would start singing 'Big Will on The Bus.' So, he started singing that," Parker said laughingly.

Parker had yet to tell his former teammate and current Tennessee Volunteer, Elijah Simmons, and he said jokingly, "I ain't that excited (to tell him) because I have to go against him. I am excited, but I ain't that excited. That is a hard person to move. It is good to have that PC connection there, though."

Parker wants to continue the trend of Pearl-Cohn to Tennessee, as he said, "I want Barion (Brown) and Marquise Woodson to come. That is our two top dogs in the 2022 class, so why not keep it going."

For Griffin-Parker, this decision was more than just football. He has been vocal on the opportunity to get to play college football and bettering himself.

He said on the opportunity to go play for his home state school and do that, "it feels good. I feel like Coach (Pruitt) is behind everything going on now. So, why not go play for somebody who is helping his players, and helping his community, and he can develop me into a great young man. They just aren't going to sweep everything in the world that is going on under the rug, they are going to help us, and let you speak out and have your own words. They don't just tell you to hold your words and be a robot, they let you be your own person."

Griffin-Parker said on what the decision meant for his Pearl-Cohn community, "it is a huge family. We are the only high school in the zip code, and the 37208 is the most dangerous zip code in Nashville, so we have to stay together. That is the only way you can survive."

He added, "it means a lot. A lot of kids don't get out of the projects. A lot of kids more talented than me end up in jail or on the block. A chance to go Power 5 means a lot to me. I love it. I couldn't be happier than I am now."

Griffin-Parker said on involving family in his decision, "I took a different route. I tried to keep my family out of it. Where I'm from, we don't know much about college recruiting, so I tried to keep them out of. So, my family has their favorite schools, and they just tell me wherever you go, that is where we are going. They are just happy I am getting to go somewhere."

Now that Griffin-Parker has announced his decision, he said on his future expectations, "I want my college degree. That is a lot of things people from where I have. I want to be one of the first people, not only in my family, but in my neighborhood to have one."

Griffin-Parker is an SI All-American Candidate.