Four-star safety Lagonza Hayward decommits from Tennessee

A pretty big loss.

Just days before the early signing period opens, four-star safety Lagonza Hayward has decommitted from Tennessee. This one has been brewing for a while, although Hayward denied the rumor publicly.

Hayward posted on X to announce his decision.

“Thankful for Volnation and coaches for support and the trust they put in me but I have prayed on it for a long time so respect my decision but I will be decommiting from The University of Tennessee,” Hayward said.

The Georgia prospect is the 72nd ranked player in the class of 2025, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Georgia and Florida have been major players all along here, even after his initial decision to commit to Tennessee on July 27th.

Tennessee’s class moves down to the 9th-ranked group in the country, according to 247Sports. The Volunteers are left with three-star Sidney Walton as the lone safety prospect in the class. The Tennessee coaching staff has been working to flip three-star Miami commit Timothy Merritt in recent weeks. That’s a potential name to watch as a replacement in the class.

The early signing period is set to open on Wednesday, December 4th and will stay open through Friday, December 6th.