“That’s a very exciting one, to get the in-state school — kind of the hometown school, I would say,” said Briningstool, who now has received offers from 10 FBS programs in a little more than a month after also getting offers this week from Oregon, Nebraska, Arkansas and Missouri. “A lot of Tennessee fans (are) in the Nashville area, and a lot of my friends and stuff all go to the games and are fans. It’s a true blessing to be able to have that opportunity at such a good university, and especially one in the state.”
Briningstool said he moved to the Nashville, Tenn., area when he was 9, and while he grew up liking Michigan State, he has become plenty familiar with Tennessee in recent years. He said the Vols also impressed him during his two visits to Knoxville within the past six months. They hosted him in November for their game against Missouri, and he said he returned to Tennessee in February with one of his teammates.
“I loved the game-day environment, the Vol Walk and the traditions,” Briningstool said, recalling his visit for Tennessee’s home finale last season. “It was great to be able to see that firsthand. The program is definitely on the way up, and Coach (Jeremy) Pruitt and the whole staff are doing great things there. “Everybody talks about (crowds of) 100,000 people, and the UT fans, they never quiet down. It’s always loud. It’s a great environment to play in, so I’ve heard that aspect, the fan aspect. But to be able to experience it from, like, a player’s standpoint was pretty surreal.”
“I visited back in February, had a good talk with (tight ends) coach (Brian) Niedermeyer and (offensive coordinator Jim) Chaney and (wide receivers coach)
Tee Martin,” Briningstool said. “The visit went really well, and I liked the facilities and loved the culture and I had a great time. …“They sounded pretty interested, but they were just waiting for me to mature and get my weight up and stuff like that. And (Wednesday’s offer) just kind of happened out of the blue. I’m just grateful it happened.”
Martin, who’s serving as Briningstool’s area recruiter for Tennessee, told him the Vols like what they’ve seen from him on film, and they’re hoping to get him back on campus this summer. “He said, on my film, they liked the way that I was able to stretch the field and kind of be able to block and catch and run routes and stuff, and they liked the versatility of that,” Briningstool said of his conversation with Martin on Wednesday. "He just said that my future is bright, and he was very complimentary to me. I thought it was a great conversation. “He said just let them know next time I want to come up and he said he’d show me around again and (I could) start to build a good relationship with the coaches there.”
While Briningstool still is in the early stages of the recruiting process, he admitted his early offer from Michigan State was significant to him and his family. But he said he plans to be “open-minded” about where he wants to play. “I mean, that offer definitely is very special to me and to my family and stuff, with how much Michigan State means to us,” Briningstoold said. “Both of my parents went there. That’s where they met. That’s their school. And I grew up watching Michigan State games and stuff with my dad. On the TV, it was always on. “But I’m definitely open to every school.”
