Tennessee eyeing South Carolina 4-star TE commit Michael Smith

Tennessee already has one blue-chip tight end committed to its top-10 football recruiting class, but the Vols are looking to add another. After striking out on four-star pass-catcher Jaden Reddell — who committed to Georgia this summer — the Vols have turned their attention to another SEC rival’s commitment list.

Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day School tight end Michael Smith, a South Carolina commit, has become one of Tennessee’s top targets as we head toward the Early Signing Period in December. And the Vols are making a big push to flip him from their SEC East rivals, according to On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons.

“Michael Smith is committed to South Carolina, but not all schools have given up,” Simmons wrote on Tuesday. “Alabama has started to show more interest. Auburn and Tennessee have been the two most consistent, though. Smith’s teammate is quarterback Jake Merklinger, a Tennessee commit, and the Vols are looking to add another tight end to this class. The playmaker out of Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day is expected to take some visits in the coming weeks. Nothing is set yet, but Smith is a South Carolina commitment still listening to other schools.”

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Smith is the No. 111 overall prospect in the 2024 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also ranks as the nation’s No. 10 tight end and the No. 15 recruit in the state of Georgia.

Vols looking to close the cycle strong

Tennessee’s class currently sits at No. 7 nationally in the On3 Industry Football Team Recruiting Rankings. The Vols have 20 commitments already, but are looking for a few big pieces to add down the stretch of the recruiting cycle.

Three of them — five-star offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, four-star wide receiver Kam Mikell and four-star running back Daniel Hill — were all in attendance at Tennessee’s win over South Carolina. Seaton is arguably Tennessee’s biggest remaining target, and they made a major impression on him over the weekend.

“Tennessee really impressed Seaton and the Vols are expected to receive an official visit. Alabama set the bar high with an official visit in June. Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon and South Carolina are others in the mix,” On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons wrote last week.

The Vols are also trending as the top school right now with Mikell, who visited Texas A&M this weekend.

“Mikell is coming off an official visit to Tennessee and I continue to feel the Vols are setting the pace in this race,” Simmons added. “Tennessee has done a great job connecting with Mikell, showing him their plan as a wide receiver in their offense and he sees a great opportunity in Knoxville.”