Four-star safety Lagonza “Shaedy” Hayward Jr. is set to announce his collegiate commitment on Saturday as he chooses between a top group that includes Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida.
Hayward will make his announcement on Instagram.
Hayward lands as a four-star prospect across all four major recruiting platforms and is tagged as the No. 95 overall player, the No. 11 safety in the 2025 class, and the No. 12 player from the state of Georgia according to 247’s Composite Rankings.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound safety did visit all three programs in recent months with an official visit to Georgia on May 31, an official visit to Florida on June 14, and an official visit to Tennessee on June 21. Hayward also took an official to South Carolina between those dates on June 7.
Tennessee was able to bookend Hayward’s month of travel as the Vols also hosted the four-star prospect for an unofficial visit during 865 Live on May 25. Tennessee blue-chip target David Sanders Jr. and quarterback commit George MacIntyre were also in attendance for the recruiting event.
Great visit at rocky top love being in Knox is this where 🏠 is ?
Stay toned 👀 pic.twitter.com/K0VkafvKV3— Lagonza “SH@EDY🐺”Hayward jr (@LagonzaJr) June 25, 2024
More from RTI: Tennessee Reportedly Hosting Nation’s Top Offensive Tackle This Weekend
A multi-sport athlete at Toombs County High School in Lyons, GA, Hayward is a versatile playmaker on the field with an array of talents and skills. Hayward has played both defensive back and wide receiver for his high school and flourished on both sides of the ball with his natural athleticism.
“Plays with a hot motor and violent intentions which results in impressive takeaway production and a fair share of bone-shattering collisions,” 247’s Hudson Standish said of Hayward in a February evaluation. “Triggers effectively whether the ball is in the air or on the ground and pursues with a fanatical level of determination. Will offer significant special teams value moving forward. Intriguing combination of ready-to-play football instincts and long-term athletic upside make Hayward one of the more compelling prospects in the state of Georgia at this stage of the evaluation process.”
Hayward recorded three interceptions, one forced fumble, seven receiving touchdowns, and 727 receiving yards during his 2023 season at Toombs County.
Tennessee has been the trending team since taking the last official visit in late June. 247 Sports recruiting analyst Tom Loy gave Tennessee a Crystal Ball prediction on July 15 while On3 Sports’ Recruiting Prediction Machine has Tennessee as the overwhelming favorite to land the talented two-way player at 77.8 percent. While nothing about the predictions equals a guarantee, it does show that Tennessee is in a good position on the eve of the commitment.
Tennessee currently has 18 commitments in the 2025 class and holds the No. 10 overall ranking according to 247’s team rankings at the time of this publication.
Shaedy Hayward is set to announce his collegiate destination on his birthday, Saturday, July 27. The four-star safety will decide between Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more over the weekend.
