NaDerris Ward wants to choose a school that will help him mature.

The tight end from McClymonds High School in Oakland, Calif., will visit Knoxville this weekend to watch Tennessee play South Carolina. Ward said he has heard good things about UT.

"It's a big college town," the 6-foot-5, 243-pounder said. "Everything revolves around pretty much the Vols. They have good academics and good athletics. Mainly, all I hear about it is its environment at the football stadium.

"I just pretty much want to see all that the school has to offer. There are no certain things right now."

Ward said his interest in the Vols grew when he noticed a chance to help immediately at tight end.

"They're real low at the position and they could really use my help," he said. "I could come in and definitely compete for a spot right away. They're not guaranteeing me starting, but they're telling me if I can compete, as long as I'm ready for that, then that is a possibility."

Ward said Georgia is his leader ahead of UT, Florida, LSU and Arizona. He said the Bulldogs gained an advantage by expressing interest early.

"They got on the ball pretty much right away," he said. "It made me feel real good. They made me feel real comfortable with their coaches.

"With the Georgia coaching staff, our bond is like a real close friendship. I could talk to those coaches like I'm talking to one of my friends."

Ward has family that lives within an hour of Athens. Still, Ward said he doesn't plan to let the family tie sway his decision.

"I'm going to have to go away from them at any point in my life," he said. "Right now that's not one of the things I'm worried about. It's mainly just my environment and how I feel and also that I'm going to be able to cope with being out there myself."

Ward said he wants to choose a school away from home to become a better person, not just a better football player.

"It's just to grow and be on my own," he said. "I want to see how it is growing as a young man into a man and being away from home and not being able to be babied and shadowed by the family members and the little things that go around."

Linebacker Josh Tatum, Ward's cousin and teammate, visited UT earlier this month. Ward said the trip was a new experience for Tatum.

"I've been in the South before so I kind of know what to expect," he said, "but it was his first time traveling that far. He absolutely loved it. He really couldn't even sum it up in words."

Ward said he and Tatum would like to play together in college but realize the possibility is not strong. UT is the only school both players are seriously considering.

"We've talked about it but we know that it's a reality that we probably won't be able to," he said. "It's not something that bothers us much. We see obviously that it would be hard.

"If we go separate ways, we'll be good. We're going to stay in contact the whole way through college."