Tennessee's 2018 football recruiting class picked up its 17th commitment Thursday when junior college defensive end Dorian Gerald decided on the Volunteers.
Gerald is a three-star prospect, according to 247Sports.com and Rivals.com. He will have two seasons of eligibility after completing the upcoming season at College of the Canyons in California.
Gerald, who played at West Florence High School in Florence, S.C., chose Tennessee over South Carolina, Louisville, Florida and LSU. He is the fifth defensive lineman in Tennessee's 2018 class.
Tennessee's 17 commitments rank second in the Southeastern Conference behind only LSU's 21, and the Vols have landed six of their state's top nine high school prospects so far after defensive end Greg Emerson committed earlier this week. The class includes Baylor School standout Brendon Harris.
Verbal commitments are nonbinding. The earliest high school players in the 2018 recruiting class can sign a binding national letter of intent with a Division I program will come during college football's first-ever early signing period, set for Dec. 20-22 this year. The traditional signing period begins Feb. 7, 2018.