Chidi Okonya Commits To The Vols

Cue the Chidi Chidi Bang Bang talk as four star recruit Chidi Okonya committed to the Vols on Friday night.

Okonya, who is the 10th commit to the 2016 class, is a 6’6, 230-pound defensive end out of Riverdale, Ga.

The Georgia native’s top five included: Duke, Clemson, Ole Miss, Stanford, and Tennessee.

According to Ryan Callahan of GoVols247, academics played a big part in his decision. So, Tennessee just got a guy who is serious about academics to commit over the likes of Duke and Stanford?

Either he believes Jimmy Cheek really is journeying close to the top 25, or seeing someone like Joshua Dobbs pursue his career at UTK had a big influence on his decision.  One has to think it’s the second option, but regardless, a team who continues to make strides in the classroom just got a little smarter.

The team just set a spring semester record with 2.85 GPA, with over 50 players at least having a 3.0. This speaks volumes to the focus the staff and players are putting on the classroom, and if you are a recruit like Okonya, this should be comforting to place your future in the hands of this support group.

Academics aside, unless Okonya catches everyone by surprise, do not expect the future freshman to play significant snaps in his first year (assuming he signs). The Vols 2015 class included four and five star defensive ends Darrell Taylor, Andrew Butcher, and Kyle Phillips. Not to mention Derek Barnett, Corey Vereen, and Dimarya Mixon will all likely be back in the 2016-17 season.

However, having depth is essential, and that is what it will take for this program to get to the top and stay there.

Okonya has a lot of upside with his size and athletic ability, and has a chance to be a key contributor both on and off the field for the Volunteers.