Kordelius Jefferson details recent Vols offer and upcoming official visit
Tennessee assistant Rod Clark has quickly become like a big brother to 2023 guard Kordelius Jefferson.
“That’s my guy,” Jefferson said of Clark to Volquest. “I talk to Rod Clark a ton and I’ve talked with Coach (Rick) Barnes twice over FaceTime. Have also talked to the chaplain, just everybody really.”
The recent conversations between the Vols and the Arlington, Texas native led to a Tennessee offer for Jefferson last month.
“I’ve been talking to everybody on the staff and they’ve been letting me know how much they want me and how much I would love Knoxville,” Jefferson said of his offer. “I mean I talk to them every day and the way it’s looking it might be somewhere I fit in with in the future. There’s some really good vibes there.”
In addition to Tennessee, Jefferson has been hearing most frequently from Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Kansas State. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard has taken unofficial visits to Texas A&M, TCU, Tulsa, Oral Roberts and Texas-Arlington.
Jefferson has yet to take an official visit, but quickly scheduled one with the Vols following his offer for the weekend of Feb. 12 when Tennessee hosts Vanderbilt. He also intends on taking an official visit to Houston.
“I’m excited to just see the vibe and how I would fit in,” Jefferson said. “There’s not really anything I want to learn. It’s not really about the city or anything, I just want to see how the coaches coach and the environment I’ll be in.”
Jefferson saw his recruitment surge towards the end of 2021. The James Martin High School product originally from Mississippi picked up offers from Houston, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and UNLV within the span two days. In addition to the Vols, Jefferson also holds SEC offers from Mississippi State and Ole Miss.
Tennessee sees Jefferson playing point guard for the Vols.
“I’m a big guard, I find my teammates and I can score when I need to,” Jefferson said. “Plus I communicate and can be vocal. Being a leader, especially at the guard spot. It’s hard to do that, especially at my age right now, but they say not too many people can use their voice the way that I do.
“They see me playing at the one and being a big time guard for them. They just want to work with me and get me to the next level. I like that, but I’m good with anything. I just want to win and I also feel like they’ll help me get to where I need to go.”
It’s not just Clark that Jefferson has developed a close relationship with. He’s also begun to gel with Barnes, who reminds him of someone in his life.
“Coach Barnes is real cool,” Jefferson said. “He’s kind of like my high school coach, just real laid back. But from what I’ve heard, he’s going to coach me real hard. And it’s not just about basketball with him. He wants to know me as a person and I love that. It lets me know he really cares about me.”
Tennessee does not yet have any commitments in the class of 2023.