Higgins, who had committed to UT, re-opens recruitment in football, basketball

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:06 p.m.

Oak Ridge junior wide receiver Tee Higgins announced on Twitter on Thursday that he is re-opening his recruitment for basketball and football.

Higgins, who received a Mr. Football award in November, had announced in August that he had officially committed to play football at the University of Tennessee.

In his Twitter post on Thursday, Higgins said he has spent a lot of time thinking and talking to his mother and coaches about the decision.

“I’ve been thinking for a long time about this, and I’ve finally decided that I will be re-opening my recruitment for basketball and football,” the 6-foot-5 junior said. “Tennessee is not out of the conclusion, and I consider them a priority. But for me to make the best decision and eliminate questions later, I have to look at other opportunities.”

Higgins said he is not commenting anymore for now, and he asked for no interviews.

Higgins has been a star player in both football and basketball for the past few years. He played as a freshman in the 2014 state basketball tournament, when the Oak Ridge Wildcats finished as state runner-up.

Higgins has been heavily recruited. UT Volunteers Football Coach Butch Jones and Wide Receivers Coach Zach Azzanni visited Wildcat Arena during a basketball game on Friday, January 29. Several Oak Ridge coaches pointed out that the Friday night visit to Oak Ridge High School occurred while official visits were happening on the UT campus in Knoxville. That showed that UT has a strong interest in having Higgins play for the Volunteers, the fans said.

Jones and Azzanni also attended a football game in the fall.

In August, Oak Ridge Today reported that Higgins chose the Volunteers over scholarship offers from more than a dozen other teams, including Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss. He has been highly ranked in the Class of 2017 by both 247Sports and Scout.com.

Other coaches who have visited Oak Ridge High School recently include Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney, UT basketball coach Rick Barnes, and LSU Wide Receivers Coach Tony Ball.

Higgins had 46 catches for 841 yards and 16 touchdowns in the 2015 football season. He was named the most valuable player at the 17th Annual Tabernacle Baptist Christian Academy Thanksgiving Basketball Tournament in November.

See Higgins’ Thursday announcement below. You can also view it on his Twitter account.

It was a tough decision… pic.twitter.com/mCwiBJdevk

— Tee Higgins® (@teehiggins5) February 5, 2016

More information will be added as it becomes available.

 

 

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