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Four-star athlete C.J. Cotman spoke with Campus Insiders about his recruitment following his decommitment from the Tennessee Volunteers.

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A lot has changed since Campus Insiders last spoke with 4-star prospect C.J. Cotman in July following his commitment to Tennessee.

The obvious alteration in the Clearwater, Florida native’s recruitment is the fact he left the Volunteers’ 2017 recruiting class on Tuesday night — months after saying Knoxville was “a place [he] can call home.”

Within the same hour that Cotman backed off his pledge, 4-star defensive tackle Breyon Gaddy and his brother, 3-star defensive tackle Brandon Gaddy, also backed off their pledges to Tennessee.

A source close to the situation told Campus Insiders Cotman’s offer was pulled, and that is the real reason why the nation’s No. 32 athlete is no longer committed to the Vols. According to the source, Tennessee reportedly plans to target more JUCO prospects, wanting experienced individuals who can come in and play immediately.

Campus Insiders spoke with Cotman following his decommitment to see where his recruitment was leading him, and the 4-star prospect highlighted three programs as ones he’s interested in.

North Carolina, Miami and Kentucky are all on Cotman’s radar, and he’s planning on taking a trip to Chapel Hill right before the recruiting dead period sets in on Dec. 9-11.

When asked about why he’s intrigued by the Tar Heels, Cotman praised the UNC coaching staff for never losing touch with him, even when he was firmly pledged to the Vols.

“[I] love how the [UNC] coaches stay in contact and show love,” he said. “They all pretty much stayed in contact with me and never stopped [recruiting me]. [They] never gave up, even after I committed to UT.”

Cotman did not confirm any potential visits to see the Hurricanes or Wildcats, but there is plenty of time for that to happen before National Signing Day on Feb. 1.

Note: Scout rankings and ratings used in this article.

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