A three-star athlete from South Pittsburg, Tennessee, had been committed to FSU since April. Dayon Cooper made the verbal pledge during his second visit to Tallahassee following the Seminoles’ offer in February. But after his official visit to an SEC rival, Tennessee, over the weekend of June 12–14, Cooper announced a major change in his recruitment.

“After much thought and prayers with my family, I have decided to decommit from @FSUFootball,” wrote Cooper on Sunday, June 14, immediately after his visit with the Vols. “Thank you to the staff & coaches for recruiting me & making me feel welcomed the past 4 months during my 3 visits to campus. #ThePitt @SPHSPIRATES”

The timing was unmistakable. Within hours of stepping off the Tennessee campus Sunday morning, Cooper posted his decommitment tweet. No delay, no second visit to FSU to “reconsider,” just a clean, immediate break. For a recruit who had called FSU “home” just months before, the speed of his decision spoke louder than the message itself.

Cooper’s decommitment from FSU came after the Vols’ coaching staff offered him a major opportunity, intending to keep this elite in-state talent at home. “They told me that I would be able to come in and have an early impact on the offense and get the ball in my hands in space and be able to do what I do,” said Cooper to Volquest.

On the flip side, Mike Norvell’s FSU planned to keep Cooper on the defensive side after recruiting him as a cornerback. But at South Pittsburg High School, the 6’, 180-pound athlete recorded 1,252 yards and 17 TDs as a junior last season and won the Tennessee Division 1A Mr. Football honor. Given that, preferring to play offense seems natural. However, the 3-star 2027 prospect was ecstatic about the Vols’ visit before he reopened his recruitment.

“Excited to be @Vol_Football today to start my OV. 🍊🍊 @coachjoshheupel @CoachKelseyPope,” posted Dayon Cooper on X on June 11.

After spending just over two months committed to the Seminoles, Dayon Cooper’s decision is a big blow for FSU. Following the decommitment of notable recruits like 4-star LB Gregory Batson and 4-star DB Mekhi Williams, Cooper is the sixth decommitment for the program’s 2027 class. Now, FSU has nine verbal commitments in this class.

Meanwhile, nothing is fixed for the Vols, as Oklahoma State is firmly in the mix. But if Tennessee can keep this 2027 talent with the recruiting pitch of WRs coach Kelsey Pope, Cooper could become the Vols’ 16th pledge of the cycle.

FSU lost despite a strong connection

When, in April 2026, 3-star athlete Dayon Cooper committed to FSU, he chose the Seminoles over programs like Texas A&M, Maryland, Tennessee, Clemson, Vanderbilt, and more. FSU’s coaching staff and environment stood out to Cooper.

“Coach Blue has been good to me ever since I first stepped foot on campus. Since then, he made me feel like it was home. We built a bond, and I committed to him,” said Cooper after his verbal commitment, as reported by 247Sports in April 2026. “I had my mind on it, but Coach Norvell just made it even better. His energy just made it easy for me.”

He even completed his official visit to FSU from June 5-7. However, Tennessee’s approach influenced the 2027 prospect to lead to a decommitment decision. Now, we will see if the Vols win this recruitment battle or if any other programs lure his talent.