Tennessee was already listed as a finalist for Jaden Springer. Now, they know for sure when he’s coming on an official visit to campus.
According to Springer’s father in an interview with Evan Daniels of 247Sports, the five-star shooting guard who plays for IMG Academy will be taking an official visit to see the Vols on October 4th this fall.
“We leave Thursday for Michigan and then I think we come back and the next visit is Memphis,” Springer’s father told Daniels. “Then Florida, then North Carolina and the last one is Tennessee is on Oct. 4.”
Springer will take official visits to all five of his finalists, and he’ll be making the trip to Michigan first followed by Memphis (September 14th), Florida (September 21st), and North Carolina (September 28th) before traveling to Knoxville when the Vols host Georgia in football.
It’s worth noting that Tennessee will be getting Springer’s final official visit. And the plan right now is for the five-star guard to make his announcement shortly after that visit to Knoxville.
“Sometime after that October visit to Tennessee we are going to make a decision,” Springer’s father said.
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, the 6-foot-5, 195-pound guard who is originally from North Carolina is the No. 13 overall prospect and No. 3 shooting guard in the 2020 class. Springer plays at IMG Academy now and has been out of North Carolina for a couple years.
Rick Barnes and UT’s staff have made Springer a priority for a long time, but blue bloods like North Carolina and Villanova came calling in late spring of this year. Springer already held offers from schools like Kansas and Michigan State, but he picked up even more interest over the last few months. Mike White at Florida has made Springer a big focal point on the recruiting trail lately along with some blue bloods, as has Penny Hardaway at Memphis.
Still, the Vols have had a relationship with Springer for quite a while, and it’s clear he likes what he’s seen at UT. The only official visit he took in the spring was to see Tennessee back in March when the Vols hosted and defeated Kentucky.
Springer’s highlights are so fun to watch. He has a nasty mid-range game that is extremely difficult to guard. He can stop on a dime and pull-up for his shot, and he can hit fadeaway jumpers as well. He can score at all three levels, and his strength is a big asset. He has really good ball-handling skills and solid awareness on the court. He’s an exceptional all-around player, and it’s very easy to see why he’s considered one of the top players in high school in the 2020 class.
This past season for IMG Academy, Springer averaged 18.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game according to PrepCircuit.com. He shot 55.5 percent from the floor overall, 30.3 percent from three, and an impressive 90.9 percent from the free throw line.
This spring, Springer played with the B. Maze Elite team in the AAU circuit just like he did last year. The spring/summer AAU team was started by former Vol Bobby Maze. In seven recorded games for the B. Maze Elite this year, Springer averaged 18.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists while shooting 51.8 percent overall, 36.7 percent from three, and 85.3 percent from the free throw line according to the Under Armour Association’s website.
Tennessee already has one five-star guard committed to them in their 2020 class, and they have another borderline five-star prospect committed as well. Keon Johnson, the No. 1 player in the state of Tennessee, is a five-star guard who chose the Vols over Ohio State and Virginia earlier this month. Corey Walker, the Vols’ other commit, is a top-40 overall prospect out of Florida who plays at small forward.
