Tennessee doesn't currently appear to be one of the top schools in recruiting battle for the son of a Vols legend
Earlier this month, 247Sports recruiting analyst Collin Kennedy suggested that the Tennessee Vols are one of the early standouts for 2027 five-star safety Cooper Witten, the son of former UT tight end Jason Witten. Some recent comments from Witten to On3, however, seem to indicate that Tennessee isn't currently among his top schools. “Oklahoma, Baylor, […]
Earlier this month, 247Sports recruiting analyst Collin Kennedy suggested that the Tennessee Vols are one of the early standouts for 2027 five-star safety Cooper Witten, the son of former UT tight end Jason Witten.
Some recent comments from Witten to On3, however, seem to indicate that Tennessee isn't currently among his top schools.
“Oklahoma, Baylor, Texas A&M and SMU are really making me feel like a priority,” said Witten to On3 in regards to his recruitment.
Witten, 6-foot-2/210 lbs from Argyle, TX, is rated in 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 1 safety in the nation and the No. 22 overall player in the 2027 recruiting class. He's also rated as the No. 4 player in the state of Texas.
It's still early in the recruiting process for Witten — he won't sign with a program for another 22 months — so there's still plenty of time for Tennessee to make some serious noise in this battle.
One thing important for Vols fans to remember, however, is that Witten grew up in Texas. He isn't from East Tennessee like his dad. It certainly doesn't hurt that Tennessee has that connection to the young five-star recruit, but it doesn't mean that he's going to automatically sign with the Vols.
It sounds like Witten is going to be deliberate in taking visits and finding the program that's the best fit for him. Maybe that ends up being Tennessee. Again, there's still plenty of time left before a decision will be made. But if the Volunteers are going to win this recruiting battle, they'll have to recruit Witten just like they would any other highly-coveted five-star recruit. They can't assume that they have an advantage in this battle just because Witten is the son of a Vols legend.
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