Landon Ghea’s recruitment is already moving like that of a veteran, even though the Milton (GA) offensive lineman is only a 2029 prospect. The 6-foot-5, 285-pound sophomore is being treated like one of the premier linemen in the country, and the offer sheet reflects it. Alabama, Auburn, Colorado, Boston College, Ohio State, Indiana, Texas and several others are already in the mix.
Tennessee jumped in last summer, and the Vols have kept Ghea around the program since then. He has been to Knoxville multiple times, and another visit is already on the calendar.
“I think, four,” Ghea thinks of his times in Tennessee. “We're going back for the Auburn game.”
That trip carries an obvious twist. Ghea’s older brother, Ryan Ghea, plays tight end at Auburn, and the Tigers have already seen plenty of him.
He was in Auburn for Week 1, too, so Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Ohio State are also expected to get their turn. Still, Ghea made it clear that family connections won’t decide the race for him.
“We go to support him, but my recruitment is my recruitment. We could be on two different paths, but could be on the same path. Time will tell,” Ghea tells reporters.
What Tennessee has done well so far is keep the relationship warm, even with the limits that come with recruiting an underclassman. Ghea said the Vols stand out because of the people and the way they coach.
“I love then environment. I love Coach (Glen) Elarbee, Coach (Kevin Pendelton) KP.
The way they coach, it's everybody. We (Milton) have a quarterback going there, Derrick Baker, so that is an obvious connection.
We (Milton) had two DBs go there in Ty Redmond and Dylan Lewis, so the pipeline to Tennessee is strong,” Ghea explains.
He also singled out Elarbee’s teaching style. “I love how hands-on he is.
Just even at camp, he was really hands-on teaching the technique. He's just an o-line guy,” Ghea described Elarbee.
For Tennessee, the message now is simple: keep getting him on campus. The staff wants more chances to build the bond with what should be one of the top offensive line prospects in the 2029 cycle. How often Ghea makes it back to Rocky Top this fall is still up in the air, but he’s paying attention to what the Vols are doing on the field.
“So, I think with their new strength coach, Coach Drek Owings, they're going to be pretty special this year. Just the improvement that we've seen. Their run game looked very strong in the Furman game, so it should be an exciting season.”
Ghea’s decision will come down to the things that usually matter most in a recruitment like this: his relationship with the staff, the feel of the campus and college life, and how he fits in the offensive scheme. He currently plays tackle and is projected by many to stay there, but his skill set gives him room to line up anywhere across the front.
Auburn may look like a slight favorite to some, but Tennessee still has time to make its case. Ghea said he plans to keep the process moving slowly and wait until later in his high school career before making a call.
“I definitely think I'll take my time with committing. I think it would be a spring going into my senior year, so, end of junior year,” Ghea said.
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