One of Chattanooga’s highest-rated two-sport athletes in recent years is on the move.
Amari Jefferson, a former Baylor School receiver who won the 2023 Tennessee Titans Mr. Football award for TSSAA Division II-AAA and signed to play both that sport and baseball for the University of Alabama, entered the NCAA transfer portal Thursday.
The move came two days after the Crimson Tide closed out a disappointing 9-4 record for their 2024 season with a 19-13 loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Jefferson, a consensus four-star football prospect at Baylor, was ranked as the state of Tennessee’s No. 2 overall recruit in the class of 2024 and the nation’s No. 19 receiver by On3.com after his senior season, when he had 74 catches for 1,401 yards and 20 touchdowns for the Red Raiders. He was also listed as one of the state’s top 15 baseball prospects, according to multiple scouting services.
Jefferson committed to Alabama over Tennessee and Georgia shortly before his senior football season at Baylor, then followed through by signing with the Tide. At the time, the 6-foot, 195-pounder said the deciding factor was the opportunity to play for legendary coach Nick Saban.