Vols 4-star commit has fans worried after recent comments
A 2024 Tennessee Vols commit has fans a bit worried after some recent comments about his recruitment. Four-star wide receiver JJ Harrell committed to the Vols in late February. Harrell, 6-foot/187 lbs from Sardis, MS, is ranked in 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 22 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 3 player […]
A 2024 Tennessee Vols commit has fans a bit worried after some recent comments about his recruitment.
Four-star wide receiver JJ Harrell committed to the Vols in late February.
Harrell, 6-foot/187 lbs from Sardis, MS, is ranked in 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 22 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 3 player in the state of Mississippi.
The Tennessee commit recently spoke to On3 about his recruitment and he noted that it's still open despite his commitment to the Vols.
“My recruitment is just still open,” said Harrell to On3. “I’m enjoying this process that I’ve earned. Most definitely a lot of schools have been reaching out. I just had to let them know my recruitment was still open.”
Harrell, who plans to take more visits, pointed out that he "made the right choice" by committing to Tennessee, but he's still listening to pitches from other schools, including from Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels.
(You can check out more of what Harrell said about his recruitment to On3 by clicking here.)
I don't think these comments should come as much of a surprise. Harrell's hometown of Sardis is just 30 minutes away from Oxford and only two hours away from Starkville. Those programs were never going to quit pursuing the talented wide receiver just because he committed to Tennessee.
The good news for the Vols is that it sounds like Harrell is just enjoying the process — as all high school recruits should be allowed to do. He made it a point to say after UT's spring game that he made the right choice. That would indicate that he's not doubting his decision. Still, the line about letting programs know that his recruitment is still open is undoubtedly a bit worrisome for fans.
Recruiting, of course, is fluid — especially with the role that NIL deals now play. Tennessee will have to continue to recruit Harrell as though he's uncommitted to make sure he ends up officially being a member of the Vols' 2024 recruiting class.
