The ‘J’ in Lyn-J Dixon’s name has no particular meaning.
When he was little, Dixon’s grandfather simply thought his full name of Anderius Lyn-Dequan Dixon was too long, so Lyn-J — from where exactly he doesn’t know — was born.
Tennessee will happily refer to the ‘J’ as Jitterbug.
The 3-star Peach State playmaker from Taylor County (Ga.) committed to the Vols on Saturday, giving Tennessee an explosive tailback to pair with 4-star quarterbacks Adrian Martinez and Michael Penix Jr., as well as 4-star wideout Alontae Taylor in its 2018 class.
“I love the running style, the offense,” said Dixon on why he committed to UT.
“In high school, we run the same exact offense. Me coming in, looking at how Tennessee runs things and how Alvin Kamara had success in the backfield running with Tennessee, I see myself having the same success he had.”
Like Kamara, Dixon is a slash and dash tailback. He racked up more than 2,500 all-purpose yards and 38 touchdowns as a junior, making defenders look silly with an array of spin moves and nifty jukes. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound tailback needs to get stronger before coming to Tennessee, but Dixon said, “I’m a hard worker. I’m going to run the ball with a passion. I may not be the biggest on the field, but I’m sure not going to let anyone take me down. I’m going to run with that tough mindset and mentality.”
Dixon picked up a Tennessee offer after attending a Vols camp way back in 2015. He’s been a favorite of UT tailbacks coach Robert Gillespie ever since. Dixon visited multiple programs this spring, but his heart has long been at Tennessee.
“Since 9th grade, we’ve had like a little friendship,” Dixon said of Gillespie.
“I can click with him. He can click with me. The communication is always well. He doesn’t just look at me as a player but as a person. That’s what’s very special about me and coach G’s relationship.”
Dixon picked Tennessee over more than 15 offers, with significant interest from Va. Tech, Louisville and others. With his decision behind him, Dixon hopes to lead Taylor County, which went 10-2 in 2016, to a state title during his senior season.
“Knowing that after I made the commitment, that knocks off all the stress,” he said. “Now I can just worry about football for my high school team and worry about getting a championship for a city that really hasn’t had a good team in a really long time. It’ll be special to bring one back for the home crowd.”
