Branden Strozier has been planning to take official visits to a couple of schools next month. But he might not wait that long to make his college decision.
The Class of 2023 cornerback from St. Francis High School in Alpharetta, Ga., said he and his family recently have been “narrowing down my list,” and he’s working his way toward a decision that could come “real soon.” He said he was planning to take official visits next month to Clemson and Tennessee, the two teams that have been recruiting him hardest, but he’s “not sure” about his upcoming visit plans.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Strozier said he’s also uncertain about when he might be ready to choose between his nearly 20 scholarship offers.
“I’m not sure yet,” Strozier told 247Sports’ Rusty Mansell on Tuesday. “I know I’ve been talking with my family, winding down (to) a decision real soon. I'll be letting everybody know when I'm making my decision real soon.”
An assistant coach from Clemson and Tennessee defensive backs coach
Willie Martinez both stopped at St. Francis on Tuesday to see Strozier, who has been a priority target for the Vols since getting an offer from them in January during his visit for their first junior day of the year.
He has visited Clemson twice within the past two months, and the Tigers have continued to make a push for him since extending an offer to him on March 13. Both predictions on the 247Sports Crystal Ball point to Clemson as the favorite to land him.
“Really, Clemson and Tennessee are recruiting me the hardest right now,” said Strozier, who’s ranked the No. 364 overall prospect and No. 40 cornerback in the 2023 class, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.
Strozier said he has “no visits planned” at the moment, although he once discussed taking official visits to Clemson the weekend of June 3 and Tennessee the weekend of June 17.
“Really, just taking it easy right now, talking with my family and stuff, narrowing down my list,” he said. “But just taking it easy.”
He has continued to hear plenty from Tennessee head coach
Josh Heupel’s staff, led by Martinez and Heupel himself, along with defensive analyst
Chad Creamer. Strozier said the Vols, who most recently hosted him March 26 for their first spring practice in pads, have “been doing a real good job” recruiting him.
“I’ve been talking to Coach Martinez, Coach Heup, Coach Creamer,” Strozier said. “I’ve been talking to (defensive coordinator
Tim)
Banks occasionally. They’ve been doing a good job recruiting me, and me being able to feel the love from them and the coaching staff, so that’s been pretty good.”
Strozier’s two trips to Clemson, including his most recent visit on April 9, also have impressed him.
“I just love, like, the atmosphere there, the stability with their coaching staff and stuff like that,” he said. “Real loving feel there. It feels like home there.”
As he continues to work toward his decision, he said he knows what he wants in a school.
“A school that's going to (develop) me, not only as a player, but (as) a man, too, and a school that’s going to be able to push me to be the best person I can be,” Strozier said. “And a school that’s not going to only focus on me as an athlete, but me as a person and academically, too.”
