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Tennessee’s coaching staff believes Steven Fowlkes should play on offense.

Fowlkes does, too.

The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Fowlkes plays wide receiver and defensive end at Banneker High School in College Park, Ga. On Wednesday he committed to the Vols.

Many schools, including North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Indiana, Purdue and Central Florida, were recruiting him to play defense. UT and Kentucky liked him on offense.

He recently decided his preference is to play receiver in college and had UT on his list for that reason.

“They (the Vols) are going to give me an opportunity to play it (receiver),” he said last week. “I want to take advantage of the opportunity.”

He was on campus Saturday for the UT’s first full scrimmage of the preseason. It was a trip he said he had tried to make all summer but wasn’t able to because of work obligations.

Fowlkes has already taken advantage of summer workouts to improve at receiver.

He didn’t begin playing football until last fall and missed five games last year because of left elbow bursitis.

The work he’s put in this summer has helped him improve his skills at receiver.

“I started doing well on offense and got my confidence back,” he said. “I knew I could play the position and do it well. I got my confidence back and it hasn’t gone down since.”

Fowlkes is being recruited by UT receivers coach Trooper Taylor, who Fowlkes said he has come to look at as a role model.

“He’s a person that can stay on top of me but at the same time have fun doing that,” Fowlkes said of Taylor. “He’s a good coach for me. He’s a good person and I’ve enjoyed talking to him.”

Fowlkes said he looked at UT’s academic offerings as much as the athletic side. He said both parts are equally important.

“That’s where another life stage begins,” he said. “I want to make sure I’m in good condition after I get out of college. If I don’t make it to (the NFL) I’ll have something else.”

Fowlkes also knows he will have something else if things don’t work out at receiver. While offense is his preference, he’s keeping his options open to playing defensive end.

“If I’m not doing as well at receiver I’ll still have the option at defensive end,” he said. “The schools that like me at defensive end are pretty decent and I still like them.”

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.