Tennessee’s 2020 recruiting class shrank by one on Tuesday afternoon.
Three-star cornerback Lovie Jenkins committed to the Vols back on June 12th, the same day he took an unofficial visit to UT’s campus. But nearly three months later, he decided Knoxville would not be his future home after all.
Jenkins, a 5-foot-10, 181-pound cornerback from Ocoee, Florida, announced on Twitter on Tuesday that he is flipping his commitment from the Vols to Louisville. In his post, Jenkins explained that his “original decision was rushed” when he committed to Tennessee, and he stated that “as time passed, I could tell my heart was elsewhere.”
God Sat Me Down And Talked To Me I Listened ??? GO CARDS❗️ pic.twitter.com/uEtYeaBnc5
— Lovie Jenkins#️⃣1 (@Lovie1k) September 10, 2019
Jenkins thanked Tennessee defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley and head coach Jeremy Pruitt for “believing in me” and also thanked UT’s fan base, calling them “amazing.”
As for why he chose Louisville instead, Jenkins states it’s because of the relationships he has with new head coach Chris Satterfield and his position coach with the Cardinals.
“Ultimately, I know that he best future for me is at the University of Louisville, and I will be committing there today and shutting down my recruitment,” Jenkins wrote. “Coach Satterfield, Coach Brown, and the rest of the coaching staff have made me feel like family from the moment I met them.”
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Jenkins is the No. 693 overall player and No. 58 cornerback in the 2020 class. He ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at a regional camp for Nike’s The Opening back in February.
With his decommitment, Tennessee now has 14 prospects committed to them in their 2020 class. Jenkins’ decommitment leaves UT with three projected defensive backs committed to them in this cycle. Four-star defensive back Keshawn Lawrence, four-star JUCO cornerback Art Green, and three-star safety Mordecai McDaniel are all committed to the Vols.
