Tennessee football has landed another commitment in its 2027 class, and this one has unique talents that could translate to multiple positions. On Monday, the Vols officially landed two-way athlete DaYon Cooper. This comes on the heels of his official visit to UT, which led to him decommitting from Florida State.
Cooper is from South Pittsburg, Tennessee, which isn’t too far from Knoxville. According to 247 Composite, he ranks as a three-star, No. 516 overall recruit in the 2027 class, No. 32 athlete and No. 22 player from the state of Tennessee.
While Cooper is getting looks as both a slot receiver and defensive back, it appears the Vols like him on offense. His primary recruiter has been Kelsey Pope, who serves as Tennessee’s passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.
Cooper stands at 6-foot-1 and 183 pounds right now, which gives him the frame to play on either side of the ball as a playmaker, though. While Tennessee had Pope recruit him, Florida State had cornerbacks coach Blue Adams as his primary recruiter.
Turning on the film, it doesn’t take long to see the benefits of having him on either side of the ball. He’s fluid with his movements, fundamentally sound at both receiver and defensive back and electric with the ball in his hands. Cooper is the type of player you want to get the ball in his hands in space and see what he can make happen.
“Dynamic utility player that some schools view as an offensive weapon where others believe that the ceiling is higher as a coverage defender,” 247 director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote. “Earned Tennessee Division 1 A Mr. Football honors after a junior campaign in which he totaled 1,252 yards of offense and 17 touchdowns. Displays good acceleration and top-end. Smooth in his transitions while in off-man looks. Dangerous in the quick passing game with his make-you-miss capabilities…”
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Here are the highlights from DaYon Cooper during his time at South Pittsburg, just down the road from UT:
