Powder Springs, Georgia safety Jaylen McCollough has been inching toward a decision for quite a while.
On Friday morning in front of his student body at Hillgrove, McCollough pulled the trigger by announcing his commitment to Tennessee at a pep rally this morning.
"It was just the coaching staff and the atmosphere," McCollough said. "Bringing coach (Jeremy) Pruitt and coach (Charles) Kelly over really brought me to Tennessee. Being up there around the whole staff was like a second home. They love football and that's something I want to be around. I know for a fact I love football It just feels like family."
The relationship with first-year Vol safeties coach Charles Kelly helped deliver the final blow to South Carolina, Florida State and others, as McCollough found great peace in his relationship with the veteran assistant.
"He's just an honest dude," McCollough said. "He's been recruiting me since my freshman year and he has never steered me wrong. He has given me some of the best advice outside of football. That shows me he cares about me as a man and not just another player."
McCollough's ties to Kelly actually go back even further than when the current Vols' assistant began recruiting him early in his high school career.
"He actually recruited my dad and coached him when he was in college at Jacksonville State," McCollough said. "That didn't play a factor in anything, but he just loves the game and I love his honesty. I just know I can trust him. He tells me about when he used to chew my dad out when he was coaching him and shows me old pictures of the two of them."
McCollough takes a cerebral approach to the game and he's serious about his craft as a defensive back. He's always watching other players trying to pick up on things in an effort to improve.
"I used to watch Jalen Ramsey a lot when he was at Florida State," McCollough said. "In the league, I watch Landon Collins and Eric Berry. Just some of those guys I try to model my game after. I'd love to sit down with Eric because he came from Fairburn and I used to play there when I was younger. He went to Creekside and then Tennessee. I'd love to follow that same path and make it to the NFL."
At 6-foot-1 and almost 200 pounds, McCollough showcases high level ball skills and plays the game with great intelligence. He soaks up every second of film or weight room time. He constantly works after practice to improve his game. That work ethic is something that impressed many schools that recruited him.
"I feel like my football I.Q. is very high," McCollugh said. "I feel like I'm athletic enough to play multiple positions in the secondary. I feel like I bring a different level of intensity because the love and passion I have for the game. Those are just some of the things. I love playing football and I think that's good to have on defense. A whole bunch of dudes that fly around and love to play the game."
McCollough marks the eighth commitment for Tennessee from the Peach State in this cycle. He's very familiar with several of his future teammates like Ramel Keyton, Wanya Morris and Warren Burrell. The Vols have always had a strong contingent from Georgia and this group is fairly close. He has high hopes and believes having familiar friends on Rocky Top will make the transition that much easier.
"It makes it a whole lot easier," McCollough said. "I grew up playing with or against these guys. I know what they are about and the guys that coach Pruitt has brought in from Georgia love to play ball. I feel comfortable with those guys and I'm pretty sure when we get up there, it's no games. Just business."
Rivals.com ranks McCollough as a 4-star safety in the class of 2019. He is a member of the Rivals250 coming in at 147th nationally.
