Tennessee sees elite 4-star OL flip pledge to Big Ten team
Tennessee has suffered a notable decommitment in its 2025 recruiting class.
Douglas Utu, a blue-chip lineman from Las Vegas, had been pledged to the Volunteers since June 24. On Thursday, however, he announced via social media that he is now committed to the Oregon Ducks.
I am excited to announce my commitment to the University of Oregon to further my academic and athletic career. Thank you to my family, coaches, teammates, and most importantly the the man above who supported me throughout this journey. Go Ducks! @BGOLcoach @wilson_utu @AneUtu pic.twitter.com/RHTvkeCb1R
— Douglas Utu (@DouglasUtu56) September 26, 2024
Out of prominent program Bishop Gorman, Utu is listed as measuring 6-4 and 317 pounds. Utu is rated 4-stars, the No. 1 player in Nevada, No. 2 interior offensive lineman and No. 69 prospect overall in the Class of 2025.
Utu had recruiters from all over the country coming to Sin City. He has picked up 24 scholarship offers during his recruitment.
In addition to Tennessee and Oregon, Utu also drew interest from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, USC and Washington.
Even without Utu, Tennessee still has a top-10 class. The Volunteers have 24 verbal pledges in their 2025 recruiting class, which ranks No. 7 nationally on the Composite. Five-star OT David Sanders Jr., the No. 2 overall prospect nationally, headlines the group.
Ouch.
We need offensive linemen.
I wish you the best young man.
Can’t pay everyone elite NIL dollars. He committed to what the collective initially put together but UT has large NIL sums are allocated elsewhere. Its not something you can chase without putting other areas of the team at risk.
NIL + University Collectives + Transfer Portal = Student athletes free agency every day of every week of every year.
Get used to it gentlemen…the term “commitment” will soon be obsolete.
That is one of my issues with the new rules (I don’t consider this an issue Utu flipping, as we have flipped some our way as well). I think the players should get paid, and they should be able to transfer to a point, but I think it should be a little closer to the NFL model. The perpetual free agency is going to be difficult for teams to manage. Essentially, the whole team can determine if they want to stay for the season or quit after 4 games to preserve a year of eligibility. Maybe players should be allowed to to this only once. For example, if a player quits after 4 games, he starts has already having “played” in 4 games starting the next season on his next team. I certainly don’t know how to best solve it.
It has been obsolete for years. Kids saying they were committing and then decommitting and going elsewhere. My favorite joke on the subject is when they tweet it out and say respect my decision. Why should we respect their decision? They just showed that their word meant nothing.
Tidefan8x5, I could not agree more…
Once pay for play starts I believe it will get better and provide some additional parity vs what NIL collective can pay the most to make their team elite. It would be nice to see some sort of pay structure created. Some resemblance of a salary cap for each year of eligibility remaining, pay increases as eligibility decreases.
I would like to see $100,000 Coaches, 2 Dollar Beer, Dollar Hot Dogs, and 10 Dollar Tickets… any excess money goes to Tuition.
Hate to lose this guy. I think he will be really good. It may very well just be NIL but he also has a teammate committed to oregon so that may have helped sway him too. Anyway dont want anyone on the team who doesnt truly want to be there. There is nothing firm until the ink is dry. Heup and company are recruiting players committed elsewhere too and have been for a while now. The merry go round continues until signing day.
It is hard to think of Oregon being in the BIG10, along with the others from the old PAC12. I guess 64 years of something makes it seem unnatural when it is changed.
Yeah beating Alabama was a lock every year until it wasn’t.
So sorry for your loss, who needs offensive linement when you have the world’s greatest gimmicky offense.
But go ahead, spin this one volchoochoo…give us your best rainman impersonation…no recruits want to go to Pac!2Bama or CHokeUGa anymore, they all want to come play for a winner with 3 chins and 11 plays…
You said it. From your mouth to our loving ears.
Roll TIDE!!
True. The Pac is trying to put together a conference to bring it back starting with…Utah State? They are getting these way lesser teams that were Mountain conference teams than acting like once they have a small collection of these teams think, we get auto bids right, like the power 4? LOL Huh? With those teams you want the same advantages as the conference champs of the SEC, Bigs and ACC? lol
The kid wants to play for a truly elite program, not a poser
That’s why he is considering Tennessee and/or Oregon and not Choking Georgia..
Thats funny an old UGA coach got him. Tough break girlie!
So, the way it works is, the coach runs away from UGA, than gets their players..lol Why would you consider UGA for offensive anything? lol All you have to do to right the wrongs so far this season on offense, is go to Tuscaloosa and outscore Bama for starters, than Texas, Ole Miss, TN.. lol wait, this is not the schedule where you are going to prove how good your offensive is lol.
Let’s face it, there are only 5 skill position that require highly skilled highly paid NIL money mercenaries in Heupel’s gimmicky offense…if you are a wide out, slot receiver, RB or QB…check book is open. The rest of you, here’s your base offer. If you can’t create a mismatch and learn 11 plays, we don’t need you that bad.
Call your recruits lol
I’ve never gotten the draw for Oregon outside of their flashy uniforms and allegiance to Nike. But somehow they’ve managed to put together a pretty good football program over a sustained period of time. As far as a place to live and go to school, Knoxville is a pretty cool place- not to mention JH has put an exciting product on the field. So hard to figure unless NIL was the real reason and somewhat closer to home. But I guess UT has other ideas/commitments about where to spend their $’s…
cats fan you are correct. its hard to beat the countryside around knoxville or lexington. probably more about money but who knows. These are young kids who can change their mind with the wind.
Eugene Oregon is one of the most beautiful settings in all of the United States; Knoxville, whatever one thinks of the place, is not even in the same category as Eugene.
Academically both are ranked about the same, outside the top 100 of National Universities.
As far as competitiveness of the programs, over the last 26 years, there is no comparison. Oregon has won 6 divisional titles and 8 conference championships and played for the National Championship in 2014. Oregon QB Marcus Mariota won the Heisman 2014, Tennessee has never had a Heisman Trophy winner.
The comparison between Dan Lanning and Heupel, there is no comparison. Lanning will win a NC. Heupel may win a NC at Oklahoma but not Tennessee
He could have gone to the lovely sanctuary city of Athens, where the girls get r@ped and murd3red by illeg@ls and the players d1e in car accidents. Chihuahua U is very progressive-they have DEI and DIE!
UT, where co-eds get r@ped by members of the football team, then the AD, HC and UT Police Department cover-up the r@pes and assaults. When a teammate does speak up about the r@pes they get beat unconscious by UT teammates.
THERES A REASON WHY IT’S CALLED THE FULMER CUP
No bad how bad you
TDOWTheGreat LOL. Ok, whenever you are shamed and the world knows and talks about UGA’s off the field issues and, “it’s today” and not rumors from a football coaching erea at TN that is a generation ago, you know you’ve lost the insult battle.. lol You know your about to lose to Bama where you have only beaten Bama once since 1984. You lose that game, your definitely taking an L @ Texas. Your schedule is harder than Bama’s so, you lose this game and your season is over lol.
GW…You do know that UGa is 2-3 in Tuscaloosa after 1984 yes? Probably not…what is it, 10 in a row y’all have coughed up at BD?
It is very pretty there but Utu does not strike me as a leaf-peeper driving around in the deep woods in sport SUV’s.. lol Eugene is also crime ridden compared to knoxville.
There is no comparision. Oregon hasn’t won any national titles. Never has been a major player in the playoffs. Mariota is the only name anyone remembers at that school since the 70’s when a skinny blonde kid ran track there named Prefontain. lol. TN has had more elite offensive and defensive players drafted than Oregon. There was never a Reggie White at Oregon, nor Albert Hainworth, Al Wilson. Outside of Mariota not many QB’s either and only Bo Nix is making any noise since Mariota or Wilson. Who before that? Crickets.
Heupel will win a NC before Lanning. Lanning has no idea what he’s doing offensively. And his defenses will never recruit well enough to be a top 10 defense. Sorry but you must in delusional to think this. He’s not even using Gabriel right at QB. They should look great but so far this year, mah, not impressive. Oregon for most of it’s existence has never been a football school
Why will TN win a natty before Oregon? Look at TN’s QB recruits. Best in the nation. Oregon had to hunting for a QB after Nix. They got no one compared to George McIntyre, Nico, Faizon Brandon, even Jake Merklinger. Gabriel could be compared to TN’s Gaston Moore. Secondly, their defense. For a guy whose prided himself on building lines, Oregon’s has not impressed this season. But moreover, it’s that offense that isn’t close to TN and I don’t see how their lines will either. Dan Lanning has a better chance of ending up at OU than Heupel. And Kirby imo, starts losing more with these harder schedules and less than play on defense, will bounce for the next big thing in his life. NFL maybe, but sooner or later, he’s the next Mark Richt. Offensive minded HC’s who were OC, are winning college football today. Except Freeze at AU. lol
It’s important that anyone who comes to TN, first feels great about being there, prefers no where else and the first thing out of their mouths you want to hear is, “can’t wait to get started immediately at learning my position there”. And I still feel UGA upset UK in Lexington. Heck of a game and effort.
Looks like we have been angling to go after Isaiah Campbell. Utu it seemed wanted to play tackle at TN and we preferred him as an IOL but would allow him the opportunity to win the tackle spot. Oregon says they will play him at tackle. Really? lol when in 2027? Best of luck to him though.
Until he signs, you just do not know. And even after he signs, it may only be for 6 months
TN wanted to move him to guard like he’s projecting to be at the next lvl, but he wants to play Tackle. Oregon being the primetime team out west makes it hard to hold on to this guy. West coast kids are to hang out to bc of this. We’ll be alright but definitely coulda used this young fella
Might want to be closer to home? It is that time in the recruiting process where young men change their mind. No team is exempt from this. Just part of the recruiting process.
He’s soft. Don’t need him