KNOXVILLE—Two days after picking up a commitment from one of the top linebackers in the 2015 class (6-1, 225 pound inside linebacker Cecil Cherry from Frostproof, Florida), Tennessee added another member to the 2014 class. Brandon Powell, a 5-9, 170 pound athlete from Deerfield Beach, Florida, committed to Butch Jones and Co. Sunday morning after attending one of Tennessee’s camps Saturday. While many viewed Auburn and North Carolina as the leaders to sign Powell, his Knoxville visit erased any doubt in his mind that Rocky Top is the place to be.

Powell worked at slot receiver during his visit and clearly made an impression on the Tennessee staff. He possesses blazing speed (he runs a 4.44 40-yard dash), excellent lateral quickness, above average vision, and a knack for making people miss in space. Rated as a 4-star athlete by ESPN, he is rated as a 3-star prospect by Scout, 247Sports, and Rivals. Last season for Deerfield Beach, he primarily played running back and finished the season with 1,180 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns on the ground. He also tallied four receiving touchdowns and took two punts and two kicks for scores.

“My dream school is FSU, but that doesn’t mean I’ll commit on the spot if offered. I want to go somewhere where I know I can play instantly and go to a school that has a great coaching staff,” Powell stated last November in a SunSentinel report. Though Florida State was his dream school just seven months ago, Vol fans have no reason to worry about the Seminoles at this point.

“I love everything about Tennessee. When I first got up here, they showed me around the campus and everything, and they showed me the weight room and all that. And I loved everything,” Powell said.

He plans to shut his recruitment down, with the exception of a planned official visit to Knoxville later this year. An excellent student who boasts a 4.0 GPA, he is on track to graduate in December and enroll in January.

Powell chose the Vols over offers from Auburn, LSU, North Carolina, California, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, and a host of other programs.