Managing editor Nathanael Rutherford and RTI contributor Charley Collier both contributed to this article.
Tennessee’s first new signee of the day is a name that has flown under the radar to this point. However, it is time for Vols fans to familiarize themselves with the new signee, three-star receiver Jerrod Means.
Means committed, and then signed with the Vols on Friday morning.
Welcome to Rocky Top, @JerrodMeans_ ?#T19 // #PoweredByTheT pic.twitter.com/htSO1hre5r
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) December 19, 2018
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound receiver was originally committed to North Carolina, but when Larry Fedora was fired, he decommitted. Tennessee really began to show more interest at that point, and Means took an official visit to Knoxville the December 14th, the final weekend before the early signing period.
Means spoke with us on Monday after his official visit to Tennessee, and he was glowing after his visit to Knoxville.
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“It was real good. I bonded with all the other recruits. It was a real nice weekend,” Means told us about his visit this past weekend. “They were all welcoming. Coaches kept saying, ‘Oh we know who you are, we’re glad to have you here.’ I was glad to get to know a lot of the coaches. It was a real family feel.
“I liked the experience and relationships I built with the coaches.”
Per the 247Sports Composite rankings, Means is the No. 1,834 overall player in the 2019 class. He is the 273rd-best wide receiver, and the 183rd-ranked player in the state of Georgia.
The Hampton, Georgia native received his first Power Five scholarship offer from the Vols on June 23rd after participating in one of their camps and visited them in late July for their “Rocky Top Cookout,” and he had remained involved with Tennessee since then. He plays for Lovejoy High School, the same school as former Tennessee receiver Preston Williams.
Means said he was looking for a school that would utilize his skills and speed effectively, and he feels Tennessee will do just that.
“I want to go to a school that passes the ball and is going to utilize me where I can display my abilities the best way I can,” Means said. “I want to go somewhere that has a home feel and has great academics. That’s real important to my mom.
“Tennessee checks off all those boxes.”
One of the biggest reasons Means chose Tennessee was because of his relationship with wide receivers coach David Johnson. Means’ main recruiter at Tennessee was Johnson, and the three-star receiver told us that Johnson is an even better person than he is a coach.
“That’s my guy,” Means said of Johnson. “He’s always honest with me. We got a real good relationship. I like Coach Johnson even more as a person than as a coach.”
Means is a talented player that oozes potential. He has great size and strength, and has excellent ball skills. He highpoints balls well, and he uses his body to his advantage against smaller corners. His speed separates him from many other prospects. He clocked a 4.40-second 40-yard dash time at Tennessee’s camp this summer. Combining that speed with his size is scary. He is a physical player, making him someone hard to cover in press coverage. Means blocks well, and he has solid body control. His route running is still pretty average, and he will probably need a year or two to develop, but he has the potential to be a very good player.
Another thing to keep an eye on for when he gets to campus is a potential position change. He played safety in high school as well and was good at it. It is possible that Pruitt decides he could be best utilized on defense.
Means may not be the big name that people were looking for today, but make no mistake, the Vols just landed an excellent football player. He is a strong addition to the class.
