Elite 4-star recruit says Tennessee Vols are 'definitely' the leader in his recruitment

The Tennessee Vols are at the top of the list for an elite 2025 four-star defensive back from Georgia.

2025 four-star safety Lagonza Hayward told On3 this week that Tennessee is "definitely" No. 1 for him in his recruitment.

“Tennessee is definitely No. 1 for me,” said Hayward to On3's Chad Simmons . “The way they went about recruiting me from the beginning means a lot. They believed in me early. Tennessee offered me before the stars, so they have been heavy with me from the jump."

Hayward, who will take an official visit to UT on June 21, included Tennessee in his top seven schools on Tuesday, along with Florida State, Florida, USC, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina.

Hayward, 6-foot-1/200 lbs from Lyons, GA, is rated by 247Sports as the No. 7 safety in the nation and the No. 12 player in the state of Georgia. He's also rated as the No. 75 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class.

Scouting report via 247Sports : Plays with a hot motor and violent intentions which results in impressive takeaway production and a fair share of bone-shattering collisions. Triggers effectively whether the ball is in the air or on the ground and pursues with a fanatical level of determination. Will offer significant special teams value moving forward. Intriguing combination of ready-to-play football instincts and long-term athletic upside make Hayward one of the more compelling prospects in the state of Georgia at this stage of the evaluation process. Should be viewed as a potential impact player for College Football's elite programs with significant NFL Draft upside.

According to On3, Hayward is expected to announce his commitment later this summer (likely just before the start of the 2024 season).

Tennessee has long been viewed as the favorite for the dynamic safety. It's always possible that another program could overtake the Vols in this recruiting battle in the coming weeks/months, but it feels like the most likely outcome is Hayward committing to Tennessee.

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