4-star LB Edwin Spillman sets Tennessee visit

Nashville (Tenn.) Lipscomb Academy four-star linebacker Edwin Spillman is visiting Tennessee this weekend for the Volunteers’ spring game. He announced the news Thursday night over Twitter.

Spillman is the No. 289 overall prospect and No. 28 linebacker in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 4 player in Tennessee.

The University Of Tennessee this weekend! @Vol_Football pic.twitter.com/0q767PqrOu

— Edwin Spillman 🇸🇱 (@ESpillman13) April 14, 2023

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound defender recently included Tennessee among his top six schools. Florida State, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma and UAB also made the cut.

“I wanted to choose schools where I had built a great relationships,” Spillman told On3 on April 8. “I want to go to a school where I could see myself playing and not only becoming a better player, but a better man.”

According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, the Volunteers have a commanding lead for his commitment at 85.2%. Spillman has already set official visits to Ohio State for the weekend of June 10 and Tennessee for the weekend of June 17.

At the moment, Tennessee’s 2024 recruiting class contains eight players. It ranks No. 7 in the 2024 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings and No. 4 in the SEC.

The Volunteers currently have no linebacker commits. Meanwhile, their class is led by Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day School four-star quarterback Jake Merklinger, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star tight end Jonathan Echols and Nashville (Tenn.) Lipscomb Academy four-star cornerback Kaleb Beasley.

For more Tennessee recruiting intel, check out Volquest.

Spillman breaks down his top six schools

Florida State: “Florida State is just a really cool environment. When I got there the coaches were straight-up with everything they told me and I really liked that because it showed me that they’re great men. I got to talk ball a bit and had a great visit overall.”

Georgia: “I was able to talk with Coach (Kirby) Smart and Coach (Glenn) Schumann and that was amazing. I was able to watch practice and pretty much see how the program is run on a daily basis. Getting to experience that, it makes sense why they’ve had so much success the last few years. Georgia’s a program known for producing some of the top players in the country. Coach Schumann produces linebackers year in and year out that make it to the NFL.”

Ohio State: “What’s stood out to me about Ohio State is just how great of men the coaches are. I’ve been to Ohio State a lot and every time I go we leave with a great feeling. The program as a whole is amazing and it’s just a great place to be like Tennessee.”

Oklahoma: “When I visited I could tell that Coach (Brent) Venables and Coach (Jay) Valai have amazing defensive minds. I could definitely see myself being there and having my game improved on and becoming both a better person and football player. I really enjoyed talking to those coaches and getting a feel for how they are.”

Tennessee: “Everything about Tennessee has stood out to me during this process. UT is an awesome program filled with great coaches and has an amazing atmosphere. They’ve been recruiting me since my freshman year so I’ve been able to build great relationships there.”

UAB: “Coach (Trent) Dilfer and Coach (Sione) Ta’ufo’ou are my guys. I’ve known them since middle school and up through last year so they understand me. They don’t see me just as a football player but as an actual person and know how I deal with things off of the field. It’s definitely family with Coach Dilfer and everyone at UAB.”