Two decades ago, tight end Jason Witten lined up for the Tennessee Volunteers and set records, as well as leading the Vols to an SEC Championship over LSU and a Citrus Bowl victory over Michigan.
Then, the Tennessee tight end went on to a Hall-of-Fame-worthy career for the Dallas Cowboys during his 18-year tenure in the NFL.
Now, his son is flying toward his decision day and, unsurprisingly, the Volunteers are one of the frontrunners to land Cooper Witten's commitment. However, Clemson and head coach Dabo Swinney are looming overhead, threatening to poach the legacy out from under the Vols.
Over the coming weekend, the younger Witten is scheduled to visit the Clemson Tigers, the third visit that the young linebacker will have taken with the program.
Witten, who is the No. 1 linebacker in the class of 2027, has received offers from across the country and has already taken 17 total visits, including three to the Oklahoma Sooners and one to Tennessee.
Clemson will host the nation’s No. 1 LB Cooper Witten this weekend: https://t.co/MIFiGcRaUf
— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong_) September 17, 2025
Since leaving Tennessee in 2002 for the NFL Draft (when he was selected 69th overall), the elder Witten has returned to Rocky Top on a handful of occasions, ensuring that his relationship with his alma mater was as strong as possible.
Vols head coach Josh Heupel needs to lean into this familial connection in order to secure the younger Witten as a future Tennessee commit.
Jason Witten grew up playing both tight end and linebacker in high school, ultimately choosing to play tight end at the collegiate and professional level. Cooper Witten, who still has two years of high school ahead of him, has played on every side of the ball, as well as competing in track and playing basketball.
Witten thrived on the defensive side of the ball during his freshman and sophomore seasons of varsity football, amassing 98 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and one sack.
Over the first three games of his junior season, he already earned 28 tackles, three tackles for loss, and three hurries.
As of now, On3 has Witten leaning toward Oklahoma for his future program, giving the Sooners a 21.1 percent chance to land his commitment. However, a legacy like the one Jason Witten has in Knoxville can never be overlooked when it comes to a son's recruitment.