Darrion Smith talks Tennessee pledge following weekend on Rocky Top

Tennessee continues to have momentum on the recruiting trail as St. Francis Academy defensive lineman Darrion Smith chose Rocky Top on Tuesday night. While he was in town over the weekend, Volquest caught up with him to discuss his commitment.

“Just the family oriented coaching staff,” Smith said of the decision to pick Tennessee. “That’s something I need.”

He wants to be pushed and have the best pulled out of him. He knows that Rodney Garner can get that done and is excited to play for coach G.

“We already have Dominic Bailey here,” Smith said. “That’s somebody I talked to and everything coach Garner says is true. He doesn’t fake it with his players and that is something I like.”

The two have built a bond on honesty and they have very frank and truthful conversations about Smith’s game.

“He says I’m very good with my feet and get off the ball quick,” Smith said. “I have a good get off and I’m a good pass rusher. That’s what it is.”

Off the field, Smith believes he brings intangibles that can help the team overall.

“I bring energy and a good work ethic,” Smith said.

That’s something he also likes about his future head coach Josh Heupel.

“He is a family oriented coach, a players coach and he is on the rise,” Smith said.

Defensive coordinator Tim Banks has been recruiting the DMV for a while and Smith really appreciates their relationship.

“He has been recruiting me for a while and he stuck with me,” Smith said of Banks. “I appreciated that. We don’t really talk about football. We talk about family stuff and life, I don’t have to talk about football and that makes me like him more.”

Smith was accompanied by his coach and mom on the visit. Having people he trust feel the same way about Tennessee that he does was big.

“My mom loves it and loves it up here,” Smith said. “She loved the coaches. She loves coach Ayers and she loves coach Ayers wife. He has been through everything I’m going through now so he is someone I could pick at and pick his brain because he knows what to do.”

The post Darrion Smith talks Tennessee pledge following weekend on Rocky Top appeared first on On3.