3-star DL Jeremias Heard commits to Tennessee Volunteers

Rome (Ga.) Model 9-12 three-star defensive lineman Jeremias Heard has announced his commitment to Tennessee. He chose the Volunteers after making numerous visits to Knoxville.

Heard is the No. 986 overall prospect and No. 95 defensive lineman 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. 100 player in Georgia.

Prior to his pledge, no other school had received trips from Heard like Tennessee. The 6-foot-9, 285-pound defender has been on campus five times, including a pair of visits this year on Jan. 14 and April 15.

“Saturday, I got to meet up with a lot of new people,” Heard told Matt Ray of Volquest on Jan. 22. “I met up with people that play my position and other positions. I talked to coaches all day, mostly and I loved being around them. Then the game was nice atmosphere. It was a nice day out there.”

Heard is a newcomer to football. He just started playing the game last July.

“The small things in the game,” Heard said on where he hopes to grow. “Trying to become a better teammate, lead others, and lead in the community. I am trying to improve upon stuff like that.”

For more Tennessee recruiting intel, check out Volquest.

Heard is another addition to Tennessee’s top-10 2024 class

At the moment, Tennessee’s 2024 recruiting class contains 10 players. It ranks No. 9 in the 2024 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings and No. 5 in the SEC.

The Volunteers’ class is led by Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day School four-star quarterback Jake Merklinger, the No. 74 overall prospect and No. 8 quarterback in the On3 Industry Ranking. He is currently the only top-100 recruit pledged to head coach Josh Heupel and his staff.

Other blue-chip recruits committed to Tennessee include Sardis (Miss.) North Panola four-star wide receiver JJ Harrell, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star tight end Jonathan Echols, Nashville (Tenn.) Lipscomb Academy four-star cornerback Kaleb Beasley and Cleveland (Tenn.) Bradley Central four-star safety Marcus Goree.

Fort Collins (Colo.) Fossil Ridge three-star offensive tackle Gage Ginther, Chattanooga (Tenn.) McCallie School three-star defensive lineman Carson Gentle, Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Middle Tennessee Christian School three-star offensive tackle Jesse Perry and Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy three-star safety Edrees Farooq are the other member of the Volunteers’ class.