Written by: Eric Kautz ‘27

Edited by: Santino Oliveti '26

On Wednesday, December 3rd, Saint Joe's star pass rusher C.J Edwards signed his national letter of intent to the University of Tennessee to continue his football career.

On January 27th of this year, three-star athlete C.J. Edwards sent shockwaves across the New Jersey High School football scene, announcing he would be transferring out of Bergen Catholic to play football at his hometown school, Saint Joe's, for his senior year. Shortly after, on February 25th, the 6’5 edge rusher revealed his commitment to the University of Tennessee. “Vol nation, I'm home,” the top prospect said on Instagram after selecting Tennessee over schools like Michigan, Syracuse, Duke, and more. The Volunteers were the first school to offer the elite talent on February 29th, 2024. Edwards, who will arrive on campus in Knoxville this winter, is a part of a Tennessee recruiting class ranked eighth in the nation according to 247Sports. 

Edwards had ambitious goals for his senior season, including being atop the leaderboard for sacks in the state despite being ineligible for the first three games of the season. Edwards surprised many in his Falcon debut, playing a large role on offense, where he had 4 grabs in two games. Edwards finished the year with four sacks and 17 total tackles. In an interview with 247Sports, the playmaker described himself as a guy with “a high motor…physical player, loves to hit, loves to be in the mess, loves to be in the action.” 

The recruitment process for the Tennessee commit was incredibly competitive amongst some of the best programs in the country, but the young star knew what he wanted. 

“Somewhere where everyone wanted to win, there was a mutual hunger amongst everyone there…a place that wanted to go out and win national championships,” said the SEC-bound recruit when asked about his priorities in selecting a school. 

The physical playmaker admired everything Tennessee's program had to offer, from coaches, trainers, nutritionists, recruiting staff, and more, but ultimately, the city of Knoxville and what the three-star described as “the southern hospitality” ended up being what won over Edwards. 

 The defensive standout had plans to make stops at Boston College, Michigan, Duke, Syracuse, and Pitt throughout the course of the spring, but shut down his recruitment after the Vols made a strong push to secure the star pass rusher. Throughout the entirety of the future volunteer's football journey, his family has always been by his side. “They are my whole support system, I wouldn't be here without them,” the New Jersey native stated. “They always told me to do what you feel is best for you.. It was not really like they weighed in on my decision, more so they wanted me to make the best decision for me, and they will support it regardless”.

While the edge rusher has made a name for himself within the state, the opportunity to put his name on the national level excites him. “The opportunity to just grind and go make a name for myself” is what the relentless competitor said he is most looking forward to when getting on campus. Tennessee, a football powerhouse, is currently ranked 12th in the nation according to the AP Poll. Competing in arguably the toughest football conference in the country, the SEC, the dynamic athlete says he is “Taking everything day by day, not letting anything get out of hand…and doing what I need to do every day,” to prepare for the jump in competition.

As the future volunteer wraps up his high school career, his focus remains on growth on and off the field. After finding success in New Jersey and being one of the Garden State's top talents, Edwards is ready to take his talents up against some of the best in college football. With his grit, determination, and mindset, Edwards is bound to make an immediate impact at the next level.