Deondre Buford wasn’t expecting to get a scholarship offer from Tennessee on Thursday during his first visit with the Vols. The three-star Class of 2020 offensive tackle from Martin Luther King High School in Detroit was caught off guard, to say the least, when he learned of his offer from Tennessee during a conversation with Vols coach
Jeremy Pruitt.
“It surprised me a lot,” said Buford, who’s ranked the No. 567 overall prospect and No. 58 offensive tackle in the 2020 class, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound Buford, who now has received offers from almost 20 schools, said he's already planning to return to Tennessee. "I definitely plan to visit again," he said.
Buford said he also talked with Tennessee quarterbacks coach
Chris Weinke and defensive line coach
Tracy Rocker during the visit, and Pruitt let him know that the Vols were impressed with “my athleticism. He talked to me about myself for a minute and told me about how he liked me as a player and then I asked him a few questions,” Buford said of Pruitt.
Buford's first look at Tennessee made a good impression on him, too. "It was fun," he said. "The facility was beautiful. I enjoyed it. The coaches were welcoming, and the energy that the strength and conditioning coaches gave was through the roof." LSU, Miami, Michigan State, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Indiana, Iowa and Syracuse are among the other teams pursuing Buford.
