Five-star guard Jaden Springer announced his commitment to Tennessee on Wednesday, giving coach Rick Barnes a top-five recruiting class.
Springer chose the Volunteers over Memphis and Michigan. He also had North Carolina and Florida on his final list of five, but cut the Tar Heels and Gators in September.
"I've given up a lot just to get where I'm at today, but I would do it all over again if I had to because I am one step closer to my goal," Springer told ESPN's Paul Biancardi. "... Next year, I plan on bringing home a national championship and also have one of the best freshman seasons ever."
He took official visits to all three of his finalists, with his final trip to Knoxville coming in early October.
"This is probably the biggest decision I've ever had to make, but I'm 100% confident in my decision," Springer said.
Breaking: 5-Star recruit Jaden Springer, ESPN's No. 16 player in the class of 2020, tells @PaulBiancardi he's committing to Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/zuDedC8iE3
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 23, 2019
Springer's commitment marks the second class in a row that Barnes has landed a five-star prospect, following Josiah James' pledge last fall. Springer is the sixth five-star prospect to commit to Tennessee since the ESPN recruiting database began in 2007.
A 6-foot-5 shooting guard from North Carolina who attends IMG Academy (Florida), Springer is ranked No. 16 in the ESPN 100. He's the No. 3 shooting guard in the country. He played eight games for the B. Maze Elite grassroots program on the Under Armour Association circuit last spring, averaging 15.8 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 38 percent from 3-point range.
"They got a great coach in Rick Barnes; he's worked with many pros," Springer said of the Vols recently at the USA Basketball Junior National Team minicamp. "Him showing me, going over film with me, showing how he would use me, that's something big. That's [a] school that can help me reach the next level."
He is a battle-tested big guard who demonstrates a strong all-around game and is a lockdown defender. According to Biancardi, Springer is confident and steady with the ball in his hands to be a shot-maker or a playmaker when the game is on the line.
Springer is Tennessee's third commitment in the 2020 class, joining top-40 prospects Keon Johnson (No. 33) and Corey Walker (No. 39). The Volunteers still have one scholarship remaining, with three-star center Dylan Cardwell atop their board.
ESPN 100 big man P.J. Hall was a target, but he did not take his scheduled official visit to Knoxville last weekend and is choosing between Virginia Tech and Clemson on Wednesday afternoon.
With three commitments already in the fold, Tennessee is tracking for its highest-ranked class in the ESPN recruiting era. The Volunteers sit with the No. 4 class currently.