Tennessee is making an early impression on one of the top in-state receivers in the 2028 class, and Maximus Curry says the Vols are firmly in the mix as his recruitment starts to take shape.
Curry, a four-star wideout from Battle Ground Academy, is currently ranked No. 135 nationally by Rivals Industry. After a Friday night game between BGA and Milton, he spoke about where things stand with Tennessee and made it clear the Vols have been aggressive in their pursuit.
“They are definitely playing a big role in my recruitment. They are trying to, and they text me every day.
I talk to Coach Heupel pretty often and Coach Pope as well. They are doing a pretty good job right now,” Curry said.
A big part of that connection has been with Tennessee wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope, and Curry said the relationship goes beyond football.
“He definitely really cares about the people he coaches. He is a genuine human being, and that's what I am looking for in a coach, like someone who can be real with me. You need to be real with me so I can learn from you at the same time,” Curry said.
Curry has also paid attention to how Pope develops players once they get to Knoxville. He pointed to Mike Matthews and Chris Brazzell as examples of the kind of receiver talent Tennessee has put on the field.
“I have been able to learn from players like Mike Matthews and Chris Brazzell. They are real playmakers.
Coach Pope seems to have a theme of developing different playmakers all over the field. Whether it's a shorter guy or a taller guy, he just develops all types of players,” Curry said.
The Volunteers will get at least one in-person visit from Curry this fall. He already knows he’ll be in attendance for Tennessee’s game against Alabama, and he may also make it for the Texas matchup.
“Yeah, so I know for sure that I am going to go to the Tennessee vs. Alabama game as of right now.
I might try to visit for the Tennessee vs. Texas game as well,” Curry said.
When he gets to campus, Curry said he’ll be watching how Tennessee handles itself in a big-game setting.
“I'm really looking at the atmosphere when they play big teams, SEC teams, and how they respond against SEC teams and stuff like that,” Curry said.
Tennessee is one stop in a packed run of visits for Curry. He said he plans to see Alabama, Auburn, Vanderbilt and Miami as part of his schedule.
“I’m set to visit Alabama. I’m visiting Auburn tomorrow (Saturday), and Vanderbilt. I will also visit Miami,” Curry said.
For now, he hasn’t set a commitment date or narrowed his list, but he said that decision will come after the visits are done.
“Not exactly, yet. I'm still trying to figure that out after I go on all of the visits and stuff like that,” Curry said.
Still, Tennessee sounds like a school that will survive the first major round of trimming.
“Yeah, they are definitely going to be in the final cut when it's all said and done. I can tell by how everything is going right now,” Curry said.
And for the Vols, Curry said the best move is simple: keep pressing.
“They are doing everything that they can right now, even though they have all of their own stuff going on, like the games and stuff, so I respect that,” Curry said.
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Baker found the end zone multiple times through the air and on the ground, a strong all-around showing for a player still early in his high school career. With the victory, Milton moved to 3-1, and Bakers steady rise continues to make him one of the more interesting future pieces in Tennessees recruiting picture. [Read more 🡒]