2024 4-star ATH Mazeo Bennett decommits from Tennessee

Greenville (S.C.) four-star athlete Mazeo Bennett originally chose Tennessee on Oct. 16. That was a day after the Volunteers knocked off Alabama and showcased one of the nation’s top offenses.

Less than two months later, offensive coordinator Alex Golesh left Knoxville to become the head coach at USF. Golesh’s decision played a role in Bennett deciding to decommit from Tennessee on Thursday.

“With the loss of the offensive coordinator, I want to see Tennessee still function at that high level,” Bennett told On3.

According to Bennett, it “hasn’t been long at all” since he decided to decommit. Going forward, Tennessee will still remain one of his top schools, despite Golesh’s departure.

“Once this happened, some questions need to be answered about the program going forward for me and my family to stay committed,” said Bennett, the No. 199 overall prospect and No. 20 athlete in the 2024 On3 Consensus.

Bennett’s recruitment will be opened back up “100%.” He shared that many of his top schools keep in contact with him and are still showing interest. His previous top eight included Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oregon and Tennessee.

At the moment, the 5-foot-11.5, 175-pound prospect plans to take his recruiting process slow. He expects that his next decision will be final.

“I plan on really taking my time with my commitment because I will not be decommitting again,” Bennett said. “The next school I choose will be my home, so I’m doing my due diligence.”

Following Bennett’s departure, the Volunteers’ 2024 recruiting class contains three recruits. They are Franklin (Ga.) IMG Academy four-star athlete Jonathan Echols, Nashville (Tenn.) Lipscomb Academy four-star cornerback Kaleb Beasley and Chattanooga (Tenn.) McCallie School three-star defensive lineman Carson Gentle.