Stantavious Smith is a name to watch moving forward.

The 2023 defensive lineman already has 30 offers. The 6-foot-2, 260-pound run-stopper has been fast on the move during June – making stops at Auburn, Kentucky, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida.

On Sunday, it was Tennessee’s turn.

“It was a great visit. It was actually my first time up here,” the Albany, Ga. native told Volquest Sunday evening. “I just love the energy, the facility and everything I’ve seen today. It’s a great place and I love it.”

Tennessee’s been after the Dougherty standout for quite some time. The previous coaching staff originally offered the playmaker and Josh Heupel’s staff quicky re-offered the defensive lineman early on in the tenure.

At camp on Sunday, defensive line coach Rodney Garner and coaches liked what they saw.

“I had a lot of reps today in 1-on-1s and they loved it,” Smith said. “They told me they loved how I competed today. They told me I did a great job, overall. I’m going to come back on a game day so I can see that environment.”

The prospect plans to release a top-12 list in the near future and confirmed Tennessee would make the cut.

Smith has versatility on the defensive line and can play a little of everything. The highly-touted player lined up as a three-technique for most of camp but also received some defensive end reps as well.

“They didn’t really say where they want me. It’s more of where I can make the most impact,” the 2023 prospect said after camp. “Coach liked me in a few different spots today. Wherever I can make an impact is where I’ll be.

“They love my motor. They said I have great feet as a defensive lineman. They were impressed with my burst and take-off. All that.”

Even with the offers piling up and the exposure reaching a high level, it’s still early for Smith. The Peach State native doesn’t plan on any type of early commit – rather, he wants to wait until ‘maybe’ November of 2022 and be ready for an early enrollment.

In the meantime, the work continues – not only on the field, but in the locker room as well.

“To be honest, I’ve really been working on being a leader so that I can guide my team,” Smith concluded. “We want to win and leadership is a big thing. We are going to get some wins this year and I’m trying to guide the team and be a leader.”

Smith was a first-team All-State and All-Region player as a sophomore.