Jerome Dews, a Tennessee commitment since June, declared via Twitter that he will enroll in prep school rather than at the University of Tennessee come time this summer.
I do have to go to Atlanta Sports Academy (Prep School) for 5 months before I go to Tennessee #Volnation
— Jerome Dews (@_RomeHEEM) February 4, 2014
Dews added that he plans to sign with the Vols as an early enrollee for the 2015 signing class; therefore, he no longer counts against Tennessee’s scholarship numbers for 2014.
He later warned other high school students to keep their grades up presumingly to avoid academic situations like his. Opting for prep school rather than junior college allows Dews play football and improve his grades while retaining the entirety of his college eligibility.
It’s worth noting that neither party will be under any formal obligation to the other once Dews’ time in prep school is complete.
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The Oxon Hill, Md., native is rated a 3-star outside linebacker prospect by Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports. Dews held other offers from Temple, Purdue and James Madison, among others.
Tennessee now has 33 verbal commits going into National Signing Day.
FORUM THREAD: ’14 MD LB Jerome Dews
**UPDATE ON THE NIKE DEAL**
Also, in case you missed it, the terms of Tennessee’s impending apparel switch from Adidas to Nike were released. The deal covers all shoes, equipment and apparel for each of Tennessee’s athletic programs, spans eight years and is worth a base of $35 million, according to the linked article. It includes tiered, performance-based incentives, such as a $20 million bonus if the football team wins the SEC Championship and a $100 million bonus if the Vols win a National Championship.
The deal also provides the Vols a $2 million signing bonus that pays sometime this year prior to July 1.
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