Tennessee and head coach Josh Heupel landed a big-time commitment over SEC rivals Georgia and Florida on Saturday afternoon.
Class of 2025 safety Lagonza “Shaedy” Hayward Jr. committed to Tennessee on Saturday to give the Vols their 19th commitment in the class. Hayward and his family broke out into “Rocky Top” after the announcement was made following a commitment video that he played.
Hayward comes in 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. Hayward’s 93 rating from 247 places him as Tennessee’s highest-rated defensive commit and the Vols’ second highest-rated player overall to date.
Hayward, 6-foot-1, 200-pounds, plays for Toombs County High School in Lyons, GA. Hayward’s multi-sport background in basketball and track helps elevate his game on the field playing both defensive back and wide receiver for his high school. As a two-way player during his junior season, Hayward hauled in seven receiving touchdowns and three interceptions during the season. Hayward also tallied 727 receiving yards on 26 receptions, 48 tackles, four pass breakups, and one forced fumble.
Tennessee received the first and last visits in a busy spring/summer for Hayward. The four-star safety began his run with an unofficial visit to Tennessee for the Vols’ 865 Live recruiting event in late May and followed it up with official visits to Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida in consecutive weeks. Hayward closed out his list of trips with an official visit to Tennessee on June 21. Hayward also previously visited Tennessee for spring practice in March and the UConn game last November.
Hayward’s game on the field bursts with natural athleticism. The Georgia native has sideline-to-sideline speed and a sharpened IQ from playing competing sides of the ball early in his football career.
“Plays with a hot motor and violent intentions which results in impressive takeaway production and a fair share of bone-shattering collisions,” 247 analyst Hudson Standish wrote in an evaluation for Hayward. “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.”
More from RTI: Highlights From Tennessee Commit Lagonza ‘Shaedy’ Hayward
Hayward makes for Tennessee’s third commitment in the month of July and their ninth since the start of June. Josh Heupel and his staff have been working hard to lock down elite talent before the start of the football season and have certainly taken a step forward by finalizing Hayward’s commitment.
With Hayward’s addition to the class, Tennessee now boasts five defensive backs for the 2025 cycle. Hayward joins three-star safety Sidney Walton, three-star cornerback Tre Poteat, three-star cornerback Tyler Redmond, and three-star cornerback Dylan Lewis.
Lagonza “Shaedy” Hayward announced his commitment to Tennessee on his birthday.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee football recruiting news and coverage.
