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5-star Tennessee legacy gives concerning quote with Texas A&M pushing hard

Tennessee can't afford to let Witten suit up for the Aggies.
ByBraulio Perez|
Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel walks off the field followed by his security detail after the win over UAB in an NCAA college football game on September 20, 2025, in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel walks off the field followed by his security detail after the win over UAB in an NCAA college football game on September 20, 2025, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For a few months now, Tennessee football fans have been keeping a close eye on linebacker Cooper Witten, whose father Jason is a Vols legend through and through. People are dreaming of Witten potentially following in his dad's footsteps and donning an orange jersey.

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However, several other big-name programs are working overtime in trying to land Witten instead. The long list includes Texas A&M, who had the touted linebacker on campus recently for an unofficial visit. Witten was clearly blown away with how things operate over in College Station. So much in fact, he told Sam Spiegelman that he could see himself playing for Mike Elko down the road:

Texas A&M has made a major impression on elite Tennessee target Cooper Witten

The fact that Witten is getting so much recruiting attention shouldn't surprise anyone out there. Up to this point, he has picked up 28 total offers and he's likely to eclipse 30 sooner rather than later. He has taken multiple visits to Knoxville, including for the Georgia game this season.

It remains a bummer that the Vols suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Dawgs in that matchup, but Witten got a close-up look at how packed the city can be for a home weekend. That visit alone must have made a big impact on his recruitment, but Texas A&M also turned his head following his visit.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Witten is ranked five stars and the No. 1 linebacker in the country. He's also the No. 19 prospect nationally. With the 6-1, 210-pounder being a standout for Liberty Christian in Argyle, Texas, it's about three hours from the A&M campus.

Could that potentially give Elko a bit of an advantage over Tennessee and the other schools chasing him? That's something the Vols faithful hope doesn't turn out to be the case. Witten is the textbook definition of an elite playmaker and after what his dad did for the Vols during his glorious playing days, the thought of the younger Witten playing elsewhere doesn't sit right with a lot of people. It will be on Heupel and Co. to make sure that doesn't end up happening.

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