Lagonza Hayward, a 2025 four-star defensive back, committed to the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday.
Hayward, a 6-foot-1/200-pound safety from Lyons, Georgia, is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 6 safety in the country and the No. 11 player in Georgia. He is also ranked as the No. 82 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class.
The talented defensive back chose the Volunteers over Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Tennessee was long considered the frontrunner for Hayward, despite late bids from Georgia and South Carolina that gave the four-star recruit enough to “think about.”
Hayward’s ties with Tennessee (current players, commitments, and coaches) was too much for those programs to handle.
After committing to the Vols on Saturday, Hayward told On3 that Tennessee will finish the 2025 recruiting cycle with a top five class.
“When all is said and done, we will have a top five recruiting class,” according to Hayward. “We’re going to do a couple of flips, sign some top targets, and concentrate on David Sanders, Jr. When this class is completed, it will be among the best in the nation.”
Sanders is Tennessee’s top remaining recruiting target. Nebraska is making a late push for the five-star offensive lineman from Charlotte, but the Vols have been the most persistent presence in this recruiting war.
Tennessee is also looking to trade four-star tight end Da’Saahn Brame from Oregon for four-star linebacker Jadon Perlotte from Georgia.
The Vols now hold the nation’s No. 8 recruiting class. Landing Sanders and flipping Brame and Perlotte could easily propel Tennessee to the top five. And the Vols are still in the running for numerous additional highly regarded recruits.
It’s been a long burn for Tennessee’s 2025 recruiting class, but it appears like the Vols are set to sign one of the top classes in the country.
