Tennessee received some big news on Sunday afternoon as ESPN Junior 300 quarterback Hunter Johnson verbally committed to the Volunteers. Johnson chose Tennessee over other offers from Florida, Michigan, Miami, Kentucky, Indiana, Penn State, Notre Dame and many others.
The 6-foot-3, 193-pound signal-caller from Brownsburg (Indiana) High School, is the fourth-ranked pocket passer and the 40th overall prospect in next year's class.
Johnson said the trust he had in Tennessee head coach Butch Jones and the rest of the Volunteers' coaching staff, was a big factor in his decision.
"Tennessee was my first offer," Johnson said. "I've always believed in them from the beginning. I trust Coach Jones and the rest of the coaches there, and I feel like I will be very happy there. The fans at UT are the best in college football."
A late-season surge by current quarterback Josh Dobbs may have piqued the interest of some top quarterback recruits. The Vols already received an ESPN 300 quarterback commit from Jarrett Gaurantano, the 87th-ranked player in the 2016 class, and the addition of Johnson will only grab the attention of other offensive playmakers.
The strong-armed quarterback will be entering his junior year in high school, and in his short career the talented prospect has thrown for 1,879 passing yards with 13 touchdowns.
With the addition of Johnson, Tennessee's 2017 recruiting class is off to a strong start. Johnson joins another ESPN Junior 300 prospect, defensive tackle Jordon Riley, as Tennessee commits.