Driven by personal loss, 4-star Cam Seldon sees bright orange future

One of Josh Heupel’s biggest recruiting priorities in the class of 2023 has chosen Rocky Top to be his home. Receiver/running back Cam Seldon, a 4-star from Northumberland High School in Heathsville, Virginia committed to the Vols over his two other finalist Penn State and Maryland.

“I kind of already had the decision in my back pocket but I didn’t say anything,” Seldon said. “I just wanted to see how everything went. Tennessee is a good fit. From the first day I met the coaches starting with coach Burns and then coach Pope we have been developing a good relationship. Then when I stepped on campus to really meet everyone it was great.

“I knew when I left my official visit there it was going to take a lot to beat them out,” Seldon said.

The 6-1, 210 pound athlete has been humble in his recruiting approach keeping things low key. There’s nothing about his game that is low key which is why he made Heupel a happy man when he gave him the news.

“When I told coach Heupel I was coming, I don’t really know how to explain his reaction,” Seldon said. “He was really excited.

“He described my role in the offense as they are going to do whatever the need to do to get me the ball.”

Seldon credits receivers coach Kelsey Pope as a huge reason he chose Tennessee.

“I didn’t know much about them before they started recruiting me. I watched a few games. I liked how their offense is.

“He’s very up front. We have a good relationship. We really connect with each other. I understand him and he understands me. We talk about everything.”

One of those topics is Seldon’s biggest motivation.

“My cousin, Jer’najha Smith, she passed away in a car accident when I was a freshman. That’s my motivation,” Seldon explained. “She was my God sister and we were really close. She is what drives me to try and be the best I can be.”

His best has made him a dominant player at Northumberland High School. His best has made him coveted by many including his new home. With his college choice made, Seldon is ready to return to the gridiron for his senior season with all of his attention on being his best.

“It’s great knowing that I have the decision behind me and I can really focus on my last year of high school.”

Seldon is the second wide receiver to commit in the 2023 class in joining Lipscomb wideout Nathan Spillman. Even though he will start there, the staff has made him understand they will move him around.

“They just want the ball in my hands,” Seldon said. “Schools we’re all recruiting me to play both (wide receiver and running back) and at first I just wanted to play wide receiver. Now I just embrace that I’m getting the ball in different ways which is a mismatch thing.”

But at wideout he will always have his favorite routes.

“Probably a bubble, a slant or a curl,” Seldon said. “It’s a quick route and I feel like nobody can really guard me on a deep ball so it makes it more of a challenge.”