Tennessee baseball has a promising young outfielder committed for the Class of 2024. In fact, Amari Jefferson jumped onboard with Tony Vitello last summer. But the standout football prospect is beginning to see those offers roll in as well – most recently, an offer from Josh Heupel and the Volunteers program.
“It was kind of surreal. I’m already committed there for baseball and I’ve been looking forward to the football team offering me,” the Chattanooga, Tenn. native said. “When I got that call – when my coaches called me and said they wanted to talk to me – it was a good moment.
“I’ve been up there on a couple of visits already and I know they’ve been talking to some of my coaches for a long time. They like me at wide receiver.”
The two-sport athlete stands in at 6-foot-1, weighing 195 pounds. Just a rising junior, the Baylor School standout will have plenty of options over the next couple of years on where or what he wants to ultimately do at the college level.
It would be a challenge, but don’t rule out playing both sports.
“It’s pretty important to me because it’s been something I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid,” Jefferson said about being a dual-sport athlete in college. “I’m looking for a college to where I can hopefully play both and excel. I haven’t really made the final decision yet if it’s both or one or the other, but as I’m looking at it right now, I’m planning to do both in college.”
Though football options have come and more will be on the way, it was a no-brainer for Jefferson to make the early pledge in baseball. And with the state of the program under Tony Vitello, it’s easy to see why.
“I had a great connection with coach [Josh] Elander and the staff and I had been talking to them for a while,” Jefferson said on committing last summer to the Volunteer baseball program. “I went up there for a visit and camp and did very well. I got to meet them in person and take a tour. Plus, what they are doing on the field – winning with a lot of hype around the program – it felt like the perfect fit for me.
“It was amazing to watch this past year, especially being a commit there. It was special.”
But still, the athlete is shining on the football field – and that will create lots of recruiting buzz. The 2024 prospect caught 23 passes and scored 12 times as a sophomore in 2021. He was on campus for the Ole Miss game last fall and there’s plenty the Tennessee coaching staff likes about the makeup of the athlete.
“My speed and physicality are my strengths on the field,” the recruit said. “A lot of guys have my size, but don’t really have my speed. My ability to cut and make moves is something I’ve gotten really good at as well.”
As one would expect, the reaction to an East Tennessee kid picking up an offer from Tennessee has been noteworthy. It’s been a unique experience, too, for Jefferson as it’s one he’s been waiting on and from a place where he’s very familiar.
“Just growing up in Tennessee and being around Rocky Top Nation – growing up about an hour away – it’s very special,” Jefferson continued. “The fans and all the hype around the program living here in Tennessee is cool. I grew up and watched that a lot and went up there a lot as a kid. It was special.
“The reaction has been great since they offered me. I’m around a lot of Tennessee fans and with it being so close to home, I think my family really likes it.”
Other Southeastern Conference foes have taken notice too as Kentucky and Georgia have offered recently. Virginia Tech was first on the scene, offering back in the fall. But Tennessee will be a factor until the very end and it’s shown well when the prospect has made trips to Knoxville.
“It was amazing to see last season. It was a great atmosphere at the Ole Miss game,” the prospect concluded. “It was a hectic game, but really amazing. They treated us well and everything was good when we went up there.”
