Tennessee 'at the top' for Jeremiah Telander after Junior Day visit
Linebacker Jeremiah Telander is feeling Tennessee following yesterday’s Junior Day.
And though a decision probably isn’t in the immediate future, the Vols are in just about the best possible position.
“That’s the goal. I want to make a decision before my senior season starts, but Tennessee is definitely at the top of my list,” the three-star told Volquest. “I really like Tennessee. I’ve still got to look through some other schools, but Tennessee is definitely high up on list.”
The Gainesville, Ga. native will continue the recruitment process. He would like to check out the campuses of North Carolina, Georgia and Florida, and already made a stop by Louisville on Friday. But Saturday’s time in Knoxville was very beneficial, for both sides.
“I had a great time. I had a chance to get some 1-on-1 time with coach BJ [Brian Jean-Mary],” the linebacker said. “We looked at some of my film and looked at some of their film and compared it to one another. We looked at some of the ways I can get better this offseason.
“I also talked to coach [Josh] Heupel during the basketball game – we got some 1-on-1 time in there. We talked about how and when we are going to do an official visit. He said they really like me, and I really like them. It was a very successful day.”
The Peach State native plans to be back for a spring practice in the next few weeks and has a tentative plan for an official visit at Tennessee sometime in June. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound athlete believes his skillset would fit in great in the Volunteer defensive scheme.
“They see me as an athletic linebacker who has good instincts,” the prospect said. “I can work in their defense because they let their linebackers run and make plays. They see me in that role very well.”
Telander stars for Gainesville High School. As the middle linebacker, he’s racked up Region Defensive Player of the Year honors twice and concluded the 2021 season with 137 stops, 33 tackles for loss and three interceptions.
Tennessee initially offered the prospect last June after he caped with the Big Orange.
“The coaching staff is still fairly new. They are all energetic,” Telander continued. “Tennessee is just waiting for a spark to happen. They have a great fanbase and are waiting to have a great season. When that happens, it’s going to be special. That would be really cool to be a part of.”
Heupel and company made some moves with several prospects on Saturday and Telander is one of the highlights. The Volunteers expect to be a serous contender as his recruitment begins to take shape this summer.
“It was just great,” the prospect said leaving campus. “I’ve never seen a college basketball game before today and it was a great environment. It goes to show you how loyal that fanbase is all-around.”
Telander is tabbed as the 27th middle linebacker in the class and is Georgia’s 50th-rated prospect. He owns a Rivals Rating of 5.6.