Four-star, in-state wide receiver Trey Knox announced a few months ago that he planned on making his college decision on October 1st. But as his decision date looms, Knox is apparently still undecided on where he wants to spend the next 3-4 years.
Knox is coming off an official visit to Knoxville this past weekend, and it looks as though he’ll be deciding between Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida, Penn State, and Ohio State. The Vols, Razorbacks, and Gators are considered his top three by most recruiting outlets, however.
The 6-foot-4, 204-pound receiver did an interview with Cecil Joyce of the Daily News Journal about his upcoming decision and his visit to Tennessee, and he said the trip to Knoxville to see a game was “fun” and “crazy.”
“It was a fun trip,” Knox told Joyce. “It was the first time I stayed the night there. It was different. It’s crazy having the fans telling you to commit and go there.”
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Knox has had a long and somewhat complicated relationship with Tennessee. Under UT’s previous coaching staff, Knox was viewed as a high priority, and Tennessee’s coaches were very high on Knox. But when Jeremy Pruitt and his staff took over, they initially didn’t seem quite as interested in Knox. But the talented in-state receiver came and camped at Tennessee, and UT’s new coaching staff began to take a greater interest in him. They “re-offered” him at the camp, and he’s been a bigger priority since.
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Knox is the No. 191 overall player and No. 28 wide receiver in the 2019 class. Those rankings also have him listed as the sixth-best player in the state of Tennessee. Knox plays for Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, and a couple of his teammates have already committed to different schools. Three-star cornerback Adonis Otey is committed to Arkansas, and two-star receiver Micaleous Elder is committed to MTSU.
Knox visited Florida earlier this month, and he took an official visit to Arkansas over the summer. He’s visited Tennessee three times this year, coming to campus in March and May and coming in for this past weekend’s game against Florida.
The big-bodied receiver didn’t mind waiting like he has, and he says he wants to make sure his decision is the right one. He claims he doesn’t want to make one choice then decommit and make another.
“I just haven’t been ready to commit anywhere,” Knox said to Joyce. “It’s a long process. I want the right opportunity and the right school. I didn’t want to commit prematurely and then decommit. I wanted to be sure.
“I’ve honestly been more at ease (with waiting). I started off nervous, but it’s gotten a lot calmer. The pressure has been on a little bit the last two weeks.”
The in-state receiver fits the mold of the type of physical wideout the Tennessee coaching staff prefers out wide. He is a strong and physical player, and he is a talented route runner and has above average hands. He has the kind of speed to create separation and is elusive in the open field. He won’t burn speedy SEC corners, but he’s fast enough to create room and big enough to make a difference down the field. He’ll bring physicality to any receiver room, and he could be a good security blanket for a quarterback when they need a big third down. He’s a solid athlete who plays out of the backfield for Blackman as well.
In six games for Blackman this year, Knox has 21 catches for 345 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 27 carries for 281 yards and four scores according to MaxPreps. In 32 total games for Blackman High School, Knox has 128 receptions for 1,722 yards, and 17 touchdowns.
Tennessee got Knox’s last visit before his commitment date, and that could be big for the Vols. Arkansas has been viewed as the favorite to land the talented receiver, but it’s apparent that Tennessee has made up some ground recently, and despite the poor result on the field on Saturday, the Vols made a strong impression on Knox this past weekend.
Trey Knox will announce his college decision on October 1st. We will have coverage of his announcement that Monday.
