Tennessee’s push for a big 2028 recruiting haul took a hit when one of its top targets chose to stay home.
Four-star safety Nick Carroll has committed to Georgia over Tennessee and Florida, according to Hayes Fawcett. The Peach State native had been on Tennessee’s radar as the Vols work toward building a top-10 class in the 2028 cycle. With the 2027 class essentially finished, Tennessee currently has just one commitment in 2028 and is still looking to add more pieces in the months ahead.
Carroll’s stock has been high for a while. At one point, he was ranked as the 48th-best player in the country, the fourth-ranked safety, and the fifth-ranked player from Georgia.
Tennessee made a strong run at him, but Georgia ultimately kept the in-state prospect from leaving home.
His commitment also adds to a familiar recruiting storyline for Tennessee in the secondary. The Vols have now missed on another safety target headed to an SEC program, following the recent pledges of four-star safeties Giovanni Tuggle and Braylen Bedford to Ole Miss. Tennessee is expected to keep chasing all three prospects all the way to National Signing Day in their senior years.
Rivals’ Jeremy Johnson offered this assessment of Carroll:
“Carroll can run. He can cover a lot of ground quickly when he locks in on the football.
Carroll isn’t a big safety, but his speed makes him a problem for offenses in space. Carroll can also play physical and has a good feel for positioning himself to make tackles in the open field.
Carroll will not be pigeonholed into any particular spot in the secondary. Carroll is a safety, but he has the skill set to play cornerback if need be.
Expect Carroll to play safety at Georgia. He is most likely a free safety.
The star position may not be out of the question either. There are many similarities to current Georgia safety Rasean Dinkins.
The former Warner Robins star, Dinkins, was a playmaker all over the field in high school. Dinkins has quickly adapted and earned a big role in Georgia’s secondary.
The same tools exist in Carroll’s game. The ball skills, nose for the ball, speed and even the beginnings of a sound tackler translate to being a key contributor in Athens.”
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