Former 5-star in-state recruit that Tennessee passed on during the 2025 recruiting cycle reportedly dismissed from Virginia Tech
A former five-star recruit from Chattanooga that Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols “passed” on during the 2025 recruiting cycle has reportedly been dismissed from Virginia Tech’s football program.
A former five-star recruit who appeared destined to suit up for the Tennessee Vols has reportedly been dismissed from the Virginia Tech football program.
Wide receiver Cam Sparks, a former standout at Baylor School in Chattanooga, was reportedly dismissed by the Hokies this week following an arrest for a DWI earlier this spring.
Sparks, 6-foot-2/211 pounds, was rated as a five-star recruit early in his recruitment (his ranking ended up dropping quite a bit by the time he signed with Virginia Tech). And it appeared that he was a lock to land with the Vols.
Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre, a Vols commit at the time, was among the Vols players trying to recruit Sparks to UT. Some folks even believed Sparks, who visited UT nearly a dozen times, was “silently committed” to Tennessee at one point.
The Vols, however, eventually decided to pass on the in-state recruit.
As a result, Sparks’ three finalists were Virginia Tech, Arkansas, and Mississippi State.
Sparks didn’t record any stats during his time with the Hokies. I think it’s safe to say that Josh Heupel and his staff made the correct evaluation on Sparks during his recruitment.