4-star ATH Fred Gaskin III sets Tennessee visit

Ocala (Fla.) Vanguard four-star athlete Fred Gaskin III is visiting Tennessee on April 3. He announced the news over Twitter on Monday night.

Gaskin III is the No. 340 overall prospect and No. 29 athlete in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 50 player in Florida.

I will be at the University of Tennessee April 3rd @CoachTimBanks @LiamGrayUT @coachjoshheupel @Vol_Football #GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/f4kbvNrwIL

— Fred Gaskin III (@IiiGaskin) March 21, 2023

The 5-foot-11, 182-pound recruit announced his top eight schools on Jan. 11, and the Volunteers made the list. According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, Florida is leading for his commitment at 47.4%.

“I can’t say yet how they are in person, but through text and talking to them on the phone, they really like me as a player,” Gaskin III told On3’s Chad Simmons on Jan. 11 about Tennessee. “And they tell me about their scheme and how I would fit into the defense, and I feel like I can trust them as a coaching staff.”

Auburn is another school that made Gaskin III’s finalists. He spoke with Cole Pinkston of Auburn Live about his interest in the Tigers.

For more Tennessee recruiting intel, check out Volquest.

“I like what they’re doing with developing players,” Gaskin said on Jan. 12. “I just like what they’re doing with the program.”

“I’ve been in contact with Zac Etheridge,” he also told Simmons about Auburn. “They’re an SEC school, they play fast, and they play with a nickel also, which is kind of what they want me to play at, and also be able to come down in the box at times. That’s what I want to go to college and do, so it fits what I want to do as a playing scheme.”

Miami didn’t make Gaskin III’s cutdown. However, he is still expressing interest in the Hurricanes.

“I’m trying to build a relationship with their coaches more,” Gaskin told Stephen Wagner of CaneSport on Jan. 27.

“That’s definitely important, knowing they can pull in talent,” he added about Miami’s 2023 recruiting class. “You can have guys next to you that can contribute the same way you can.”

Regarding Tennessee, the Volunteers have five players in their 2024 recruiting class. Their group ranks No. 8 in the 2024 On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings and No. 5 in the SEC.

Franklin (Ga.) IMG Academy four-star tight end Jonathan Echols is Tennessee’s highest-ranked commit as the No. 45 overall prospect in the Industry Ranking. The Volunteers also have two other top-150 commits.