Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel has already secured two big-time commitments for Nashville’s 2025 class: Brentwood Academy five-star quarterback George MacIntyre and Ensworth four-star defensive lineman Ethan Utley.
Now, can Heupel convince some Lipscomb Academy soccer stars to volunteer?
Rising Lipscomb seniors Chauncey Gooden (OT), CJ Jimcoily (DB), Amir Leonard-Jean Charles (DL) and Kris Thompson (LB) are all considering UT.
They gave The Tennessean an update on their recruiting after Lipscomb’s college showcase last week.
George MacIntyre and Ethan Utley recruiting Chauncey Gooden for Tennessee football
MacIntyre and Utley are doing everything they can to ensure Gooden becomes a volunteer.
Gooden is a 6-foot-2, 320-pound four-star offensive lineman ranked as the No. 6 player in Tennessee in the class of 2025, according to the 247Sports Composite.
“Ethan is like my brother, we basically talk every day, so he’s definitely trying his best to get me to Rocky Top,” Gooden said. “George will be the QB1 there, so he’s definitely pushing me to block him at the next level.”
Gooden listed Tennessee among his 10 finalists in December, to go with Auburn, Clemson, Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon and South Carolina.
He considered committing before the start of his senior season, but it’s not decided yet. He will visit Tennessee, Clemson, Purdue, USF, Colorado, Auburn and possibly Florida this summer.
Four-star DB CJ Jimcoily has Tennessee football among his favorites
Jimcoily said at the showcase that he has no official finalists, but mentioned LSU, Stanford, Tennessee and Ole Miss as four schools that stood out during his recruiting process. That could change after he announced Tuesday that Alabama has offered him a scholarship.
Jimcoily will visit Stanford the first week of June and LSU during the third week of the month. He plans to schedule visits to Knoxville and Oxford, Mississippi, during the month.
“If I had a top four, I’d probably add another one…maybe a Michigan,” Jimcoily said. “I plan to commit at the end of the summer, end of July or beginning of August, before the season. If something crazy happens, I’ll probably let you know.”
More: These Tennessee Football Recruits Have a Fantastic, Magnificent Way of Tweeting Their Offers
Jimcoily, who can play cornerback, is being recruited as a safety. He is the No. 13-ranked prospect in Tennessee in 2025 by the 247Sports Composite and the No. 30-ranked safety in the country.
Kris Thompson narrowing choices after receiving football offer from Tennessee
It took a while for Thompson to secure the offer he was waiting for, but when Tennessee came calling in early February, the 6-1, 225-pound junior linebacker knew he had reached a new level in his recruitment. Now Thompson is taking his time, making sure to absorb the environment.
“I’m taking it slow,” Thompson said. “I don’t want to rush anything. I want to see where I fit in terms of relationships with coaches. I have strong relationships with a lot of coaches, and I want to see where my faith fits in and where my family can feel at home, because that’s what’s important. for me.”
More: Why Tennessee football coaches told Lipscomb LB Kris Thompson they waited before giving him an offer
The three-star linebacker has offers from Ole Miss, Florida, Michigan, Louisville, Oklahoma State, UAB and Colorado. But he’s intrigued by Florida, Tennessee, Ole Miss, North Carolina and Michigan.
“I will soon go with some of the best schools,” he said. “There are probably about nine schools I’m considering right now, but I’d like to narrow it down to five or six before making an announcement.”
Tennessee football among 5 Amir Leonard-Jean Charles is considering
Charles, a defensive tackle, named Tennessee, Syracuse, Texas, West Virginia and Florida as the schools he is considering entering for his senior season.
“I’m thinking about committing right before the season starts,” he said. “Every school in the top five, I can transition the way I play (at Lipscomb) over there. That’s really the reason I like these schools.”
The Mustangs’ 6-5, 305-pound standout is Tennessee’s No. 20 three-star defensive lineman. He also holds offers from Michigan, Georgia, Auburn, Indiana, Louisville, Kentucky and Vanderbilt, among others. He has made unofficial visits to Texas and Syracuse twice. His first official visit will be to West Virginia next month, with plans to return to Austin, Texas and Syracuse.
Three-star DL Tony Carter lists three favorites
Purdue, North Carolina and Louisville appear to have the best chance of getting Carter, a rising 6-2, 265-pound senior, ranked as Tennessee’s No. 33 player in the 2025 class, according to the 247Sports Composite .
“Purdue has shown me a lot of love. I’ve been to North Carolina three times. I’ve been to Louisville twice. Those are my favorites right now,” Carter said.
Carter’s only scheduled official visit this summer will be to Purdue in June.
OT Jon Adair firmly committed to Virginia football
The 6-5, 265-pound three-star forward has no plans to reopen his recruitment after committing to Virginia last December.
“I’m happy to be done with (the decision). I really enjoyed the recruitment process, but the conversations became repetitive. I was talking to schools that I didn’t really want to go to,” Adair said. “Now I know I’m going to where I want to be and where I’m going to spend four years.”
More: Lipscomb Academy Offensive Lineman Jon Adair Commits to Virginia Football for Class of 2025
Adair is Tennessee’s No. 20 player in the 2025 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. He chose Virginia over Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt.
Contact sports writer Tyler Palmateer at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on Platform X, formerly Twitter, @tpalmateer83. Contact George Robinson at grobinson@theleafchronicle.com and at ‘X’ @cville_sports.
This article originally appeared in the Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee football recruiting: Josh Heupel in mix for Lipscomb stars
