Class of 2014 Illinois tight end Daniel Helm verbally committed to Tennessee on Tuesday evening.
Helm is listed at 6-foot-5 and weighs 220 pounds according to Rivals.com, who ranks him the 6th-best tight end in the country.
Helm caught 44 passes for 810 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior last season at Glenwood High School, while tallying more than 200 tackles.
Josh Helmholdt saw Helm at the recent Rivals camp in St. Louis and was quite impressed.
“I think he has the ability to play at an elite level,” Helmholdt said. “He is a receiving tight end and won the MVP of the Rivals Underclassman Challenge last year, so we will see what happens.”
Helmholdt said that, along with his physical makeup, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound player has a personality that draws others to him.
“First of all, he is a super-nice kid who is shy in the way that even he is impressed that we think he is a four-star player,” Helmholdt said. “He is respectful and humble.
“As far as being a prospect, I think he has a lot of upside. Right now he has coat-hangar shoulders, and I could see him easily getting up to 240 or 250 pounds.”
Dallas Jackson, also with Rivals, tweeted his prediction of Helm to the Vols after that St. Louis camp.
Came true tonight >> RT @rivalsdallas If I had to make just one prediction from @rivalscamp it would be #Rivals250 TE Daniel Helm to #Vols.
— Dallas Jackson (@RivalsDallas) April 24, 2013
Helm is the 10th commit for Butch Jones in the 2014 class and the second tight end (Ethan Wolf). Both tight end commits were quoted as being impressed with the way Tennessee’s offense utilizes their position.
The talented prospect visited the Vols’ scrimmage on April 6th and was recruited by Mark Elder.
Tennessee’s newest commit told Scout.com that he doesn’t plan to take other visits.
“No, I’m done. When I say I’m committed, I mean it. I will probably make an official visit to Tennessee in the fall. I will probably go to camp in the summer. But, besides that, I’m through.”
Helm is also well known for making a miraculous shot on the basketball court during his sophomore season. The only problem, it was the other team’s basket.