For Vol fans on Twitter, they may have seen four-star wide receiver Julian Nixon out of Roswell, Georgia giving Tennessee a lot of love over the last couple weeks.
Since the beginning of this month, Nixon has tweeted or retweeted something 11 times. Of those 11 tweets, 10 have had something to do with Tennessee. Whether it’s been Nixon tweeting out a graphic involving himself in Tennessee gear or trying to get fans to give love to other recruits to come to Tennessee, Nixon has been heavily involved with the Vols lately.
Yet he still hasn’t jumped in the boat. But that time may be coming soon.
In an interview with Chad Simmons of Rivals.com, Nixon revealed that while he grew up a fan of the Auburn Tigers, the Vols are definitely the team at the top of his recruitment right now.
“I am an Auburn fan, and I always will be a fan, but it is Tennessee on top for me,” Nixon told Simmons. “It is how they are recruiting me, the opportunity I have to play there and how they have told me they are saving me a spot.”
The Vols offered Nixon back on May 1, 2018, becoming the fourth SEC school to offer him at the time. Since then, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound wideout has added offers from over a dozen other Power Five programs and is currently ranked as the No. 201 overall prospect and No. 36 wide receiver in the 2021 class per the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Tennessee has been involved with Nixon for a while, and the talented receiver came to Knoxville to visit UT’s campus in late March of last year. He was planning on visiting the Vols again this spring along with LSU and Ohio State, but the COVID-19 outbreak has put those plans on hold.
Nixon has heard a lot from Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt and wide receivers coach Tee Martin, and Nixon’s dad has a unique relationship with Pruitt.
“We have trust in coach Jeremy Pruitt and the coaches there too. My dad played with coach Pruitt, so they have a strong relationship, and I have been talking to him and coach Tee Martin a lot,” Nixon told Simmons. “Tennessee is recruiting me the hardest. I feel I could be the missing piece for them, and they would love for me to commit.”
The Vols have been hitting the wide receiver position hard early in the 2021 cycle already. All three of Tennessee’s highest-rated commits in the 2021 class right now are projected wide receivers. Four-star Alabama wideout Jordan Mosley, borderline four-star Tennessee receiver Walker Merrill, and three-star Alabama wide receiver/tight end Roc Taylor have already pledged themselves to UT, but Tennessee’s coaches are still pursuing a handful of receivers in the 2021 class.
Nixon knows the Vols are targeting receiver big time in this cycle, and he’s not afraid of competition.
“Tennessee is the school for me right now,” Nixon said. “I am already talking to other guys about Tennessee, so I feel really good about them.
“I would say Tennessee is ahead by a lot right now.”
On Twitter, Nixon has been peer recruiting for Tennessee like he’s already committed to the Vols. He’s tagged other recruits like four-star athlete and former Florida Gator commit Kamar Wilcoxson, four-star running back Cody Brown, and five-star defensive end Dylan Brooks and asking for Vol fans to show them love or get them to Knoxville.
GB???? @KamarWilcoxson4
— Julian Nixon (@JulianNixon11) April 1, 2020
What’s it gone take to get @_dylanbrooks at Tennessee???
— Julian Nixon (@JulianNixon11) April 6, 2020
Rocky top show my boy some love ??#GBO https://t.co/aZWby63zof
— Julian Nixon (@JulianNixon11) April 6, 2020
Nixon hasn’t committed just yet, but he told Simmons that he thinks a commitment could “come this spring,” especially with the COVID-19 outbreak shutting down visits for the foreseeable future.
Over the last week, three separate recruiting analysts have logged crystal ball predictions for Nixon to commit to Tennessee. Steve Wiltfong, the Director of Football Recruiting for 247Sports, Keith Niebuhr, an insider for Auburn’s 247Sports site, and Ryan Callahan, the main insider for Tennessee’s 247Sports site, all put in predictions for Nixon to commit to the Vols in the near future.
It feels like a matter of “when” and not “if” Nixon will commit to Tennessee. If he does, the Vols will add yet another talented pass catcher to their group of 2021 commits.
