“I called (Golesh) and he just wanted to inform me that I still have the offer that I got earlier from the other staff, and the new staff really likes me just as well as the other staff did, and they want me to keep that offer,” said Reed, who’s ranked by 247Sports as the No. 155 overall prospect and No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in the 2023 class and the No. 5 sophomore from the state of Tennessee.
“And they just let me know how their program is and how they’re going to do things from now on, and how my position at Tennessee is a demanding position and takes a lot of responsibility and leadership.”
The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Reed is the son of former Tennessee State coach
Rod Reed. The younger Reed said he has “never lived anywhere else” because of his father’s lengthy tenure at his alma mater, where he served as head coach for the past 11 seasons.
“I mean, I never really liked (Tennessee), but I never hated them, at the same time,” Reed said. “I like my dad’s team — the team he used to coach, actually. I liked TSU and spent a lot of time with their players growing up.”
He has never been to Tennessee’s campus, but he said he plans to visit the Vols once in-person recruiting resumes.
“I’ve been to Knoxville a couple of times, and then I pass through there every summer going to Black Mountain, North Carolina,” Reed said. “But I’ve never been, actually, on the campus, I don’t think. But I’ve heard a lot about Tennessee. I mean, I’ve got a lot of friends that are Tennessee fans, of course, because we live in Tennessee.
“But I’ve heard a lot of good things, and I’m really looking forward to getting up there sometime this summer. I’ll probably end up going to, like, a camp sometime this summer up there and just trying to meet the coaches after June 1 when the dead period’s up.”
Tennessee’s new staff likes what it has seen from Reed on film.
“They, like a lot of other schools, have said they just like my ability to throw,” he said. “The thing is, they’ve all let me know that I’m capable of throwing the ball and I’m a really good thrower, but I’m also an athlete and can run.
“I really appreciate it when coaches tell me that — that they like that I can throw — because I don’t really want to be known as a running quarterback. I want to be known as a throwing quarterback, because that’s what quarterbacks really do. I mean, I view running as an equal part of my game, yes. But I really like throwing the ball.”
One of Reed’s teammates, Class of 2022 offensive tackle
Grayson Morgan, holds offers from more than 20 schools, including Tennessee. Reed said Morgan’s college decision “might” factor into where he chooses to play.
“Me and Grayson have been talking a lot about this recruitment process,” Reed said. “I’ve been playing with Grayson since we were about 6 years old. We talked about, I mean, just our future. We’ve been thinking about going to the same college. … We both have the same ideas on where we might want to go to.”
While Reed said he has “heard about” the uptempo offense Tennessee is planning to run under Heupel, he added the Vols haven’t “really talked too much” about how he might fit into their plans.
“I like an offense that throws quite a bit,” he said. “But I also like an offense that is fast-paced and I’d have some options — run-pass options.”
He said Louisville has “been trying to stay in contact with me” since giving him one of his first offers in July. He said Georgia, Tennessee and Vanderbilt are among the other teams currently recruiting him hardest.