In-state standout Dayon Cooper impressed by Vols during spring practice visit

South Pittsburg (Tenn.) standout athlete Dayon Cooper saw his recruitment skyrocket over the winter, and Tennessee was one of the teams to quickly jump into the fray for him. On Tuesday, he visited Knoxville to take another look at the Vols and went in-depth on the visit with Volquest.

“Everything, it was beautiful,” said Cooper, who has offers from more than a dozen schools. “It was nice watching my position, the wide receivers. They had the routine. They did everything. It was just great. Stadium-wise, it’s pretty much the same. But I hadn’t really been over here yet. This is my first time being over here, like, seeing the weight room and stuff. It’s all beautiful.”

Cooper has quickly connected with Tennessee Wide Receivers Coach Kelsey Pope since the Vols offered him.

“He’s a good coach,” Cooper said of Pope. “Ever since I got the offer from him, he’s just been communicating with me every day, and I feel like we’re building a bond. And talking to him  in person for the first time, it was great.”

The message from Pope was clear during Tuesday’s visit.

“He was telling me, like, how he will develop me when I get here, just showing me, like, all the connections that he has with all the other players throughout the years,” Cooper said.

He also noted paying close attention to the Vols’ wide receivers working on releases and other various things throughout the day.

Cooper is working to setup an official visit with the Vols, and he does plan to return again later this summer.

“Coach Pope actually told me, when I get home, to text him so we can discuss the date sometime during June,” Cooper said.

Cooper plans to visit Vanderbilt later this spring, and other visits are in the works. He recently visited Florida State prior to visiting Tennessee, and he says the Seminoles and Vols are currently the two schools recruiting him the hardest.

“Definitely one of my tops,” Cooper said of where Tennessee stands. “Just the way they show me love,” he said. “I mean, I’m in the same state as them, so, of course, so I’ve got to show them love back.”