'24 GA TE Jonathan Echols (USF commit)

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#457
Tennessee made a splash Monday afternoon to start its 2024 recruiting class, landing one of the nation’s top overall prospects with the addition of Jonathan Echols. The five-star athlete from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., chose the Vols over scholarship offers from at least 30 other schools, revealing his decision a little more than a week after he visited Tennessee’s campus for the first time.

Andrew Ivins, a Southeast recruiting analyst for 247Sports, said the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Echols is “a massive pickup” for the Vols. Tennessee is recruiting him to play tight end, and while Ivins said he likes Echols’ potential as an edge rusher, he believes Echols could be an effective tight end at the next level, too.

A former standout at Heard County High School in Franklin, Ga., Echols is rated a five-star prospect in the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, where he’s ranked the No. 30 overall player and No. 4 athlete in the 2024 class. He’s also rated a four-star prospect by 247Sports, where he’s ranked the No. 5 overall player and No. 1 athlete in the 2024 class.

“I think this is a massive pickup for Tennessee and one that will probably fly a bit under the radar given the timing, with it being July 4th and all,” Ivins said of Echols, who picked up an offer from Tennessee on Dec. 1.

“I personally like Jonathan as an edge rusher, given his get-off and overall testing profile, but I can see him getting it done as a tight end on Saturdays. I’m also not going to knock Alex Golesh and his evaluations, as he was in on (four-star Class of 2023 tight end commitment) Ethan Davis well before others in the 2023 cycle,” Ivins added, referring to the Vols’ offensive coordinator and tight ends coach.

In 247Sports’ official evaluation of Echols, Ivins referred to the coveted athlete as “kind of a scout’s dream,” adding that he’s “long and quick.” Ivins compared him to tight end Noah Fant of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, a former Iowa standout who was once a two-way prospect much like Echols.

Ivins wrote Sunday that Fant “earned some national recognition as a tight end” coming out of high school, “but he also had some schools recruiting him to be a defensive end for them.

“So not only do Fant and Echols have that same type of question mark surrounding their future position coming out of high school,” Ivins added, “but they also have very similar measurables and testing numbers.”

Echols and other Class of 2024 prospects won’t be able to sign with Tennessee until at least December 2023, so there’s still plenty of time for other teams to try to change his mind. As much as anything, though, Ivins said Echols’ early commitment to the Vols sends a message about Tennessee’s ability to compete on a national level in recruiting under second-year head coach Josh Heupel.

The Vols’ 2023 class is currently ranked No. 9 nationally in the industry-generated 247Sports Composite team rankings, and they’re now off to a good start in the 2024 class with Echols.

“To me, this commitment kind of signals that the Vols are going to be a national player not just in 2023, but also in 2024,” Ivins said. “Echols has no shortage of college options and even recently admitted that Notre Dame is doing a good job recruiting him, but he’s electing to lock in with Tennessee, and now.”
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-Callahan
 
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#460
HoleInTheRoof said:
Of course Wes cucker has to ask about the likelihood of this kid decommiting on the 247 commitment pod.

JFC
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I’m no fan of Wes Rucker but it’s a fair question. It’s an extremely early commitment from one of the most highly rated 2024 recruits. In the era of NIL, there will always be that “bigger bag” specter in the back of my mind for a kid who commits almost 2 years early. Hope we can keep him because he is a damn stud!
 
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#461
#461
TheMookieMonster said:
I’m no fan of Wes Rucker but it’s a fair question. It’s an extremely early commitment from one of the most highly rated 2024 recruits. In the era of NIL, there will always be that “bigger bag” specter in the back of my mind for a kid who commits almost 2 years early. Hope we can keep him because he is a damn stud!
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Who's to say that he and his family haven't already signed an NIL deal with Spyre and he is locked in that way? I don't know if that is the case, but that seems like it would prevent decommits in the future.
 
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#462
#462
TheMookieMonster said:
I’m no fan of Wes Rucker but it’s a fair question. It’s an extremely early commitment from one of the most highly rated 2024 recruits. In the era of NIL, there will always be that “bigger bag” specter in the back of my mind for a kid who commits almost 2 years early. Hope we can keep him because he is a damn stud!
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He's a program changing type player for sure.I assume he loves the Vols or he wouldn't have committed i mean he's got any college he wants to go to.If people can just have some patience thru this year the future is nuclear bright.Ive always thought 2023 is when we really hit our stride.It seems like we're right on schedule so far.
 
#463
#463
TheMookieMonster said:
I’m no fan of Wes Rucker but it’s a fair question. It’s an extremely early commitment from one of the most highly rated 2024 recruits. In the era of NIL, there will always be that “bigger bag” specter in the back of my mind for a kid who commits almost 2 years early. Hope we can keep him because he is a damn stud!
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60% of marriages end in divorce. Doesn’t mean that should be a topic of discussion on the wedding day.
 
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#465
#465
Glitch said:
Who's to say that he and his family haven't already signed an NIL deal with Spyre and he is locked in that way? I don't know if that is the case, but that seems like it would prevent decommits in the future.
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Would love to know how we kindled his love of ORANGE. Drive right by his old HS every trip I make from Ktown to Auburn to visit my youngest grands..... He is a little more than an hour away from AU, two and a half from GA. Something or someone in his background?

The risk is out there for every recruit to flip, before or after they sign and arrive. Just the way it is.
 
#467
#467
Glitch said:
Who's to say that he and his family haven't already signed an NIL deal with Spyre and he is locked in that way? I don't know if that is the case, but that seems like it would prevent decommits in the future.
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Your point is just as valid as Mookies is. He may have already signed a good NIL deal and is locked in. But since that’s not unlocked knowledge, it’s completely fair to wonder about a guy who commits this early. I mean this guy is an absolute stud. Unless he just comes out with a tweet or public statement saying he has completely shut his recruitment down, then it’s not out of line to worry about keeping him. December of 2023 or February of 2024 is a long ways a way.
 
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BigOrangeTrain said:
Your point is just as valid as Mookies is. He may have already signed a good NIL deal and is locked in. But since that’s not unlocked knowledge, it’s completely fair to wonder about a guy who commits this early. I mean this guy is an absolute stud. Unless he just comes out with a tweet or public statement saying he has completely shut his recruitment down, then it’s not out of line to worry about keeping him. December of 2023 or February of 2024 is a long ways a way.
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I think as long as Heup is our HC this kid is a lock. He LOVES our system. Plus he's our big fish for 2024. I imagine he's gonna do like Nico and recruit hard for us. He's the face of our 2024 class.
 
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