MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Four-star junior college defensive lineman Emmit Gooden, a top target of West Virginia the past month, chose home-state Tennessee on Wednesday.
Rivals ranks the Mountaineers’ class 31st nationally, fifth in the Big 12 behind Texas (No. 3), Oklahoma (No. 7), Baylor (No. 26) and TCU (No. 28).
The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Gooden visited Morgantown on Jan. 26 but became a priority of new Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt. Amid concerns about academic qualifications, he visited Knoxville three days ago.
“When I got that offer, it was something big and something I always dreamed of,” Gooden told GoVols247.