Tennessee football landed a commitment from class of 2023 quarterback Ryan Damron Tuesday afternoon. The Paris, Tennessee native will be a preferred walk-on in Knoxville.
“I want to thank the whole community of Henry County for their endless support during my time here,” Damron wrote in a statement. “Lastly, I want to thank my teammates and friends for showing me what it was like to be apart of something bigger than my self. With all that being said, I will be committing to the University of Tennessee.”
Committed. Let’s work‼️🍊@Vol_Football @coachjoshheupel @CoachHalzle @HCPatriotsFB pic.twitter.com/oXeVQldSkd
— Ryan Damron (@ryandamron2) January 31, 2023
Damron held an abundance of FCS offers including Tennessee Tech, Samford and ETSU. The West Tennessee native is a low three-star recruit and never gained power five offers in part due to his 5-foot-11 height.
Damron ranks as the No. 1,921 player and No. 107 quarterback in the country according to the 247sports composite rankings. He joins the Nico Iamaleava — the No. 3 player and No. 2 quarterback in the country — as the quarterbacks in Tennessee’s 2023 recruiting class.
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The three-star recruit rewrote the passing records at Henry Country High School, leaving the 5A football power as the all-time passing yards (4,000+) and passing touchdowns (35+) leader.
Damron led the Patriots to an 11-3 record and the semifinals of the state tournament this season before falling to Page, 27-24.
Adding Damron to the roster gives the Vols a boost of depth as a position they have a limited amount of. Joe Milton III and Iamaleava are the only two scholarship quarterbacks on the Vols’ roster. Tennessee does have a pair of veteran preferred walk-ons in Gaston Moore and Navy Shuler.
Tennessee could still look to add a transfer quarterback to the roster but with the transfer portal currently closed, that is unlikely to happen until after spring practice.
