Since August 1, the recruiting process for current juniors has really caught fire and began to heat up as there are now less restrictions around contact between coaches and prospects from the 2025 class.
Tennessee turned the heat up on several juniors recently – also offering some new names out of the 2025 class.
Montgomery Academy (Ala.) wide receiver Derrick "DJ" Vinson already holds a handful of offers. VolReport caught up with him to talk about his recruitment and a recent offer from a school with an explosive offense.
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"My recruitment is going great," Vinson told VolReport. "So far, I'm getting a lot of interest from colleges."
At 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, the junior pass-catcher has a very appealing frame to college coaches. Vinson has nice height and possesses a frame that could add some nice muscle weight as his high school years wrap-up.
VolReport took a close look at the sophomore film of the Alabama native – and quite a few things stand out as the tape rolls.
Vinson was raw in a lot of areas, but also did a lot of good things and showed very promising signs. Being a natural athlete has helped Vinson on his journey of being a Power Five-level prospect.
That journey is very feasible as the mission can be completed, especially with the colleges that are showing an interest.
"The colleges that have shown the most interest have been Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and Kentucky," Vinson said.
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The jump off the ball is pretty impressive as there appears to be no wasted strides. The ability to track the ball in air and make the proper judgments on the location, while deciding how to attack the ball, is a solid trait to have at the position. For a young receiver to understand and correctly utilize body control when going up for a ball is something special.
Not all of the schools mentioned above have extended offers just yet, although Arkansas and Tennessee have – along with Alabama State, Appalachian State and North Alabama.
The Vols were the latest program to offer the fast-rising athlete.
"When Coach Dog (Aaron Amaama) offered me, I was excited," Vinson told VolReport.
"I didn't get too excited because I still need to prove myself and show them what they just offered. ... Coach Dog told me to keep balling out and to keep working."
It sounds like a simple message, but it is a solid one. Often times when young men begin receiving the offers and getting the attention, vision often gets blurry. It is important for those around the prospect to make sure they stay focused on the tasks at hand – and the main goal.
Conveniently, Vinson is no stranger to what Tennessee has been doing the past couple of years, as the relationship between the wide receivers – and the Josh Heupel offense – is very explosive and noticeable.
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: 2024 in-state DB Jackson Mathews talks season opener, Vols recruitment
"Their involvement of the wide receivers in the offense (really stands out)," Vinson said. "Knowing that Tennessee is big on wide receivers just makes it more intriguing knowing that the ball will be in my hands a lot."
The 2025 prospect has more questions for the Vols in a sense, as the Montgomery Academy student-athlete is eager to learn more about the program.
"I would like to learn more about their coaches' relationships with their athletes, and the gameday atmosphere when you play for Tennessee," Vinson said.
The newly-offered Tennessee prospect already has a date in mind. On September 30, when South Carolina arrives on Rocky Top, Vinson also plans to be in attendance to take in the sights and sounds of the day's festivities – some of which probably include revenge as the Gamecocks' upset of Tennessee last year that removed the Vols' chance at making the College Football Playoff.
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