On June 21st, 2021, Amari Jefferson committed to Tony Vitello and the Tennessee baseball program. While he has been a high-profile recruit on the baseball field, college football programs are starting to take notice after a great junior year where he recorded 72 receptions for 1,370 yards and 17 touchdowns. Jefferson now holds several offers as a wide receiver from several power five schools.
With schools starting to show interest in him in football this past season, a couple of schools are talking to Jefferson more than others.
“The schools showing me the most attention so far are Georgia, South Carolina, Florida State, and Kentucky.“
With South Carolina making a push, the Gamecocks could be an interesting team to watch in this recruitment. Jefferson’s school hired Erik Kimrey as head coach last off-season. Kimrey came over from South Carolina, where he was the tight ends coach for Shane Beamer.
“It’s obviously nice but Coach Kimrey wants me to go where I feel wanted and want to go so he’ll really tell me about any program and what to look for. We do have in-depth discussions about South Carolina since he’s really close with all the coaches,” said Jefferson.
Gamecocks receivers coach Justin Stepp is leading the push for the talented playmaker.
“It’s been really good. We talk on a consistent basis and have a lot in common.”
More Sports News
Jefferson will make his first trip to Columbia for their junior day on January 21st.
Jefferson was able to visit Kentucky last summer and will visit Lexington again on January 28th. The Wildcats’ staff has made the wideout feel like a priority so far.
“The visit went great. They want me to come to Kentucky and be a dominant player for them and one of the top guys in their 2024 class.“
Another school standing out to Jefferson is the national champion.
“Georgia’s pitch to me has been consistent the whole time in they want me to be a part of their 2024 class and they would love to have me in their offense.“
He was able to take in a game environment when Auburn and Tennessee came to Athens.
“The game visits were insane. Just from how they take care of me and my family to the experience of being in the stands watching them play.“
The plan was to visit Florida State on January 14th but Jefferson was unable to make it. He plans to make a trip to Tallahassee in the future, although a date has not been set yet.
The in-state school, Tennesee, has the advantage of Jefferson’s commitment to its baseball program.
“I’d say it gave Tennessee the upper hand at the beginning with me already being committed there for baseball,” said Jefferson.
He was in attendance for the Volunteers’ home wins over Florida and Alabama this season.
“[The thing that stood out] was how loud Neyland Stadium gets and just how much the fans love the Vols.”
Willie Martinez is leading the push for the in-state product.
While Amari Jefferson does not have a timeline for a final decision, he does plan to narrow his options down this summer.
“I do plan on announcing a top schools list. It’ll probably be later in the summer.“
