Despite landing in his top three less than a week ago, Tennessee football has missed out on a defensive back target.

Three-star safety Julian Burns out of Monroe, Louisiana, has picked North Carolina over the Vols and Miami.

As a result, Burns tells Rivals National Recruiting Analyst Sam Spiegelman that he will no longer take planned visits to Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi State.

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Burns initially planned to announce his commitment on July 2, but pull the trigger earlier than expected.

Throughout his recruitment, he had made his way to Tennessee a few times, including this past November. He gave his thoughts to Spiegelman afterward.

"It was awesome! It was the best game experience I’ve ever been a part of," Burns told Rivals. "The whole coaching staff and the rest of the Tennessee community really made me feel like a top priority."

Burns has plenty of connections with Tennessee, as well. He's built up relationships with coaches at UT including head coach Josh Heupel.

During his November visit, he also got to catch up with current Vols offensive tackle Lance Heard. The pair were teammates at Neville in Monroe, Louisiana. Heard was a five-star in the 2023 class.

"I’m very familiar with the staff and I probably have the best relationship with their staff overall," Burns told Rivals. "Coach Heupel is a great guy. We got to chop it up many times (during the November visit) -- laughing, making jokes, taking pictures together -- all that helped strengthen our bond. As the visit went on and how I saw how they operated, I got more comfortable. Seeing my former high school teammate Lance Heard was cool. Finally getting the chance to come out to Neyland and get a feel for the atmosphere and the people out here was a big thing I wanted to do and they did not disappoint. The fans were louder than I expected and the atmosphere was amazing."

The game Burns was able to attend was the win over Kentucky at home this past season.

Burns has also caught up with VolReport in the past. After picking up his offer from Tennessee last April, he expressed his excitement to add UT to the mix of schools recruiting him.

He showed his confidence in what he brings to the table, as well.

"I believe if I were to go to Tennessee that I would come in and be a day one starter," Burns said. "Wherever I go I want to have a chance at completing for the starting spot as a freshman."

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