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Tennessee

4-star S Sylvester Smith decommits from Tennessee

On3 imageby:Drew Schott•12/17/22•

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Credit: Chad Simmons (On3)

Munford (Ala.) four-star safety Sylvester Smith has decommitted from Tennessee. Smith, who was previously pledged to the Volunteers since April 26, announced the news on his Instagram Saturday night.

The 5-foot-11, 192-pound defensive back spent Saturday on an unofficial visit to Auburn. It marked his first trip to see the Tigers.

Smith is the No. 245 overall prospect and No. 17 safety in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 18 player in Alabama.

“First and foremost, I want to thank the University of Tennessee for welcoming me with open arms,” Smith wrote in a statement. “I want to thank coaches Hyp, Banks, and Nez for spending the time and effort to recruit me. With that being said, I must do what is best for me and my family and decommit from the University of Tennessee. Thank you Tennessee, and Tennessee fans.”

The Alabama native has an On3 NIL Valuation of $31K. The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

For more Tennessee recruiting intel, check out Volquest.

More on Tennessee’s 2023 class after Smith’s decommitment

Tennessee now has 24 players in its 2023 recruiting class following Smith’s decision. Two of them are safeties: Southaven (Miss.) three-star John Slaughter and Moultrie (Ga.) Colquitt County three-star Jack Luttrell.

The Volunteers’ group ranks No. 11 in the 2023 On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings and No. 5 in the SEC. Long Beach (Calif.) Warren five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2023 On300, is the highest-ranked player committed to head coach Josh Heupel and his staff.