Kaleb Beasley chats top-10 and Tennessee cookout

One of Tennessee’s highest priorities in the Class of 2024 was back on campus today for the second time in as many months. Kaleb Beasley, the four-star defensive back and seventh-ranked player in the state out of Lipscomb Academy, is continuing to get a feel for what the Volunteer program truly is.

“It was great to see coach [Willie] Martinez and the players again today,” the prospect said after the cookout. “The atmosphere here is great.”

The defensive backs coach has been the leader in Beasley’s recruitment from the start – and though coaches can’t contact rising juniors first right now, he’s done all he can to make Tennessee standout for the 6-foot-1, 175-pound in-state blue chipper.

“The relationship is going very well with coach Martinez. Every time I come down here, I’m always spending time with him,” Beasley told Volquest. “It’s growing every time I’m here and he’s getting closer with me and my family.

“It’s important for that to happen because he’s the defensive backs coach. He’s like my father figure here, so it’s big.”

The Nashville, Tenn. native placed Tennessee firmly inside his top-10 earlier this summer, a group that also consists of Penn State, Michigan, Georgia, Florida, Auburn, Oklahoma, Clemson, Notre Dame and LSU. It was quite the process trying to narrow things down, but now there’s a clear focus ahead with only 10 programs to concentrate on.

“I feel like it’s different now. I’ve been in the recruitment process for almost two years now, so I already know the schools I really want to go to and the schools I’m looking forward to going back to,” the defensive back said. “This summer when I was going everywhere, I felt like I knew the schools that I was interested in. I decided to drop my top-10 and focus on those schools, especially with the deadline coming for them to talk to me [first]. There will be a lot of people calling me, so I wanted to narrow it down.”

So, with a football season right around the corner, don’t expect the talented cornerback to be traveling all across the country. Tennessee, and the other’s inside the top-10, will the schools of focus with only a select few on the travel list as of now.

“I’d probably say that if your school is not in my top-10, I’m probably not going to come,” Beasley said. “I’m not trying to go too far because I’m focused on my season. We have a whole new team, so I’m really locked in. I’m trying to stay close to home so anywhere that’s really far – I probably won’t go to.”

For now, the Volunteer State native plans to be inside Neyland Stadium for Tennessee’s matchup with rival Florida at the end of September. The four-star also has plan to see a game in Ann Arbor as of now. A final decision could come as early as winter in January or February.

“I think I’ve seen everything I need to,” Beasley said on the need to see other programs.

For the Vols, there are several things working in their favor. Beasley’s older cousin, Aaron Beasley, is on the current roster playing linebacker. He has friends who he stays in contact with on the current team as well and those relationships will play a major factor – as will Martinez himself.

“The decision will come down to the people I know at the school – like the players – and my relationship with the defensive backs coach,” the prospect said. “How does he work with the players and how does he work with me? How can he help me out?

“Tennessee is up there. It’s close to home and I know a lot of the players that go here. I talk with them a lot – all the time. They are going though it all the time, so I can see what they like about it and the football program, the coaches. They are living it.”

And though the mid-state prospect has come to Tennessee several times, Saturday had its perks as well.

“Today was really the first time I got to see the campus and it’s really nice,” Beasley concluded. “I was able to see the school side of things today because before today, I really only saw the football facilities and dorms. I was also able to sit down with coach Heupel and coach Martinez and talk ball. We talked about my schedule coming up and all that.”

Beasley, who owns a Rivals Rating of 5.8, will kickoff his junior campaign on the road in Georgia against Milton on August 19.