Elic Ayomanor had a busy month of June, taking five official visits after recruiting opened back up on June 1.
The three-star wide receiver from Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts officially visited Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Notre Dame, California and Stanford.
Now that those visits are in the rearview, Ayomanor is focused on determining what he values as a mid-August decision approaches.
“I’m just trying to take in all of the information right now because I have to determine which information I’m going to value," Ayomanor told Volquest. "Each University is very distinct in what they offer so I just have to decide what I value.”
“Just trying to find the perfect combination of being able to connect with people outside of football and build that aspect of life outside of football for whenever football is over, and then also having that experience of playing at high level and competing at a high level. That’s the balance I’m looking for. I also want it to feel like home, like it’s a family. Somewhere I’d like to be the next 3-5 years.”
Ayomanor is originally from Medicine Hat, Alberta. He now resides 3,700 miles from home in pursuit of a scholarship to play college football. Ayomanor transferred to Deerfield from The Peddie School in New Jersey, where he spent his sophomore season, following a coaching change.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound receiver only has film of a couple of intrasquad scrimmages, however, after COVID-19 wiped out his 2020 season. Still, Ayomanor is confident in what he can bring to a program.
"No matter what room I’m going to be in, I’m going to be the hardest worker there," Ayomanor said. "Having that energy is an emphasis of mine and bringing that to a team can help change the culture and uphold a culture. That’s the biggest thing I bring. Plus, I’m a smart player. I know the game, will know the playbook inside and out, knows how to read coverages and can do so pre-snap. Having that on the field can be friendly to a quarterback knowing that we’re always on the same page. At this level, everybody is going to be a big and athletic, but those are the places you have to separate yourself.”
Ayomanor says that all five schools he's visited are "competitive" at the moment for his services and that's why he visited each school. In determining what he values prior to a decision, there are several factors that stand out to him about Tennessee.
“No. 1, it’s Tennessee football," Ayomanor said. "It’s in the best conference in college football. And then No. 2, I would be playing in a very explosive offense under Coach Heupel and Coach Golesh. No. 3, an opportunity to play at Tennessee would be huge because I could connect and network with several influential people.”
Ayomanor has really hit it off with Vols head coach Josh Heupel during the recruiting process.
“I think Coach Heupel is a great balance between working hard and having fun," Ayomanor said. "He’s been through the college experience before so he knows what it’s like. He’s at a very successful level so I think he knows first-hand. I think his mindset is beneficial to me being a receiver because he’s the type of coach that likes having explosive plays.”
Ayomanor is considered the ninth-best player in the state of Massachusetts according to Rivals. Penn State, Ole Miss, Kentucky and three of the 26 schools to offer Ayomanor in addition to the five schools he took an official visit to.
Tennessee currently has two commitments from wide receivers — Marquarius 'Squirrel' White and Cam Miller — in the class of 2023.
