Vols Land Commitment from Four-Star OL Cooper Mays

The first big in-state domino has finally fallen for the Vols.

In-state offensive lineman and legacy player Cooper Mays took to Twitter on Friday afternoon to announce his commitment to Tennessee. The four-star lineman chose the Vols over offers from Georgia, Auburn, LSU, Ohio State, and others.

Committed.#2THET0P pic.twitter.com/F8sijWkgDE

— Cooper Mays (@CooperMays) June 21, 2019

According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Mays is the No. 317 overall prospect, No. 5 center, and No. 10 player in the state of Tennessee. Mays plays for Knoxville Catholic and is the younger brother of Georgia offensive lineman and former five-star recruit Cade Mays, and he’s the son of former Vol Kevin Mays.

The 6-foot-3, 280-pound lineman has been a priority for UT’s coaching staff for well over a year. He’s been a frequent visitor to Tennessee’s campus this year, visiting five different times in 2019 alone. Mays has proven he can play on either side of the ball, both as a defensive lineman and offensive guard/center.

The athletic lineman was invited to Nike’s The Opening Finals after performing exceptionally well at a regional camp in May.

Mays is athletic and blocks really well in space, using his speed and strength to his fullest potential. He is incredibly aggressive, but he still plays under control. His footwork is excellent, and he is very strong. Mays’ biggest strength is his ability to run block. He’s a real bulldozer, and he can be seen racking up pancakes on his highlight film. He plays low and doesn’t habitually get too high on defenders, which is always a problem with high school linemen. You can tell he comes from a football family, because he has a strong football IQ and is a very smart player.

As a junior, Mays was an All-State selection on the offensive line, and he won the Defensive Lineman of the Year for Region 4-5A in East Tennessee. On defense, he totaled 92 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles, and two pass breakups.

Mays’ commitment gives Tennessee 10 total commits in the 2020 class, and he’s the Vols’ first major in-state commitment. Tennessee has one other in-state commit, and that’s from long snapper Will Albright from Greeneville.