A highly ranked wide receiver who visited Tennessee for the first time in late July is planning to make an early commitment before the end of his junior season. Four-star Class of 2024 wide receiver
Mario Craver of Clay-Chalkville High School in Pinson, Ala., told GoVols247 on Sunday night that he intends to announce his college decision on Oct. 23, and he expects to release a list of favorites soon.
The Vols are believed to be one of the top teams in the running for the 5-foot-9, 152-pound Craver, who made his first trip to Tennessee on July 30 for its summer-ending recruiting event. He said a list of his top eight choices is "coming ASAP," but he already has a couple of visits scheduled for this month.
Craver, a Top247 prospect, said he plans to visit Auburn on Sept. 17 for the Tigers' home game against Penn State. He said he's also scheduled to return to Knoxville on Sept. 24 for the Vols' home game against SEC East rival Florida.
A friend and former teammate of Tennessee freshman wide receiver
Squirrel White, Craver is ranked the No. 156 overall prospect and No. 24 wide receiver in the 2024 class and the No. 7 junior from the state of Alabama, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.
Oklahoma has received the lone prediction for Craver on the 247Sports Crystal Ball, which was made in April.
After his visit to Tennessee more than a month ago, he told GoVols247 that the Vols were one of the teams standing out most to him, along with Oklahoma and Alabama. He said at the time that Tennessee was already battling for the top spot on his short list of favorites, and he made it clear that he planned to return for one of the Vols' home games this season.
“They were already in my, like, power three. But now they’re definitely competing for the (No.) 1 spot, definitely,” Craver said after his trip to Knoxville on July 30. “Alabama, Oklahoma and Tennessee, those are my big three right now. But, right now, Oklahoma and Tennessee, they’re at the top right now.”
He received a scholarship offer from Tennessee in January, and he said in July that it was “just a place I wanted to check out, because I know they’re building something special.”
“I just wanted to check it out, see what it was about,” he said at the time, “and I wasn’t disappointed.”
What stood out most to him, he said, was “how these coaches, they’re all locked in on one goal. They all know what they want to accomplish.”
“Every coach on the staff, they all have some type of relationship with each other, and they’re all a family,” Craver added in July. “And when the coaches have that, it’s very easy for the players to connect, too, and everybody get on one page and know what the main goal is.”
Tennessee coach
Josh Heupel's staff, led by first-year wide receivers coach
Kelsey Pope, has continued to show Carver plenty of attention since his recent visit with the Vols. He said Heupel and Pope reached out to him "at 12:01" on Thursday morning, the first day college coaches were allowed to send messages to Class of 2024 prospects.
Craver said in July that he grew up liking Alabama, and that might make his offer from the Crimson Tide “kind of” tough to pass up in the end.
“But I really don’t want to stay in-state,” he added. “It’s really not going to be a big deal if I pass up on them.”
️. His quickness and speed same as Squirrel. In CHRIST Alone
