Two Top Tennessee Prospects Have Alabama in Their Sights
ALABASTER, Ala. — When it comes to events like 7-on-7 tournaments and camps, top prospects showcasing their talent is often the main draw. That's what happened at the recent Southern Xpress 7-on-7 Border War Tournament, where 2024 4-star running back Kevin Riley was competing with his GasCrew Elite team and 2025 edge rusher Jared Smith, who some consider the best at his position, was simply in attendance.
But it's also a chance to learn of more talented players whose stock could be on the rise. And that was the case with two players from the Elite 3 team: wide receiver Brandon Heyward and athlete Markeis Barrett.
Barrett and Heyward are from Tennessee, Barrett from Knoxville and Heyward from Oak Ridge. Both are members of the 2024 class and both already have a healthy amount of SEC offers.
For Heyward, the Oak Ridge High School product is rated a 4-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals, and holds offers from Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Mississippi State, Kentucky and Arkansas.
He also holds Power 5 offers from Michigan State, Pitt, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech.
"I feel more blessed than excited," Heyward told BamaCentral about the SEC offers. "It's a blessing that God put on me. I'm just here using the gifts God gave me and I'm showing the world what my talents can do. I'm just blessed to have these offers."
Barrett, who plays for the Webb School of Knoxville, is more of a 3-star prospect across the board. He has four SEC offers (Tennessee, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Arkansas) but he also holds an offer from Clemson.
"It means a lot," Barrett told BamaCentral. "It definitely motivates me to keep working."
Barrett was especially excited about the Tennessee offer, saying that it meant a lot and the Volunteers are definitely among his top schools.
While both prospects have a batch of SEC offers, neither player currently has one from Alabama. Heyward mentioned that he's spoken to the coaches before, and that it would mean a lot to earn an offer from the Crimson Tide.
"Alabama is my favorite school," Heyward said. "Nick Saban has been my favorite coach ever since I was little.
"I've been to the school twice, they know my name, they've come to my school to see me. I'm just waiting on my time."
Barrett had similar thoughts on Alabama, saying that he likes the program a lot and aims to attend a camp in the summer.
"It would definitely be big," Barrett said about potentially securing an Alabama offer. "I'm trying to get that one. That's the one I want."
Both players have a series of visits scheduled between March and April, and Heyward said his timeline to commit is "April to June."
See also:
2024 4-Star Prospect Kevin Riley Talks about His Relationship with Alabama
Which Recruits Received Offers From Alabama After Junior Day?
