Jeremy Pruitt has a strong history of coaching defensive backs during his stops at Alabama, Georgia and Florida State. Given his record of getting the most out of his defensive backs, it’s interesting that immediately after word began to spread that the former Alabama defensive coordinator was headed to Tennessee, the Vols suffered a big decommitment from one of Georgia’s top defensive backs.

Four-star Trey Dean of Hampton, Georgia just announced his decision to decommit from the Vols despite remaining publicly committed following the dismissal of Butch Jones. Despite his commitment, he had been exploring his options in recent weeks, including an official visit to Alabama where Pruitt is still a member of the staff.

Here’s Dean’s message announcing his decommitment:

Dean is rated as a four-star prospect and the No. 22 overall safety in the nation according to 247Sports. He holds scholarship offers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Michigan, Notre Dame and Oregon among many others.