For the second time in just over a month, Knoxville Catholic offensive lineman Cooper Mays was on Rocky Top on Saturday afternoon. The Vols hosted another Junior Day and it was a great chance for him to spend quality time with the Tennessee staff.

"It wasn't different than last month," Mays said.

"Maybe the only difference was I didn't do any of the junior day stuff. I just hung out with the coaches like coach (Will) Friend, coach (Jim) Chaney and coach (Jeremy) Pruitt. It was good to just be around those guys."

The message has been the same since Tennessee made it abundantly clear that Cooper was important one year ago. It has resonated and that's why Tennessee stands out to Mays.

"They tell me that I'm their guy and that I'm a huge priority," Mays said. "They love the way that I play. They tell me that they want to get me in the boat, but it's not in a pushy type manner. They know I can help the class if I committed."

So what is the plan for Mays in the recruiting process?

"My plan is to take a few more visits and see where I feel most comfortable," Mays said.

"I don't know a timeframe, but I want to make it down to Auburn, Florida, LSU, over to Clemson for a spring practice and maybe Virginia Tech. After that I'll probably shut it down."

Tennessee is at the top in terms of schools recruiting Mays the hardest. That all starts and ends with offensive line coach Will Friend.

"What I like about him is that we hit it off and our personalities go together," Mays said. "He's easy to talk too and he's very intelligent on football. It's really enjoyable. I talk to him for hours today and it all just goes well."

Mays took in the Kentucky game and watched Tennessee clobber Kentucky. He even got some love from the Vol fans.

"It was a great time and probably the loudest I've heard the arena," Mays said. "I went to the bathroom in the middle of the game and some people screamed at me to come to UT. It was a great atmosphere at the game."

Mays is looking for the perfect mix of factors that will put him in the best position to be successful both on and off the field.

"I want to find a place that feels like home," Mays said. "Feeling like part of a family and where I'd be happy without football. If football wasn't an option, I want to be happy at the school I'm at."

Rivals.com ranks Mays as a 3-star offensive lineman in the class of 2020.