Class of 2025 safety Lagonza “Shaedy” Hayward Jr. de-committed from Tennessee through a social media post on Sunday afternoon.
Hayward had been committed to Tennessee since July and took visits to Knoxville for the Florida game and Alabama game this past season. After the announcement on Sunday, though, it looks as though Hayward’s recruitment is back open.
“Thankful for #volnation and coaches for support and the trust they put in me but I have prayed on it for a long time so respect my decision but I will be decommitting from The University of Tennessee,” Hayward wrote with a handshake emoji.
Thankful for #volnation and coaches for support and the trust they put in me but I have prayed on it for a long time so respect my decision but I will be decommiting from The University of Tennessee 🫱🏾🫲🏽 @Hayesfawcett3 @Rivals @On3Recruits @ToombsFootball1 pic.twitter.com/cX9MitPWZk
— Lagonza “SH@EDY🐺”Hayward jr (@LagonzaJr) December 1, 2024
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The news on Sunday comes just 18 days after Hayward emphatically re-emphasized his commitment to Tennessee, writing “I’M NOT FLIPPING” in a post on X.
Hayward originally chose Tennessee over Georgia and Florida during a summer recruiting surge. Hayward was one of nine players who committed to Tennessee between the months of June and July last summer.
From Toombs County High School in Lyons, GA, Hayward ranks as a four-star prospect in the class according to 247 Sports’ Composite Rankings. 247 also has Hayward as the No. 72 player in the nation, the No. 9 safety in the 2025 class, and the No. 9 player from the state of Georgia.
Hayward was Tennessee’s fifth highest-rated commit overall and the Vols’ second highest-rated defensive commit prior to his de-commitment on Sunday afternoon.
It might not take long to get a decision from Hayward, though. National Early Signing Day is just a handful of days away on Wednesday, Dec. 4th.
“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,” 247 Sports’ Hudson Standish wrote of Hayward in a February evaluation. “Should be viewed as a potential impact player for College Football’s elite programs with significant NFL Draft upside.”
Tennessee’s 2025 class now sits at 24 hard commits with the de-commitment from Hayward on Sunday afternoon. The Vols’ class ranks No. 9 in the nation according to 247 Sports and is headlined by five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr., four-star defensive lineman Mariyon Dye, and four-star wide receiver Travis Smith Jr.
One Response
In his decision to flip after stating he wouldn’t, don’t believe we want that type of individual on our team. Loyalty is everything in life.