Four-Star Hardy continuing to 'build relationship with Tennessee coaches', updates recruitment

Jay Hardy provides the latest scoop on his recruitment

Jay Hardy stunned most folks watching when he chose Auburn over Tennessee on November 6th. Hardy was coming off of a weekend official visit to the Tigers that completely flipped his recruitment and led to him feeling like Auburn was home.

However, Hardy never wrote Tennessee off completely and stated that he would still give them a chance to build a better relationship with him. So now, two months later, where do things stand with the top 100 prospect from Chattanooga? VR2’s Dale Dowden caught up with Hardy on Tuesday night, and here is the latest.

Hardy said on his overall recruitment, “Georgia, Bama, and Ole Miss have been talking to me lately, but I told them it is really just between Tennessee and Auburn."

When Hardy chose the Tigers back in November, it ultimately came down to his relationship with that staff and the way he was made to feel like a priority. That is what he wanted to see if Tennessee could change down the stretch with him. Hardy said on the Vols message, "they are telling me how they finished the season compared to how they started and just how they could be next year and improve with me in it."

Hardy has stayed in communication with the Volunteers coaching staff and is giving them the opportunity to pull him back in. He said on the possibility of an in-home visit, "they have been talking about it a lot, but I am not sure when it will be yet."

An in-home visit may not be the only opportunity that the Vols have to get some face time with Hardy in the next couple of weeks, as he is tentatively looking at making an unofficial visit to campus. Hardy said, "it is probably going to be in the next couple of weeks. I have been trying to get to one, but we have been busy with our schedule for basketball this year."

The Tennessee coaching staff are not the only ones trying to keep Hardy in-state, as several of the current commitments are playing a role in this one as well. He said on the impact of Tennessee landing several of his close friends, "they have all been trying to get at me and talk about my recruitment. It has been something that they believe, and that is something that we all talked about. It has been something that has really been stuck on my mind with what we all could be."

On Tennessee pulling off the flip, Hardy said it is going to come down to, "really just the relationship with the coaches. I am still working to build a better relationship with them, because I feel like I have a better relationship with the Auburn coaches, right now. That is what really made the big change."

So when can we expect a final decision from Hardy? He said, "probably like two or three weeks is when I will probably think about shutting it down if I do not have my mind made up yet.

Hardy is the biggest target left on the board for the Vols in this class, and he would be a key addition to the impressive defensive line haul the Vols currently have. He is a prospect that Tennessee believes can play multiple roles across the front of the defense.