PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.* Four-star linebackerTevon Coney*has seen a steady stream of coaches roll through his school this spring with the likes of Alabama, Florida State, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami and others dropping by. On Wednesday, the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Palm Beach Gardens High stand out received visits from Florida defensive coordinator*D.J. Durkin, Notre Dame area recruiter*Tony Alford*and Purdue defensive line coachRubin Carter.
It was great so I could show them in a live practice how I practice and things I can do, not on film, but in person, Coney said of his Wednesday visitors. I was happy they came out here to watch me practice.
Two of those schools that dropped in to see Coney on Wednesday are part of a quartet of programs he feels is making him a priority early.
I dont have any favorites, but the schools that have really been on me are Notre Dame, Florida, Miami. Those are probably the schools that have really been pushing for me to come up there. Also Tennessee.
The Irish are slated to get a summer visit from Coney.
Notre Dame is a great school. Its a great school, so Ill definitely take a look at them. I cant just throw out like that. Im going to go up there and visit and see what they have to offer and all that.
The Gators were a school that looked to be in line to land an early pledge for Coney. While that did not happen, they certainly still factor near the top of his list.
Florida just wants me to come down to Gainesville and help them win championships, turn around their season from what they had last year. They need great linebackers to come there and make the defense better. They said they are trying to get four good linebackers that are ready to come in and compete with each other and try to get it rolling on defense.
The Hurricanes are selling the opportunity to play his college ball close to home.
Miami is just telling me I need to stay close to home. Its only an hour, but its not that close where I can be away from my family. You know, just change my life around and just be a good person and live my dreams out in Miami.
Right now, theyre trying to sign two to three linebackers and theyre really looking for me to come in and play MIKE with Denzel Perryman going to be gone. Theyre looking for me to come in and compete.
The Vols are in constant communication with Coney as they try to get him on campus this summer.
Tennessee, I call the linebackers coach once a week and we chat on Twitter and Facebook a lot. He just sees how Im doing and how my mom and dad are doing and trying to get me up there. Its a great program and a great fan base. I hear they have a great facility and school. Im just excited to get up there and see what they have to offer.
The current plan for Coneys recruitment is to narrow his list at the beginning of the summer and then take an extended tour of campuses across the country hitting all of his finalists.
This summer Ill be going to Ohio State, Ill be going to Tennessee, Ill be going to Notre Dame, Ill probably go back down to Florida, Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State. Ill be taking a lot of visits over the summer, but Ill be narrowing my list down June 10.
Im going to try to narrow it down between five and ten. If I can narrow it down between five and ten, those will be the schools I visit. The five or ten Ill see this summer definitely.
The summer visits will be critical for Coney, who wants to commit sometime during his senior season.
I just want to see what they have to offer me and my family. Just let me know Im comfortable there, have a great staff, great people around, great facility, Im looking at everything. Basically see if I can fit there.
247Sports currently ranks Coney as the No. 11 inside linebacker and the No. 39 player in the state of Florida.