Bradley recaps his weekend at home
Tennessee commitment Chandavian Bradley was back ‘home’ over the weekend spending a couple of days at his future college home after committing in mid-July.
“I just wanted to see back home,” Bradley said of why he came back for another unoffical visit. “I miss this place tremendously. It’s my favorite place to be at. The whole recruiting process it has been my favorite. I also wanted to visit with all the other recruits they had here whether they were ’23’s or ’24’s just to see how they were feeling and to recruit to them. I wanted to let them know my experiences with the place.”
The four star future Vol has been working the recruiting trail from regularly talking to a prospect like Rickey Gibson to getting to know guys in future classes. It’s a process that Bradley is enjoying.
“Now that I know that I am here all they have to do is send me their contact name and I’m texting with them,” Bradley said. “Not only is it me recruiting them but it’s also me creating more relationships with people all around the country.
“I think I come off as a nice caring person. I don’t negative recruit annoying, but I also come from a standpoint where hey this is a really good place. If you haven’t been there yet, it’s a really great place. They are going to care for you like family. They are going to love you like family. It’s your recruitment so where ever you choose I’m going to be happy for you and support you regardless. Just know I want you home (Tennessee).”
Every prospect that makes a commitment likes the place they chose. But the 6-6, 215 pound Bradley fell head over heels in love with Rocky Top from the moment he stepped on campus.
“The morning I woke up in Knoxville and came to the facilities there was just this energy when you walked in,” Bradley said smiling. “You just feel different when you are at this place compared to what other places give you. The coaching staff is not only going to coach you to be a better player on the field, but they are going to coach you to become a better man to people around you. They are also going to give you a different way to live your life and help you better your career besides football.”
With a decision clearly done, Bradley’s life is clearly less hectic and his ability to concentrate on his game and academics is much easier.
“Focusing on the field is a completely different level now,” Bradley said. “I have so much more that I can pay attention to on the field and not have to worry about recruiters texting me or coming in to watch me practice or into the school to talk to me when I’m in class. Not only is it going to benefit me on the field in being able to focus but it will also benefit me in school being able to be in class the whole time. I’m not going to have to leave the classroom every two minutes to go see a coach. I will be in class which will help me with my schoolwork.”
On the field with his game, Bradley’s biggest focus is on getting bigger.
“Fundamentally right now just being more physical. Working on my strength and build because I know I’m a skinnier build than most edges and defensive ends. But I know I can work my tail off to be able to get to where I need to be.”
Bradley is 25 pounds heavier after playing last season at 190 pounds. He hopes to be 235-240 when he arrives on campus. To get there, Bradley plans to continue to working out multiple times a day and consuming his 5,500 calorie diet that helped him put on the weight this past year.
“I know I’m going to have to dedicate a lot of my time to being in the weight room to be able to better myself. I know a lot of the technical issues I have, I know I can fix them. Gaining weight is a completely different beast.”
Bradley plans to return to Knoxville for is official visit for the Alabama game.