4-star 2025 recruit Deniya Prawl commits to Tennessee

Four-star 2025 recruit Deniya Prawl has committed to Tennessee, she told On3. Prawl chose the Volunteers over Baylor and Notre Dame. 

The 6-foot-2 versatile guard from Toronto, Canada said Tennessee really separated itself in the end and she knew it was the right fit for her. 

“I’d say they separated themselves the most towards the end,” Prawl told On3. “They’ve been pretty heavy, but towards the end, they made sure all the boxes were checked off, especially coming from the visit. They were just making sure I’m good as a person. It wasn’t always about basketball, it was just checking on me, making sure school was good, my family – that everything’s good. So I’d say them just caring about me and taking the time to actually know me as a person.”

Deniya Prawl loved visit to Tennessee

Her visit to Knoxville played a major role in her decision as well. 

“Honestly, the visit played a pretty big role,” Prawl told On3. “I’d say just knowing that Coach Kim [Caldwell] came from Marshall, it takes a lot to trust somebody, but once I got on my visit and actually had a conversation with her face-to-face and understood how knowledgeable she is of the game, it kind of made it a lot different. I was looking at it in a whole different perspective. I could see it and envision myself playing for her. Being able to talk to her face-to-face was probably one of the bigger parts that led to my decision.”

That relationship, coupled with the fact that she knew assistant coach Gabe Lazo from Mississippi State, made her feel really comfortable with the staff. Lazo was the lead recruiter for Prawl throughout the process.

“It was a really short period of time, honestly, but Coach Lazo recruited me from Mississippi State when he was over there, so I’ve known him for a pretty long time,” Prawl told On3. “They made it really comfortable for me, and they understand that it’s a hard decision to make. And they didn’t pressure me at all. They just made sure, at all times, that my best foot was forward, if that makes sense. They made sure they didn’t leave any questions unanswered.”

Prawl believes she fits the Vols’ system

In talking with Caldwell, Prawl started to see herself fitting into the Vol’s system.

“They run a lot, and I love that, honestly,” Prawl said. “I feel like I’m a really good transition finisher and not a lot of people are really good at that. Just being able to run the floor, and then having the guards there, like Talaysia Cooper and Ruby Whitehorn – playing with them as well. They see the floor really well. I feel like they play a really open system where I can go ahead and create for myself as well. I’m excited to step into that and start playing with them.”

While it’s still a year away, Prawl is excited to get on campus and experience Tennessee’s lively fanbase for herself. 

“Before I even got on campus, I was seeing posts about me being there, just saying how much they need me,” Prawl told On3. “So I think it was just exciting to see how excited and how hungry they are for a championship or even a player like myself. Im excited to be able to feed that fanbase and play with Coach Kim. I want to prove all the people that said that ‘She’s not ready for it’ wrong.”