Although he was impressed by his Rocky Mountain visit to the University of Colorado two weeks ago, Marcus Goree Jr. would ultimately prefer to play in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Bradley Central's all-state defensive back publicly committed to the University of Tennessee on Saturday evening, choosing the Volunteers over Colorado, Michigan, Michigan State and Nebraska. The 6-foot-1, 178-pounder had scholarship offers from more than 20 Football Bowl Subdivision programs.
"It really came down to Tennessee and Colorado," said Goree, who admitted he was impressed by new Colorado coach Deion Sanders. "But really it wasn't that tough of a decision. I wanted to play close to home so my family could come watch me play.
"I really felt like Tennessee showed how much they wanted me since early on, and the staff really sold me because I like what they're doing with the program. Now I can start trying to recruit some more guys to join me at Tennessee."
Ranked the No. 9 junior prospect in the state, according to 247Sports.com, Goree is the fourth player to commit to the Vols for the 2024 class, joining McCallie defensive lineman Carson Gentle, Lipscomb Academy cornerback Kaleb Beasley and athlete Jonathan Echols from Florida's IMG Academy.
Goree received an offer from the Vols last June after an impressive showing at a junior day camp, where he was timed at 4.45 seconds in the 40-yard dash, and he said in the eight months since then, coach Josh Heupel's staff has maintained its stance that he is one of the program's top in-state targets. He attended home wins over Florida and Alabama last season and was most recently on campus Jan. 14 for the Vols' first junior day of the year.
After narrowing his list of potential choices to five on Thursday — eliminating the likes of Auburn, Louisville, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech — Goree made the decision to proceed with his commitment Saturday, and said he would celebrate by having dinner with his family.
"I'm kind of glad the process is over now," Goree said. "Now I'm going to work to get on the field as quick as I can when I get there."
Last season, Goree made 54 tackles and 12 tackles for loss, and he had 11 pass breakups and two interceptions, returning one of those for a touchdown.
"What stands out the most about him are his instincts," Bradley Central coach Damon Floyd said. "He just has a knack for making plays and always being around the ball. He's fast and long and is a real student of the game.
"He's extremely strong but he's still skinny, so I think he can carry 210 pounds easily and not lose any speed. He has the length they like at corner, but he'll have the size — and he loves contact — to play safety. Wherever they put him, he's going to make plays."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.