East Hamilton's Bailey Lenoir commits to Chattanooga Mocs

photo Bailey Lenoir is a tight end for East Hamilton High School.
Arkansas-Oklahoma State Live Blog

Bailey Lenoir didn't need any more time.

The East Hamilton High School senior tight end saw what he needed to see Saturday at Finley Stadium, where the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga beat Furman 31-9. Lenoir committed to the Mocs on Sunday, becoming UTC's first commitment for the 2014 signing class.

"I was thinking about it a lot, and then I went to the Furman game," Lenoir said. "I really liked the the atmosphere."

An announced crowd of 12,187 -- the eighth-largest crowd ever at Finley -- turned out for the homecoming game. But it wasn't just a nice game atmosphere that convinced Lenoir, a Times Free Press Dynamite Dozen selection, to choose UTC.

The 6-foot-4, 245-pounder said wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator Will Healy made a big difference.

"I like him a lot, and he's done a great job recruiting me," he said. "With all that, I just thought it was the right fit for me, and I just wanted to go ahead and make the decision."

Lenoir said he also had offers from Kennesaw State and Austin Peay. His father, Patrick, was an offensive lineman at Tennessee and his mother Kristy, East Hamilton's volleyball coach, played volleyball for the Vols. His older brother, Jackson, plays tennis at Milligan College.

East Hamilton improved to 6-1 last Friday with a win against McMinn County. Lenior, who also plays defensive end, said he has two receptions so far this season.

Contact John Frierson at jfrierson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6268. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/MocsBeat.

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