Josh Heupel has wanted to emphasize recruiting the state of Tennessee well from his opening press conference in Knoxville. Now, with a season under his belt leading the Big Orange and off to a strong start in his second campaign, Heupel’s actions are proving his words. When the Baylor Red Raiders played host to the Knoxville Catholic Fighting Irish on September 3rd, 2022, Josh Heupel was present before the game to make an in-person visit to several recruits and targets he had playing in that game. One of the highest profile players Heupel wanted to see is 2024 prospect Amari Jefferson from Baylor in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The good news for Heupel is that Jefferson is currently committed to Tennessee. The bad news is that Jefferson isn’t committed to him, but instead to Tennessee Head Baseball Coach Tony Vitello.
Jefferson is a gifted athlete that has an outstanding frame and build at 6’1” and 200 pounds. He is a highly ranked wide receiver prospect in the 2024 cycle, and also a highly rated outfielder prospect on the diamond. The fact that Jefferson possesses offers from multiple elite programs in both sports speaks to his talent in both sports. Jefferson committed early to Vitello, and was excited to be able to commit early to Tennessee, especially after the last two seasons, where the Vols have been one of the best teams in the nation. Vitello’s infectious personality and energy appealed to Jefferson, and he decided to make his commitment early in the process to Tennessee baseball. However, as Jefferson continued to play football and put up impressive numbers, more and more football coaches have come calling, Heupel among them.
Jefferson is a big receiver in terms of his height as well as his muscle mass. He is built well enough to handle significant contact and run through defenders. He is such an impressive runner, the Baylor coaching staff installed a reverse specifically to get the ball in Jefferson’s hands. They dialed it up against the Fighting Irish, and Jefferson took it 60 yards for a touchdown. Jefferson used his speed to get the corner and turn it on the out of position defense, and showed his strength as he ran through a tackle to finish the play with a score.
Still, as good as he is once he has the ball, Jefferson is primarily a wide receiver, which means he has to get open before he can run with it. Jefferson showed off his hands against Knox Catholic as well, being the primary focus of a drive before half for the Red Raiders, where he made two long catches and set up another touchdown. Coming out of his stance, Jefferson is explosive, quicker and faster than many would expect for his size. He is a fluid athlete, able to cover significant ground while making it look easy with his smooth stride. Jefferson shows suddenness, an ability to snap routes off and create opportunities for his quarterback with his cuts, but excels on deep balls. He is an impressive leaper that high points the ball extremely well, and also shows the ability to get a clean release and then beat a corner with his speed. His soft hands mean that when his quarterback gives him an opportunity, he makes plays coming down with the ball.
Jefferson has developed into one of the best football prospects in the state in the 2024 cycle, and if wishes to have a football career at the next level, there are many coaches that would like to make that available to him. Jefferson is also a skilled baseball player, and could choose to continue exclusively down that route. Dual sport athletes in the SEC are far from unheard of, even if they are rare. It is clear Jefferson has the opportunity to play both sports in Knoxville if he chooses, and that decision would make sense. Not only has Vitello’s success been well documented, but Josh Heupel is creating excitement around the Tennessee football program, particularly with his receivers. Monitoring the various factors in Jefferson’s decision, as well as how the two Tennessee coaches decide to potentially share the talented prospects, should be fun to keep an eye on.
