The Class of 2022 offensive tackle from Hastings High School in Houston said he was thoroughly impressed by what he saw from Tennessee during his virtual tour of the Vols’ campus and facilities, and he’s hoping to visit them as early as next month. He said Ole Miss, Tennessee and nearby Houston are the three teams currently at the top of his list.
“Those are the three that are recruiting (me) good,” he told GoVols247. “I love the energy.”
The 6-foot-6, 291-pound Gagophien said he’s already convinced that he wants to take an official visit to Knoxville, too, although he’s still waiting to make his first visit to Tennessee’s campus.
“I’m looking at the place and I’m just amazed by looking at the facilities and everything, and he just offered me right then and there,” Gagophien said, recalling his conversation with Tennessee offensive line coach
Glen Elarbee and his conversations with the Vols during his virtual visit.
“It was a good experience. I’m looking forward to visiting, actually, because it looked too good for me not to go.”
The 6-foot-6, 291-pound Gagophien said Elarbee “fell in love with me” while watching his film, and first-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel’s staff already has impressed Gagophien, a Nigeria native who moved to Texas “about six, seven years ago.”
“I’d say (I like) the coaching staff,” said Gagophien, who’s ranked the No. 650 overall prospect and No. 60 offensive tackle in the 2022 class, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. “I had a great vibe talking to them — the offensive coordinator (
Alex Golesh) and all that. They’ve got a pretty good vibe, and it looks like the facilities, too, are interesting.”
Gagophien said he started playing football when he was in middle school, and he has continued to improve over the past few years. Other major programs have started to take notice of him over the past few months, including Ole Miss, which gave him his first SEC offer in early March.
He started as a sophomore and took another step forward during his junior season. Elarbee made it clear he was impressed by what he saw from Gagophien.
“(Elarbee) watched, I think, three of my games from the year,” Gagophien said. “He saw I developed over time. He was like, he likes the way I play, how fast I am on my feet. I’ll be driving to finish, and he likes that. He was excited.
“He watched my film and he fell in love with me, said he had to get me on the phone. And I fit into his game style, scheme they run and all that.”
Gagophien said he believes he will be able to make a trip to Tennessee sometime in June. But he said he doesn’t have to wait to travel to Knoxville to know that the Vols are likely to host him on one of his official visits.
“I’ve got to, just off the vibe and everything,” he said. “I was already learning stuff from them. (Elarbee) was already coaching me up the first time, and I’m a big person on learning stuff, so I see I’ve got a lot of stuff to learn. He could help me get there.”
