Just days after losing a commitment from four-star safety Lagonza Hayward, Tennessee has found their replacement. Three-star safety Timothy Merritt has flipped from Miami today, committing to the Tennessee Volunteers.
Tennessee announced Merritt’s signing shortly after. His announcement came with some drama, as Merritt pulled the fake and tossed his Miami hat to the side. He would go on to put on the orange as he made his final decision.
Merritt is the 515th ranked player in the class of 2025, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. The Birmingham, Alabama native checks in at 6-2, 180 pounds. Merritt had been committed to Miami since June of this year.
Merritt had interest all across the southeast. He held offers from Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Clemson, Florida and a number of others. Merritt took an official visit to Tennessee during the summer. He would return on an unofficial visit during the Alabama game.
“Yeah, really excited about Tim,” Josh Heupel said today. “He’s somebody that we’ve been recruiting for a long time. I go back to last January, just having an opportunity to meet his family, hear his story. The player itself, you can see really quickly on video.
“Great athleticism, extremely fluid. Played quarterback this year for them at times and and a dynamic playmaker. Tough, competitive makeup. And when you talk with him, you can feel his competitive mindset and his passion for becoming what he’s capable of really quickly. And our staff did a great job and just continue to develop a relationship with him and pour into him. The family has got great trust in us and I’m obviously really excited about getting him.”
Tennessee currently has 21 signatures on the day following Merritt’s decision. Merritt joins Sidney Walton as the two lone safeties in the 2025 class.
