On the heels of another unofficial visit to Tennessee, 5-star tight end Darnell Washington continues to hold the Vols in high regard just two months away from decision.
The 6-foot-7, 260-pound athlete from Desert Pines in Las Vegas made his third trip to Rocky Top this year over the weekend, and it won’t be his final visit, either.
The Under Armour All-American is slated to announce his college choice on Jan. 2 down in Orlando, with Tennessee set to host the nation’s No. 18 prospect on his final official visit the weekend before the early signing period.
“I believe that’s the plan,” Washington told VolQuest.
Georgia, Florida, Oregon, Miami and Alabama, where Washington will officially visit next weekend for the LSU game, are all in the mix, but Tennessee has remained a steady factor for the 5-star because of his relationship with position coach Brian Niedermeyer.
“We just click. We just bond well,” he said.
“It’s not all games. They know how to turn it on (with recruiting) and turn it off. It’s not all about recruiting. It’s about what’s going on in my life. (Niedermeyer) is obviously a funny dude. He can take a joke. He’s not all serious.”
Washington spent the weekend hanging out with Niedermeyer, Jim Chaney and the rest of Tennessee’s staff. One particular highlight was beating Jeremy Pruitt in Madden on PS4.
“I beat him by one,” Washington said.
“Got him 24-23.”
Washington hasn’t caught much of the Vols this season, but he did pay close attention to how Chaney used the tight ends Saturday in the win over UAB. He was cognizant of the seven targets going to the tight ends and all the two-tight end sets.
“They did a little bit of everything with the tight ends last night,” he said.
“Some 12 personnel, sniffer, flex in the slot.”
Washington, who received lots of “Hey Mr. Washington!” shoutouts from the crowd during pregame warmups, said he mostly wanted to experience another trip to another SEC town in the South — something that's special for he and his mom.
“We all just been enjoying ourselves on these trips,” said Washington, who has taken official visits to Georgia and Florida already this fall.
“It’s something new. We’re from the city, so we don’t see all the green. The trees. The mountains. All that. It’s fun.”