Tennessee picks up commitment from four-star RB Ty Chandler
Tennessee landed one of its biggest recruiting targets Monday when in-state running back Ty Chandler gave his verbal commitment to the Vols.
Blessed to say I'm officially committed to the University of Tennessee #GBO #VFL ?? pic.twitter.com/WhE8Yhbpve
— Ty Chandler (@Channdler_35) August 15, 2016
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Chandler is rated as a four-star prospect, the No. 56 overall recruit in the nation, the No. 5 running back and the No. 4 prospect from Tennessee, according to 247Sports. Chandler chose his in-state school over offers from Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Ohio State and USC, among others.
Upon hearing the news, Tennessee’s head coach Butch Jones and running back coach Robert Gillespie took to Twitter to rejoice:
Great day to be a Vol! Run CMG! #STATEment ??? pic.twitter.com/ZgILL6nZkn
— Butch Jones (@UTCoachJones) August 15, 2016
B??M!! #OLP will love what just happened in Nashville! Great day to be a #VOL! #RunCMG #GBO
— Robert Gillespie (@UTCoachG) August 15, 2016
The Nashville native is scheduled to participate in the 2017 U.S. Army All-American Game.
While Tennessee is currently loaded with elite talent at running back with juniors Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara, both players are expected to turn pro at the conclusion of the season leaving opportunity for a talented freshman to come in and compete with current sophomore John Kelly for carries.
After adding Chandler to its 2017 recruiting haul, Tennessee now has 24 total commitments pledged toward the latest recruiting class and has moved back into the Top 10 in overall team recruiting class rankings.