Cristian Conyer visited Tennessee twice last year and attended two of Kentucky’s home games during the 2021 season. It’s no coincidence that he’s planning to visit both schools again in the near future.
Conyer, a Class of 2023 cornerback/athlete from South Warren High School in Bowling Green, Ky., said the Vols and the home-state Wildcats are the two teams currently recruiting him hardest. They’re also the two programs standing out most to him, and he’s scheduled to travel to both of them soon, beginning with a trip to Tennessee on March 5.
“That’s the main two (standing out) right now,” said Conyer, who’s ranked the No. 380 overall prospect and No. 28 athlete in the 2023 class and the No. 3 junior from the state of Kentucky, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.
The 6-foot-1.5, 170-pound Conyer said Tennessee and Kentucky have caught his attention with “just how hard they’re recruiting me right now.” He said he’s talking with coaches from both schools on a weekly basis.
“There’s a lot of schools (talking to me),” he said. “But Tennessee and Kentucky are the ones that mainly, like, FaceTime me every week and stuff like that.”
Tennessee coach
Josh Heupel’s staff extended a scholarship offer to Conyer in late March and has made him a priority over the past several months. He visited the Vols in June and returned to Knoxville on Sept. 18 to attend their home game against Tennessee Tech.
Conyer said he’s hearing plenty from Tennessee defensive backs coach
Willie Martinez and linebackers coach
Brian Jean-Mary.
“Every Wednesday, we try to get on the phone and chop it up, see how the family’s been and all that,” said Conyer, who also has received offers from Oregon, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Cincinnati and Purdue, among others. “They’re just telling me how much they really want me to come play DB and how much they like my body, and they really want to build my future to the fullest extent.”
Several schools hosted Conyer for games during the 2021 season, including Alabama, Auburn, Louisville, Cincinnati and Purdue. His trip to Alabama on Oct. 23 also allowed him to see the Vols play in person, and he was in attendance Nov. 6 at Kentucky when Tennessee edged the Wildcats for a 45-42 victory.
After attending three of the Vols’ games last year, he said he was impressed by the improvement they showed during their first season under Heupel.
“They had a pretty good season,” Conyer said. “I really like their corners and their cornerback coach, Coach Martinez. He’s put a lot of good talent in the league, and he has a lot of experience. I could see myself being coached by him.
“He’s cool. He came to (my) school, like, twice. He’s really a caring person, a loving person. I can really tell it’s not just about football. He really cares about me and my future. He gives me, like, a family vibe from them, and that’s big when I’m talking about committing to a school.”
Despite living in the Bluegrass State, Conyer plays on the Middle Tennessee-based Tennessee Select 7-on-7 team. Two of Tennessee’s newcomers from its 2022 signing class — freshman linebacker
Elijah Herring and freshman wide receiver
Cameron Miller — are among Conyer’s former Tennessee Select teammates.
Conyer said his familiarity with the state of Tennessee is one of the reasons he could envision himself playing for the Vols.
“I’m down here in Tennessee all the time for my 7-on-7,” he said. “I can see myself living here, playing for that school. I get a family-like vibe from going up there. They treat me like I’m on the team already, and I just can’t wait for my future.”
