Persistence paid off on the in-state recruiting trail for the University of Tennessee as South Pittsburg speedy receiver Dayon Cooper announced on Monday his decision to join the Vols’ 2027 signing class after decommitting from Florida State.
Cooper actually informed Tennessee receivers coach Kelsey Pope of his plans last week but made the flip official during this past weekend’s official visit to Knoxville. He revealed it publicly Monday on social media.
“The day I announced my commitment to FSU, Coach Pope texted to say, ‘We still want you in orange,’ and that meant a lot, honestly,” Cooper said. “They could have just moved on, but that message told me that Tennessee really does want me. They have other receivers from all over the country wanting to go there, and Coach Pope told me they were holding a spot because I was their priority but that they would have to move on if I didn’t let them know something soon.
“I knew then that I had to take a serious look at switching so, after talking it over with my family, I called Coach Pope to tell him I was coming but that I wanted to wait before making it public until after I had sat down and spoke to Coach (Josh) Heupel. Those are the guys I’ll be playing for, and that’s who has an impact on my career and my life from here on, so I felt like it was important to look Coach Heupel in the eye and tell him face-to-face that I’m coming.”
Cooper had committed to Florida State while on an on-campus visit to Tallahassee in early April. The Seminoles had recruited the two-way star to play cornerback, which ultimately affected his decision.