Fast-rising in-state ATH Dayon Cooper reacts to getting offer from Tennessee

South Pittsburg (Tenn.) standout athlete Dayon Cooper has seen a sharp uptick in his recruitment in recent weeks. The 1A standout has picked up multiple Power Four offers, and Tennessee extended an offer to him on Tuesday.

“Being at a smaller school, after I got one, my coach has always told me that after I get one, then with the player that I am, the offers will start rolling,” Cooper told Volquest of handling the recent flurry of offers. “It motivated me to strive to be a better player. Getting all of these big-time college offers makes me want to work even harder.”

Getting an offer from Tennessee was something he had hoped for, but it was not something he had expected.

“From the start, I really wasn’t expecting it,” Cooper said of the offer from the Vols. “I had just recently got an offer from Texas A&M, but my coach had been talking to the Tennessee coaches, but then they went into a period where they couldn’t talk to any recruits. But Coach told me they had told him before that they really liked me as a receiver and returner. They told him they would give him a call when that period was over, and when it was, they called me (and offered), and it is a blessing.”

Cooper is fan of the Vols, and noted the offer does mean a little more to him because of that.

“I mean, to me it does, me being a Tennessee fan myself, it is very exciting,” Cooper said of the offer coming from the Vols.

Cooper has been dynamic in his career at South Pittsburg, playing multiple roles over the last three seasons, all of which ended with a trip to the state championship, and includes two victories.

The Vols believe he has an opportunity make plays with the ball in his hand at the next level.

“They told me how they would love me to fit into the program by returning kicks and catching passes as a wide receiver,” Cooper said. “Just being in space. They know I can play defense, too, so it really was just them asking me what it came down to what I felt in my gut.”

Cooper plans to make another trip to Tennessee as his recruitment continues to take off. He was on campus last year for a game day visit, and he left impressed.

“I have been on a game day visit before when they played ETSU last year,” Cooper said. “That was a really great experience for me as a younger player, and getting that experience to go out and watch a college game like that. Tennessee was just really different from the fans to the coaches to the players, the energy was just all great.” Most definitely going to visit Tennessee (again). My coach and I go around to a lot of different places, and we are going to narrow things down and visiting there will most definitely be a part.”

Cooper now holds offers from Arkansas, Florida State, Louisville, Tennessee and Texas A&M, among others. While he is still early in the recruiting process, he knows what will be most important to him.

“I would say looking at the atmosphere and seeing what the coaches and players are like,” Cooper said of this. “Just seeing who shows me the most love and where I can feel the most at home at.”