Tennessee football commit shuts down recruiting rumors ahead of Georgia game

Tennessee football has been hot on the recruiting trail this year, with Josh Heupel looking to win at least ten games in his third straight season on Rocky Top. Heupel has put together a top-ten class to this point in the year, and as we near early signing day, he just received more good news. 

Four-star safety out of Toombs County, Georgia, Lagonza Hayward, announced he is not flipping from Tennessee after some rumors on social media started swirling that he could flip before or after Tennessee's game against Georgia this Saturday.

The Peach State prospect is one of the best in the state. He's the No. 13 player in Georgia and the No. 10 safety in the 2025 recruiting class, adding another potentially strong player to Tennessee's secondary. 

As he announced on X, Hayward has no plans to switch to Georgia or anywhere else. He is committed to Tennessee, and despite rumors coming from Georgia social circles, he's focused on staying with Heupel and the Vols because of their loyalty throughout the recruiting process. 

"Really because of the loyalty," said Hayward about his commitment to Tennessee. "It ain't ever been a dry stage with them where they just [haven't] kept in contact with me, not checked up on me and stuff like that."

The Vols currently have the No. 8 recruiting class in the country, according to On3 Sports. Hayward is the sixth-highest-rated player in the class, behind four other four-stars and one five-star. 

Tennessee will play Georgia on Saturday night on ABC in Athens. The Vols and Bulldogs will kick off at 7:30 PM ET in a potential College Football Playoff elimination game for the loser.