Ahmad Moten is spending the next few days in Gatlinburg, Tenn., enjoying a vacation in the Great Smoky Mountains that his family planned months ago. He plans to be back in East Tennessee next weekend, too.
The Class of 2022 defensive lineman from Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is scheduled to return to Tennessee the weekend of Jan. 14 for an official visit with the Vols that will begin a busy stretch run for Moten leading up to National Signing Day. He’s scheduled to take his four remaining official visits this month, starting with back-to-back trips to Tennessee and North Carolina.
The Tar Heels are set to host him on an official visit beginning Jan. 17, immediately after his visit with the Vols. He’s also scheduled to take an official visit to Oklahoma the weekend of Jan. 21 before traveling to nearby Miami the weekend of Jan. 28.
It’s only a coincidence that the 6-foot-4, 300-pound Moten is spending consecutive weekends in Tennessee. But he said he likes what he has heard from the Vols since getting a scholarship offer from them less than two months ago, and he’s looking forward to taking a firsthand look at the program next weekend.
Tennessee defensive line coach
Rodney Garner, who visited Moten twice last month leading up to Early Signing Day, is one of the main reasons he’s strongly considering the Vols.
“Just who Coach G coached and what he stands for and how he is as a person,” said Moten, who’s ranked the No. 567 overall prospect and No. 81 defensive lineman in the 2022 class, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. “I based all my official visits off the coaching and the family — how family-oriented (the programs are).
“It seems like I can look at that person as, like, a second dad, because I don’t have my dad at whatever college I go to. (I want) someone who can build me into a better man.”
It doesn’t hurt that Garner has produced a number of NFL defensive linemen during his more than 20 years as an SEC defensive line coach.
“He produced Derrick Brown, and I used to watch Derrick Brown every day. I used to want to be like a Derrick Brown,” Moten said, referring to the former Auburn defensive lineman who now plays for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.
“That’s pretty cool to have the dude I look up to, he coached him. That’s one thing I like about his track record and all that.”
During Moten’s in-home visit with Garner and Tennessee linebackers coach
Brian Jean-Mary last month, Moten said his and his family’s conversations with Garner “had nothing to do with football.”
“Just him sitting down with my dad, him having a conversation on and on about anything,” Moten said of Garner. “Our relationship outside of football and what it can do for me outside of football, that’s what sold me on him. My dad loved the in-home visit, too.”
The Vols envision Moten, who has received offers from more than 20 schools, being able to line up in multiple positions on the defensive line.
“They see me playing the three-technique,” he said. “I think everybody sees me playing a three-technique — a three-technique who can play everything. If I need to play a five(-technique), I can play a five. If I need to play a six, I can play a six.
“That’s what they’ve been telling me — that I can play the three, four, five, six. That’s what they’ve been telling me, and that’s what everyone’s pretty much telling me.”
Garner and other members of Tennessee’s staff also have told Moten, even since the Vols’ overtime loss to Purdue in last week’s Music City Bowl, that he could compete for early playing time on their defensive line.
“He told me about the game against Purdue,” Moten said, referring to Garner. “He said, ‘You see what we lack,’ and I was like, ‘Yes, sir,’ and all that. Every school tells me about how they need the D-linemen and all that. But I focus on, like, relationships and then, what can they do for me in my development as a human being?”
Moten has heard good things about Tennessee from former Vols running back
Madre London, who played at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, and former Cardinal Gibbons teammate
Gerald Mincey, a former Florida offensive lineman who recently transferred to Tennessee.
“I knew Madre since I was a kid,” Moten said. “That’s basically a big brother to me. Since kindergarten, I knew Madre, and then he was at St. Thomas, so he’s like a big brother to me. He told me, he said, ‘You’ll like that Tennessee visit, bro. The facilities — everything is just nice. Everything’s just nice.’ And Gerald —
Gerald Mincey — he’s talking to me about it, too, since he just got up there. But he already loves it.”
Iowa State hosted Moten on his first official visit the weekend of Dec. 10. He named a top five of Oklahoma, Miami, North Carolina, Iowa State and Tennessee on Dec. 21, and he said those are still the five main schools he’s considering, although he’s also still hearing from Florida.
Oklahoma and Miami are in the running for him, he said, at least in part because he “had relationships with those coaches prior to them getting that job.” New Oklahoma coach
Brent Venables previously recruited Moten at Clemson, while Moten said he “was about to commit to Oregon” before former Ducks coach
Mario Cristobal left for Miami.
“Oregon just showed nothing but love when they gave me that offer,” said Moten, whose older brother,
Anthony Moten, is a former Miami defensive lineman. “I talked to the D-line coach every single day. I had a relationship with them two. …
“Now, don’t get me wrong: Miami, it was a nice offer for me, but it wasn’t a school that I could consider myself going to when (former coach
Manny)
Diaz was there. Now, when Cristobal made the switch, that boosted Miami because I would love to play with Cristobal, and I have the chance to, so maybe I can.”
