8/23/2023 football Edit

2025 Alabama WR Derrick "DJ" Vinson talks Tennessee offer, recruitment

2025 Montgomery Academy (Ala.) wide receiver Derrick "DJ" Vinson holds an offer from Tennessee.

Dale Dowden • VolReport

Lead Football Recruiting Reporter

My name is Dale Dowden and I am the Lead Recruiting Reporter for VolReport, a Rivals.com network. My exp, 2016-2018- Sleeper Recruit, 2019- VR², and 2020-2022- Volunteer Country on Sports Illustrated.

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.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

ENJOY VOLREPORT WITH A PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION

"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.

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.

Content Loading

Embed content not available
Manage privacy settings

PGRpdiBjbGFzcz0nc3RfX2NvbnRlbnQtYmxvY2sgc3RfX2NvbnRlbnQtYmxv Y2stLXR3ZWV0Jz4KPGRpdiBjbGFzcz0nY2VudGVyX3R3ZWV0Jz48YmxvY2tx dW90ZSBjbGFzcz0idHdpdHRlci10d2VldCI+PHAgbGFuZz0iZW4iIGRpcj0i bHRyIj5CbGVzc2VkIHRvIHJlY2VpdmUgYW4gb2ZmZXIgZnJvbSBUaGUgVW5p dmVyc2l0eSBvZiBUZW5uZXNzZWUhIDxhIGhyZWY9Imh0dHBzOi8vdHdpdHRl ci5jb20vbWF4d2VsbHRodXJtb25kP3JlZl9zcmM9dHdzcmMlNUV0ZnciPkBt YXh3ZWxsdGh1cm1vbmQ8L2E+IDxhIGhyZWY9Imh0dHBzOi8vdHdpdHRlci5j b20vQ29hY2hLZWxzZXlQb3BlP3JlZl9zcmM9dHdzcmMlNUV0ZnciPkBDb2Fj aEtlbHNleVBvcGU8L2E+IDxhIGhyZWY9Imh0dHBzOi8vdHdpdHRlci5jb20v QWFyb25BbWFhbWE/cmVmX3NyYz10d3NyYyU1RXRmdyI+QEFhcm9uQW1hYW1h PC9hPiA8YSBocmVmPSJodHRwczovL3R3aXR0ZXIuY29tL0V0aGFuX01jQnJp ZGU/cmVmX3NyYz10d3NyYyU1RXRmdyI+QEV0aGFuX01jQnJpZGU8L2E+IDxh IGhyZWY9Imh0dHBzOi8vdHdpdHRlci5jb20vTUFfU3dvb3BzP3JlZl9zcmM9 dHdzcmMlNUV0ZnciPkBNQV9Td29vcHM8L2E+IDxhIGhyZWY9Imh0dHBzOi8v dHdpdHRlci5jb20vTUFFYWdsZVNwb3J0cz9yZWZfc3JjPXR3c3JjJTVFdGZ3 Ij5ATUFFYWdsZVNwb3J0czwvYT4gPGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVy LmNvbS9BTExHQVNBVEhMRVRFUz9yZWZfc3JjPXR3c3JjJTVFdGZ3Ij5AQUxM R0FTQVRITEVURVM8L2E+IDxhIGhyZWY9Imh0dHBzOi8vdHdpdHRlci5jb20v QUxMR0FTVFJORz9yZWZfc3JjPXR3c3JjJTVFdGZ3Ij5AQUxMR0FTVFJORzwv YT4gPGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9hZGFtZ29ybmV5P3Jl Zl9zcmM9dHdzcmMlNUV0ZnciPkBhZGFtZ29ybmV5PC9hPiA8YSBocmVmPSJo dHRwczovL3R3aXR0ZXIuY29tL1NXaWx0Zm9uZzI0Nz9yZWZfc3JjPXR3c3Jj JTVFdGZ3Ij5AU1dpbHRmb25nMjQ3PC9hPiA8YSBocmVmPSJodHRwczovL3R3 aXR0ZXIuY29tL0plZmZfWE9TP3JlZl9zcmM9dHdzcmMlNUV0ZnciPkBKZWZm X1hPUzwvYT4gPGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9DaGFkU2lt bW9uc18/cmVmX3NyYz10d3NyYyU1RXRmdyI+QENoYWRTaW1tb25zXzwvYT4g PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cHM6Ly90LmNvLzBidWRVTmtoQU8iPnBpYy50d2l0dGVy LmNvbS8wYnVkVU5raEFPPC9hPjwvcD4mbWRhc2g7IERlcnJpY2sgVmluc29u IEpyIOKAnERK4oCdIChARGpWaW5zb240KSA8YSBocmVmPSJodHRwczovL3R3 aXR0ZXIuY29tL0RqVmluc29uNC9zdGF0dXMvMTY5MzcxNDA3MjQyMjgyNjEz NT9yZWZfc3JjPXR3c3JjJTVFdGZ3Ij5BdWd1c3QgMjEsIDIwMjM8L2E+PC9i bG9ja3F1b3RlPgo8c2NyaXB0IGFzeW5jIHNyYz0iaHR0cHM6Ly9wbGF0Zm9y bS50d2l0dGVyLmNvbS93aWRnZXRzLmpzIiBjaGFyc2V0PSJ1dGYtOCI+PC9z Y3JpcHQ+CjwvZGl2Pgo8L2Rpdj4KCg==

"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.

"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.

–––––

– TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM.

– ENJOY VOLREPORT WITH A PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION.

– SUBSCRIBE TO THE VOLREPORT YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

– FOLLOW VOLREPORT ON TWITTER: @TennesseeRivals, @TMansfieldMedia, @ByNoahTaylor, @RealTBannerman, @RyanTSylvia, @Dale_Dowden, @ShayneP_Media, @TylerIvens, @Hunter_DeNote.

–––––